Technology
E/V NAUTILUS
The Exploration Vessel (E/V) Nautilus is an efficient 68-meter
ship, with berthing for 17 permanent crew members in
addition to 33 berths for rotating members of the Nautilus
Corps of Exploration. The ship is equipped with remotely
operated vehicles (ROVs), acoustic mapping sonars, and
various other state-of-the-art technologies. Nautilus has
a data lab for processing digital data, as well as a wet lab
for processing physical samples. As part of the Ocean
Exploration Trust’s effort to share expeditions with the
world, we utilize telepresence technology to stream live
video from the ROVs and various locations aboard the ship
in real time to the Nautilus Live website.
GENERAL
BUILT. 1967, Rostock, Germany
LENGTH. 68.23 meters (224 feet)
BEAM. 10.5 meters (34.5 feet)
DRAFT. 4.9 meters (14.75 feet)
TONNAGE. 1,249 gross, 374 net
RANGE. 24,000 kilometers (13,000 nautical miles)
at 10 knots
ENDURANCE. 40 days at sea
SPEED. 10 knots service, 12 knots maximum
FUEL CAPACITY. 330 cubic meters
PROPULSION. Single 1,285 kilowatt (1,700 horsepower)
controllable pitch main thruster; 280 kilowatt bow tunnel
thruster; 300 kilowatt jet pump stern thruster
SHIP SERVICE GENERATORS. Two 585 kilovolt-ampere
generators, one 350 kilovolt-ampere generator
PORTABLE VAN SPACE. Four 6.1-meter (20-feet) vans
COMPLEMENT. 17 crew, 33 science and operations
FLAG. St. Vincent and the Grenadines
ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT
• Dynacon 369i ROV winch with 7,000 meters (23,000 feet)
of 1.73 centimeter (0.681 inch) diameter electro-optic
Rochester cable
• DT Marine 210 winch
• Bonfiglioli knuckle-boom crane, 2–6 ton capacity,
two extensions
• Hawbolt painter boom with winch safe working load,
1.5 metric tons with 7-meter reach off starboard side
• Two air tuggers, safe working load 900 pounds each
• A-frame, safe working load 8 tons
• Two rescue boats, crane and davit, safe working load
0.9 metric tons
• Oceanscience UCTD 10-400 profiling system;
maximum depth 1,000 meters (3,280 feet)
TELEPRESENCE TECHNOLOGY
VSAT. 2.4-meter stabilized Sea Tel 9711 uplink antenna
capable of C- and Ku-band operation of up to 20 megabits
per second (C-band circular or linear)
REAL-TIME VIDEO STREAMING. Six Haivison Makito X
encoders streaming live video via satellite to the Inner
Space Center ashore