Find the right research vessel for your project.
Brian Caccioppoli leads the Small Boats Program, which helps to manage GSO’s smaller research vessels. If you are interested in using one of our small boats, contact Brian at bcaccioppoli@uri.edu.
The boats below are currently active and ready for use.
- Maritime Skiff 20P, light duty work boat
- R/V Shanna Rose, converted lobster boat
- Pontoon Boat
- Sea Nymph Aluminum Skiffs (two available)
Jump to fleet specifications.
Maritime Skiff 20P
The Maritime Skiff 20P is a great light-duty work boat. It is equipped with a davit for small/light-duty scientific equipment deployment and recovery. The Maritime is also equipped with a dive ladder and SCUBA tank holders, as well as a small pilothouse to get out of the elements. The walkaround layout allows for ample storage of scientific gear and sampling equipment.
R/V Shanna Rose
Research Vessel Shanna Rose is a seaworthy lobster boat converted for research. It is well suited to coastal waters of Narragansett Bay, Block Island and Rhode Island Sounds. The R/V Shanna Rose is well rigged for geological sampling, including vibracores, grab sampling and geophysical survey. A fully enclosed and heated pilothouse and lab space provides comfortable work conditions year-round. An open transom makes it an easy boat for diving operations.
Pontoon Boat
The Pontoon Boat is a shallow draft boat well suited to calm and shallow waters. With a completely open deck, the pontoon boat has ample space for collecting sediment cores and grabbing samples. A removable a-frame or tripod set over a moon pool and hydraulic winch allows for sample collection directly beneath the boat. A davit also allows for lighter duty equipment deployment and recovery. The very shallow draft makes it ideal for work in salt ponds, lagoons, ponds, lakes and shallow bays. The pontoon boat has been used for diving operations as well as shallow water geophysical survey. The bimini enclosure provides protection from the elements.
Sea Nymph Aluminum Skiffs (two available)
The Sea Nymph aluminum work skiffs are suitable for shallow pond, river and protected embayments. Each Sea Nymph can be outfitted with portable battery powered, gas or propane outboard tiller motors. For work very near to the shore, the boats can be paddled with oars. The Sea Nymphs have been used to tend to deployed equipment such as water quality monitoring sensors and tide gauges, as well as for water collection. The 13’ Sea Nymph can be easily hand-carried and will fit in the bed or a full-sized pickup truck. The 15’ Sea Nymph has a dedicated boat trailer.
Small Boats Specifications
| Maritime Skiff 20P | R/V Shanna Rose | Pontoon | Sea Nymph Aluminum Skiffs (two available) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Maritime | Wesmac Hull Finished by Clark Island Boat Works | ||
| Year | 2001 | 2000 | 1988 | 1993 |
| Length | 20' 7" | 42' 3" | 28' | 13' 15' |
| Beam | 7' 7" | 14' 6" | 8' | |
| Max. Draft | 1' (engine up) | 4' 11" | ~1' (engine up) | |
| Displacement | n/a | ~30,000 lbs | ~6,000 lbs | |
| Power | 115 HP Yamaha Outboard | 700 HP Lugger/Northern Lights Turbo-diesel, fresh water cooled with raw water heat exchanger | 90 HP Yamaha Outboard | Oars Electric trolling motor Portable gas or propane outboard with tiller |
| Fuel | Gasoline | Diesel | Gasoline | Gasoline Propane |
| Fuel Capacity | 29 gallons | 600 gallons (2 x 300-gallon tanks) | 12 gallons | |
| Cruise | 23 MPH | 20 MPH at 1850 RPM 33 MPH at 2300 RPM | 8 MPH | |
| Features | Davit Dive ladder Pilothouse with "child" berth New (2020) aluminum dual-axle trailer | Pilothouse with V-berth and second starboard helm station 2 x inflatable 4-man rafts 40-gallon freshwater holding tank 1 marine head | Bimini top and enclosure Moon pool, for equipment deployment and recovery Removable A-Frame or Tripod, centered over moon pool | Trailer available for 15' Sea Nymph |
| Electronics | Hardwired VHF Radio Garmin GPSmap 541s DGPS Garmin Fishfinder 90 | Northern Lights generator Radar: Furuno NAVNET 48-nm range GPS: Furuno DGPS GP-36 Chartplotter: Garmin GPSMAP 1022x Depth Sounding: Furuno FCV-292 Color Video Sounder Compass: (2) Ritchie 5" VHF Radio: (2) ICOM IC-M127 Autopilot: Robertson/Simrad AP-35 EPIRB: ACR/SAT-2406 with Hydro-Fix hydrostatic-release | VHF Radio | |
| Hydraulics | Pullmaster hydraulic winch with cable-drum and hydraulic control assembly A-Frame, rated to 8,000 lbs Hydraulic pot-hauler with hydraulic control assembly Second deck-mounted hydraulic winch | Honda genset Hydraulic winch with cable-drum and hydraulic control assembly |
How do we use our small boats?
