Gear and equipment

From mapping the seafloor at any depth, to collecting weather data in a 150 km radius around the ship, RV Investigator is an impressive research vessel.
Find out more about the gear and equipment available on voyages.

Ship equipment

Acoustics and multibeam systems

RV Investigator has two mulltibeam swath bathymetry mapping systems, one designed for deep water, and one for shallow to mid depth water.

Cranes

RV Investigator is equipped with a number of cranes providing access and service to each deck and compartment at sea or in port.

Drop keels

The drop keels - deployed through a moon pool in the ship - contain a variety of scientific equipment.

Gondola

The ship's gondola, located 1.2 m below the ship's hull, is a steel housing unit that contains advanced sonar technology.

Weather radar

RV Investigator's weather radar records the first data from oceans around Australia. This data is used to improve climate models and weather predictions for Australia.

Echosounders

The ship's acoustics consist of a scientific echo sounder, a high definition fish finding sonar and a scientific multibeam echo sounder.

Sub-bottom profiler

The sub-bottom profiler emits an acoustic signal that penetrates sand and loose sediments. The return signal images the layers of mud, sand and rock below seabed.

Winches

The ship is equipped with a variety of winches to support scientific missions.