RV Petrel
RV Petrel, or R/V Petrel (IMO: 9268629, MMSI: 235102789), is a 76.45 m (250.8 ft) research vessel owned by the United States Navy and once owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. The ship is named after the petrel, a sea bird. The ship was completed by Brattvaag Skipsverft, Norway in 2003 as the deepwater offshore inspection vessel Seaway Petrel for service with Stolt Offshore. She was later renamed Acergy Petrel, then Seven Petrel with Subsea 7.
RV Petrel in December 2017 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name |
|
| Owner | Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command |
| Operator | Oceaneering International |
| Port of registry | Douglas Isle of Man |
| Builder | Brattvaag Verft, Brattvåg |
| Yard number | 101 |
| Launched | 19 December 2002 |
| Completed | 23 April 2003 |
| Acquired | October 2022 |
| Identification |
|
| Status | laid up since 9/2020 (as at 4/2021) |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Research vessel |
| Tonnage | 3,371 GT |
| Length | 76.45 m (250 ft 10 in) |
| Beam | 15 m (49 ft 3 in) |
| Draft | 7.465 m (24 ft 5.9 in) |
| Crew | 20 marine crew and 10 project crew |
In 2016, the ship was purchased by Allen, renamed Petrel and converted for deep-submergence research and archeology. Over two dozen wrecks were explored and recorded between 2017 and 2020, when the ship was laid up. In October 2022, she was purchased by the United States Navy's Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, for operation under Oceaneering International management.