Detailed characteristics

  • Length overall: 120.50 m
  • Beam: 20.60 m
  • Depth: 12.80 m
  • Draught: 6.963 m
  • Displacement: 10380 tonnes
  • Cargo capacity: 2500 tonnes or 5600 m3
  • Approximately 50 standard 20 ft containers
  • Cold rooms and refrigerated containers
  • Gross tonnage: 9403 UMS
  • Net tonnage: 2820 UMS
  • Classification: I 3/3 special vessel/replenishment vessel and oceanographic research vessel, ACA, AUT PORT, F, RMC-V, ALM (side gantry, stern crane, tandem double crane), ALS (stern gantry)
  • Diesel capacity:
    • Tank capacity: 1600 tonnes;
    • Freight fuel (GO): 1000 CBM
  • Range: 60 days at sea
  • Crew: 48
  • Scientists, technicians and hydrographers: 110 passengers
  • Average operating speed during passages and cruises: 13.5 knots
  • Freshwater ballast: 1100 tonnes
  • Wastewater ballast: 488 tonnes
  • Construction: Ateliers et Chantiers du Havre (delivered 12 May 1995)
  • Owner: GIE MD II (TAAF and LDAS)
  • Operator:  Louis Dreyfus Austral Seas (LDAS)
  • Charterers: France’s Antarctic Overseas Territories (TAAF) for logistics 120 days per year and IFREMER (Technopôle Brest Iroise, CS10070, 29280 Plouzané France) for oceanography 217 days per year.
  • Flag: RIF
  • Type: Replenishment vessel and oceanographic research vessel
  • Call Sign: FNIN
  • IMO number: 9050814

The Marion Dufresne can carry numerous containers and has a helideck.

  • Environment
    • Aanderaa weather station and an acoustic resonance anemometer
    • 2 “clean” seawater systems supplying the laboratories
    • 2 continuous measurement thermosalinographs, 2 RDI acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCP)

From 2020 the Marion Dufresne will be equipped and able to deploy seismic equipment, the Penfeld penetrometer and the Victor 6000 ROV.

The Marion Dufresne has a surface area of 650 m2 dedicated to scientific activities.

Of the ship’s nine decks, deck F is equipped with a Scientific Operations Room, IT rooms, a multipurpose laboratory and a conference room.

 

Deck E features scientific laboratories and the afterdeck.

 

An oceanographic hold is situated on deck C and an oceanographic store on deck D.

 

Heavy sampling integrated stern system (SIAMOIS)

  • Windlass, 33 tonnes, compatible with aramid cables (50 tonnes)
  • 3 cable reels, 7500 of large diameter cable (up to 30 mm)
  • 2 gantries, 10 & 30 tonnes, long range of movement (astern and abeam)
  • 3 handling winches, 2 cranes (18 tonnes and 3 tonnes), winches, telescopic booms
  • Mobile platforms (20 ft) equipped with fishing winches and large diameter drums
  • Various large samplers
  • Dredges, etc.

Corers

  • Giant round corer CALYPSO (10 tonnes – length 70 m) and its handling system: telescopic booms, integrated winches, platforms and telescopic supports
  • Giant square corer CASQ (0.25 m2 x 12 m)

Light oceanology facilities starboard (ILOT system)

  • 2 pulling windlasses, 4 tonnes (aramid compatible)
  • 1 single Dyneema trailing cable for water-sediment interface coring (grab, multitubes, Boxcore, Waxcore)
  • 1 steel electromechanical CTD cable
  • 1 dedicated CTD cable, electromechanical textile
  • Double gantry with large range of movement
  • CTD room

Cranes

  • 2 x 25-tonne fast cranes (40 tonnes in tandem)
  • 1 x 18-tonne loading/oceanographic crane
  • 1 x 3 tonne telescopic service crane

Auxiliary Craft

  • 2 tenders
  • 1 container-carrying barge, solely during TAAF charter
  • Helicopter, solely during TAAF charter

Ethernet network: 200 sockets (1Gps) and WiFi cover in the work areas. Renewed in 2015.

Servers and data storage: VMWare virtualization, 50 TB of storage for scientific data. Renewed in 2018 and 2019.

Monitoring: SDI video monitor array connected to all the acquisition and operating stations.

  • 3 satellite GPS (with SkyFix differential correction)
  • Doppler log, gyrocompass, time server
  • Inertial navigation system (PosMV320)
  • Ultra-short baseline acoustic positioning system of underwater objects (Posidonia)
  • Ship dynamic positioning (Albatross/Simrad)

The ship is fitted with diesel electric propulsion

  • 3 diesel generators alternators, 8250 kW total
  • Electric propulsion motors: 2 x 3000 kW
  • 2 shaft lines
  • 2 finned rudders

The ship also has a bow thruster (1 x 740 kW).

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