Support Vessel YOKOSUKA
The support ship YOKOSUKA performs surveys of the deep-sea bottom by acting as a support ship for SHINKAI 6500, a large submersible research vehicle. SHINKAI 6500 is capable of diving to a maximum depth of 6,500 m in the world.
In addition, the ship has a variety of functions for clarifying the surface layer of the deep-sea bottom, fault topography and geological structure and can be used for comprehensive research and observation of the deep sea and ocean trench areas.
Mission
- Support research dives of the manned submersible, SHINKAI 6500
- Support research dives of the 4,000 m towed deep ocean floor survey system, DEEP TOW
- Seafloor topography surveys
- Sub-bottom profiling
- Geophysical surveys
- Sampling of seafloor sediments
- Structural surveys of the deep-sea bottom
- Deployment and collection of seismometers, mooring systems, etc.
Characteristics
- Underwater communications equipment
- YOKOSUKA features equipment for communicating with SHINKAI 6500 while it performs underwater surveys. This communications equipment utilizes sound waves to make transmissions. Sound waves travel at a speed of around 1,500 m per second in water, and transmissions from YOKOSUKA therefore take around four seconds to reach SHINKAI 6500 when it is operating at a depth of 6,500 m.
- Hangar
- YOKOSUKA features an extraordinarily large hangar for a ship of its size. The hangar measures 9 m long, 2 m wide, and 3 m high, and is used for housing and performing repairs and modifications on SHINKAI 6500.
- A-frame crane launch and recovery facility
- A massive A-frame crane is installed on the aft deck of YOKOSUKA for launching and recovering the almost 26 ton SHINKAI 6500.
[画像:Underwater communications equipment]
Underwater communications equipment
[画像:Hangar]
Hangar
[画像:A-frame crane]
A-frame crane
Principal specifications
| Length |
105.2 m |
| Beam |
16.0 m |
| Depth |
7.3 m |
| Draft |
4.7 m |
| Gross tonnage |
4,439 ton |
| Cruising speed |
Approx. 16 knots |
| Range |
Approx. 9,500 nautical miles |
| Accommodation |
60 (45crew, 15 research personnel) |
| Main propulsion system |
Diesel engines: 2,206kW × 2 |
| Main propulsion method |
Controllable pitch propeller × 2 |
