Page 196 - Fundamentals of Ocean Renewable Energy Generating Electricity From The Sea

184 Fundamentals of Ocean Renewable Energy

7.4 VESSEL MEASUREMENTS
Although vessels are used to deploy instruments, they can also be used as a
platform for making direct measurements of the water column and sea bed.
Although expensive, they have the advantage, in contrast to moorings, that
multiple locations can be sampled during one cruise. For example, using a
gridded arrangement of sampling stations, cruises can be organized such that
variables can be sampled at several stations over one or multiple tidal cycles at
relatively high temporal resolution (e.g. hourly).
5
The RV Prince Madog at Bangor University (Fig. 7.17) is an example of
a good general-purpose research vessel suitable for a range of ocean energy-
related activities. With a length of 35 m, draft of 3.5 m and maximum speed
of 12 knots, the vessel is sufficiently robust and manoeuvrable to deploy
instruments and record data in relatively shallow regions of strong tidal flow.
The vessel has nine scientific berths and an endurance of 10 days between ports,

FIG. 7.17 RV Prince Madog.

5. Madog was a Welsh Prince who, according to folklore, sailed to America 300 years earlier than
Christopher Columbus.