R/V Western Flyer operability and hull-strength upgrade

The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) owns and operates the SWATH oceanographic research vessel R/V Western Flyer. This vessel is of aluminum construction and was designed and built to handle MBARl´s remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Tiburon in the eastern Pacific. Western Flyer was delivered in 1996 and shortly thereafter experienced significant cracking when exposed to relatively moderate seas. This paper outlines the steps that were taken to assess the causes of the cracks, the process used to determine the necessary modifications and the status of those modifications currently being performed at Bay Ship and Yacht in Alameda, California. She will be redelivered this summer and, shortly thereafter, will return to scientific missions