FF Helmer Hanssen

R/V «Helmer Hanssen» is a stern trawler with a hull built to ice class DNV ICE-1C, refurbished as a research vessel. UiT, the Institute of Marine Research, Bergen, and the Univerity Center in Svalbard (UNIS) are the main users of the vessel. Other national and international organisations or groups are welcome to charter the vessel.

R/V «Helmer Hanssen» (formerly  R/V «Jan Mayen») was designed by Skipsteknisk A/S and built at Danyard a/s in 1988. R/V «Helmer Hanssen» is a stern trawler with a hull built to ice class DNV ICE-1C. During 1992 she was redesigned by Skipsteknisk a/s and refurbished at Båtbygg a/s as a research vessel. Since June 17, 2011, R/V Helmer Hanssen has been fully owned by UiT-The Arctic University of Norway.

Research facilities

The R/V "Helmer Hanssen" is a multipurpose vessel, designed for fishery and marine biological, geological and oceanographic surveys in open and ice covered waters (1-2 m drift ice). The range of investigations include fish resource assessments, hydrographic and trawl surveys, geological bottom sediment sampling and acoustic registrations of the sediment layers below the seabed. R/V "Helmer Hanssen " is equipped with modern instruments and has especially designed features for improved acoustic surveying and bottom sediment sampling.

Research activities

• Shrimp/fish stock assessments
• Geological investigations (bottom cores, echosounding, accustic surveying)
• Plankton surveys
• Fishing gear trials and underwater surveys
• Marine mammal surveys
• International workshops
• Naval training courses

Most research activities will be carried out in the Barents Sea and in ice covered areas around Svalbard.

Acoustic transducers:

• Simrad ER-60 scientific echo sounder
• Simrad ES18            18 kHz split beam echo sounder transducer
• Simrad ES38B          38 kHz high power split beam transducer.
• Simrad ES120-7G    120 kHz split beam echo sounder transducer
• Kongsberg EM-302 multibeam echo sounder
• INNOMAR deep-36 sub bottom profiler
• RDI ADCP-75 Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler
• Furuno CSH-70-180A Color Scanning Sonar
• Furuno TS-337A trawl sonar Echo sounder (fishfinding) Simrad split beam ES38-B, s.b. ES120-7

Instrumentation (research)

• Furuno CSH-70-180A Color Scanning Sonar (fish finder)
• Kongsberg Simrad ER-60 (18/38/120 kHz) echosounder (fish finding)
• INNOMAR deep-36 sub bottom profiler
• RDI ADCP-75 Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler
• Scanmar CGM Various sensors (height, spread, temperature, ++)
• Seabird SBE 911plus CTD with 12 bottle compact rosette, fluorescence-meter
• Satelite comm. Thrane & Thrane Inmarsat-C, Mini-M satellite telefon
• Kongsberg Seapath 330+ Navigation
• Kongsberg MRU 5+ Motion Reference Unit
• Kongsberg Seatrack 320 3D Seismic GPS transponder
• RTS HotShot Seismic Source Synchronizer

Laboratories and stores

• Data processing center, 55 m² This is the operation and analysis center for all acoustic instruments and workstations. The room is also suitable for lectures and meetings.
• Diving store This is the storage room for diving equipment. Filling stations for bottles 200/300 bar (Bauer Capitano)
• Netmending room, 43 m² Suitable for construction and repair of fishing gear sections and other gear. Some space for net storage.
• Isotope room, 5,5 m² Room with special equipment for the treatment of radioactive samples.
• Wet laboratory, 30 m² Initial treatment of samples including sediment cores, water samples and plankton. Samples are transported to the laboratory by an elevator
• Hydrography lab., 13 m² From this room the CTD and hydrographic sampling instruments are operated via a hydraulic gate in the side of the vessel.
• Main lecture room, 40 m² Lecture room which accomodates 30. Equipped with overhead, dias etc.
• Lecture room, 23 m² Separated from the main lecture room by sliding doors. Working stations for scientific staff/students
• Labratories
1. Laboratory, 30 m² Separated from the lecture rooms by sliding doors. Equipped for further analysis and preparation of geological, plankton and water samples
2. Laboratory, 19 m² For analysis and preparation of fish, shrimps etc.
3. Laboratory, 24 m² Preliminary handling of fish and shrimp samples. Length measuring and weighing stations
• Freezing storage, 4 m² Storage of smaller fish/shrimp samples
• Cool storage 13+3,5 m² Storage of different types of samples (geol.core sections, plankton, etc.)
• Refrigerators 1 x 30°C and 1 x 80°C

Special equipment

• Drop Keel for scientific equipment, can be lowered 3,5m below keel level.
• Simrad ES18            18 kHz split beam echo sounder transducer
• Simrad ES38B          38 kHz high power split beam transducer.
• Simrad ES120-7G     120 kHz split beam echo sounder transducer
• RDI ADCP-75           Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler
• INNOMAR deep-36 Sub bottom profiler
• Gravity Corer for up to 6m long sediment sampler max depth 4000m Instruments operated through a moonpool on trawl deck.
• Box Corer operated by cranes and trawl winches over the side.
• KC Denmark Multicorer, 6x80cm tubes
• CTD-winch Capacity of 4000 m cable
• Hydrographic winch Capacity of 3000 m cable
• Dredge winch 1x3 tons, 3500 m wire (Ø 12 mm)
• Trawl eye winch Capacity of 2400 m cable (Ø 11,4 mm)
• Trawl systems Double 50 m long trawl-ways for bottom trawling and 4 sweep line winches
• Pelagic Net drum 1 x 25 tons (12,5 m³) for pelagic trawls
• Fishing gears Commercial sizes of shrimp and fish trawls, bottom and pelagic sampling trawls, plankton trawls
• Fish/shrimp plant 10,5 tons of fish or shrimps can be plate frozen/24 hours + fresh/iced fish/shrimps
• Crow's nest Placed 15 m above sea level on the roof of the bridge. Heated, 360° view
• BOGE/Reavell, Seismic Compressor, 205 Bar
• Seimic System
• Air Guns 2x Sercel GI Guns (105) 
• Air Guns 2x Sercel Mini-GI Guns (45)
• 2D Seismic (normally 10 Streamers á 25m)
• 3D seismic (normally 14 streamers á 25m)
• Combi winch for streamers with separate winch for tow cable.

Technical specifications and equipment

General arrangements:

• Bridge deck:
• 100 m² wheelhouse
• 360° view windows give almost a
• Modern instruments,
• Winch controls for all winches at the rear of wheelhouse
• Radio room
• Lounge for cruise participants

• Boat deck:
• Instrument Room, Data processing area (55 m²)
• 4 cabins  (Officers and lead scientist)
• Laundry facility

• Forecastle deck:
• 7 cabins (Crew and cruise engineers) 
• Galley, mess/lounge area
• Diving room
• Food storage/coolers-freezers
• Laundry facility Ventilation room
• Lifeboat and life rafts, mob-boat.

• Shelter deck:
• 4 cabins
• Sick bay
• Laundry facility
• Wardrobe (33 m²)
• Drying room
• Net storage/net mending room (43 m²)
• Double trawl ways (50m x 4,5m)
• Mechanical workshop
• Elevator for samples to main deck
• 3 laboratories covering 49 m²

• Main deck:
• 6 cabins for cruise participants
• 40 m² lecture room
• 23 m² lecture room
• 2 laboratories covering 50 m²
• 1 wet laboratory of 24 m²
• 3 cool/freeze storage rooms covering 10 m²
• Processing plant for handling fish/shrimp (200 m²)

• Below main deck:
• Engine room,
• Freezing hold (500 m³)
• Cooling hold (200 m³)
• Dry cargo storage (150 m³)

Main features

• Length o.a. 63,80 m
• Length p.p. 55,55 m
• Breadth mid. 13,00 m
• Depth to maindeck 5,95 m
• Depth to shelterdeck 8,55 m
• Accomodation 35 persons
• Freezing hold capacity 500 m³
• Cooling hold capacity 200 m³
• Dry storage capacity 150 m³
• Fuel tank capacity 574 m³
• Freshwater capacity 24 m³
• Evaporator 8 tonns/24h
• Speed max: 16 knots
• Service speed 12,5 knots
• Gross Tonnage 2052
• Class DnV+1A1 ICE 1C

Main engine information

• Maker Wärtsila Vasa
• Type 8R32E
• Power 3000 kW/4080 Bhp at 750 rpm
• Main gearbox Volda ACG850/PF600
• Propeller Wichmann CP Propeller
• Generator Leroy Somer at 500 LB91, 2280 kvA at 1800 rpm, PTO from main gearbox

Auxiliary engine information

• Maker Cummings
• Type KTA-38-G2
• Power 1086 Bhp at 1800 rpm
• Generator Leroy Somer LSA-50-M4 945 kVA at 1800 rpm

Electronic equipment

• Radar A Furuno FR2010D
• Radar B Furuno 810 DS
• Echosounder Furuno FCV 140 color
• Radio telephone Skanti TRP 8750D with telex TT 1600
• Satelite com. system Marconi Ocean ray 2
• Radio receiver Sailor R2022
• VHF Sailor RT2047/2 RT 2048
• Direction finder Furuno FD 525
• Watch-receiver Sailor R501
• Weather faximile Furuno Fax-208A
• Loran C Furuno LC90
• GPS Furuno GP-500/GP-300
• Satelite navigator Furuno FSN 70
• Gyro/autopilot Plath navigat 8 and Plath navipilot 2 connected to magnetic compass
• Trawl (catch) control Scanmar CGM-05
• Log/econometer Ben Galatee 400
• Air/seawater temp. T.Gregersen/TI 11D
• Calling system Vingtor VMP 32, Vingtor VSP 11, Vingtor Hailer system
• Mobile VHF 2.units

Winching equipment

• Type: A/S Hydraulik Brattvaag, Datasynchro
• Trawl winches 2x40 tonnes
• Outhaul winch 1x6 tonnes
• Gilson winches 2x15 tonnes
• Sweepline winches 4x10 tonnes
• Dumping winch 1x2,3 tonnes
• Anchor winch 1x8 tonnes

Special equipment

• Ice gallows HTB 26 (Langsten)
• Deck cranes SBG Hydraulic a/s, 1x4 tonnes at 14 m, 1x2 at 9 m
• Steering gear Tenfjord, Barkemeyer rudder
• Freshwater generator Alfa Laval Zeta JWP-26-C80
• Freez. hold equipm. Capacity: 10 m³, Sabroe
• Ventilation Semco
• Lifesaving equipment Viking Jørgensen & Vik
• External lights, lanterns etc. IBAK
• Air compressors Sperre 30 bar, 2x28 m³/h starting/working air
• Engine room halon firefighting Unitor
• Separators Alfa Laval Zeta
• Bowthruster Brunvoll 495 Bhk
• Bilge separator Heli Sep.

Processing equipment

• Freezing equip.type Technotherm
• Handling equip.type Carnitech, Odim and Baader
• Plate freezing capacity 10,5 tonnes/24 hours
• Temp. in freezing hold -30°C

Lifesaving equipment

• Lifeboat (dry cargo version) 1 x Jørgensen & Vik, 30 persons, 21'
• Lifeboat (m.o.b. version) 1 x DSB/420 Aquasave, 8 persons
• Liferafts 3 x Viking, 16 persons + 2 x Solas, 20 persons
• Lifesuits & belts 35 x Helly-Hansen E/305/4

Accomodation

• Number of cabins 21 (single/double) + sick-bay
• Number of beds 40 (11 crew)
• Wc/shower In every cabin
• Training room 1 ergocycle, 1 multitrainer etc.
• Laundry 4 x washing machines and dryers
• Saloon Situated on forecastle deck and covers 35 m² -leather sofa/chairs, TV, video, radio, cass.deck
• Other seatings Seating space in the wheelhouse and the data processing centre
• Mess Selfservice. Seating capacity 18
• Meals Warm/cold dishes at 08.00, 14.00 and 20.00

FF Helmer Hansen GA-plan

GA Helmer Hanssen fra 2016