Above The New Marine Sciences Research Vessel was christened Sunday. Statesman photo by Al Torigo.
From Research Vessel Christening Was a Smash by Tobey Ranofsky on the SB Statesman V. 18 N. 74, April 25, 1975.
The new Marine Sciences research vessel was not christened with a bottle of champagne.
Instead, Debbie Toll smashed an ampule of Copenhagen Standard Sea Water against the vessel Saturday as her husband, University President John Toll, and other guests of the Marine Sciences Research Center (MSRC) looked on.
The ampule, a glass tube sealed at both ends, was used instead of the traditional champagne because the sea water it contained “is more historical” since it is used by oceanographers as a standard against which to measure the salinity of sea water, said MSRC Director Jerry Schubel, the master of ceremonies for the day.
The christening ceremony, which began at 4 p.m. at the Stony Brook Harbor, lasted about 25 or 30 minutes, said Schubel, and included such notable guests as Representative Otis Pike (D-Riverhead), the Reverend Hugh Nevin, who blessed the boat, and the Vice Consul from the Netherlands. A reception held at the Stony Brook Yacht Club followed the ceremony.
The new vessel, called the Onrust, costs $97,000, excluding scientific equipment, and is thought to be “one of the best equipped vessels for her size ever built,” said Schubel. Presently to be used for day cruises along the local waters and over the continental shelf, the Onrust has the capacity to travel 750 miles, which Schubel said it will eventually accomplish.
The Onrust replaces the Mic-Mac, a wooden fishing boat formerly used in Nova Scotia. The new vessel was delivered to the University last October and made its first cruise in January. Since it arrived MSRC personnel have been “outfitting” it for scientific use, said Schubel.
The vessel is seen as an improvement to graduate student education as it is designed specifically for research. Schubel said, “It is not instructional in the sense that large classes of undergraduates will go out. Certainly, any undergraduate showing an interest In research will be able to board the vessel”
The vessel contains a radar national system, a radio, an autopilot, depth recorders and diesel generators, which produce both alternating and direct current electricity, and houses two laboratories. It will be staffed by a captain, mate, and can accommodate eight persons.
The wet lab, equipped with running sea water and extensive plumbing, permits researchers to automatically extract samples of sea water at any depth. The lab therefore provides a continuous sampling of horizontal or vertical water and’an analysis of its physical properties.
The projects undertaken by the Onrust will deal with national as well as regional matters. Presently, the vessel is monitoring the quality of Long Island Sound; investigating the effects of sewage release on an area of the Atlantic Ocean off Manhattan Harbor called the New York Bight; and conducting a study on the disposal of dredged spoils in the sound.
Money to conduct research in the post has come through federal, state, and private agencies. Last year the MSRC received $612,000 in grants and contracts.