| Career | |
|---|---|
| Name: | RV Sonne |
| Operator: | RF Forschungsschiffahrt GmbH |
| Port of registry: | Bremen, Germany |
| Route: | Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean |
| Builder: | Rickmers Werft, Bremerhaven, Germany |
| Laid down: | August 1968 |
| Identification: | IMO Number 6909777 Call sign: DFCG |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Research vessel |
| Displacement: | 4,952 Tonnes |
| Length: | 97.61 m (320 ft 3 in) |
| Beam: | 14.20 m (46 ft 7 in) |
| Draught: | 6.80 m (22 ft 4 in) |
| Installed power: | 2 x 1,150 kW electrical engines 3 x 1,600 kW diesel-generator |
| Propulsion: | Diesel-electrical system |
| Speed: | 12.0 knots (22.2 km/h) |
| Crew: | 25 + 25 scientists |
The RV Sonne (German for 'Sun') is a former fishing trawler converted into a research vessel, doing mostly geoscience-related work for a variety of commercial and scientific clients. She is registered in Bremen.[1]
Contents |
Sonne was built by Rickmers Werft in 1969 as a stern trawler and delivered to Hochseefischerei Nordstern. Her homeport was Bremerhaven and she was mainly active in the waters around Iceland, Greenland and Labrador.
Sonne was converted for use in a scientific exploration role by Schichau Unterweser AG in 1977 and by Rickmers Werft in 1978. In 1991 she was lengthened and modernized by Schichau-Seebeck-Werft.[1]
An order worth Euro 124.4 millions for a new geoscientific research ship was placed with Neptun Werft, Rostock in May 2011. The new ship will be named Sonne as well and replace the current ship in 2015.[2]
The Sonne appears in Frank Schätzing's novel The Swarm in connection with methane measurements off the Norwegian coast.[3]