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Research vessel Aranda

Aranda is a multipurpose research vessel used for monitor marine environments, study climate change and conduct research on the effects of pollution and other environmental factors on marine ecosystems.
Image
Aranda surrounded by ice. © Ilkka Lastumäki

Aranda has icebreaking capabilities, allowing it to operate in harsh northern conditions. This is especially useful during the winter months in the Baltic Sea. She is designed for oceanographic, hydrographic, geophysical and geotechnical investigations as well as anchoring and installation of marine research and measurement equipment and ROV operations. Aranda has sailed globally, visiting both Arctic and Antarctic waters.

The main research area of Aranda is the Baltic Sea, and the vessel is managed by the Finnish Environment Institute. Other regular users of the vessel include the Finnish Meteorological Institute and the Natural Resources Institute Finland. Aranda conducts four longer monitoring voyages annually. These monitoring voyages are part of the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (HELCOM) coordinated Baltic Sea monitoring program. Additionally, the Natural Resources Institute Finland annually monitors the development of fish stocks in the Baltic Sea on its own voyage (ICES-Bias)

Aranda can be widely chartered for various marine research and measurement projects. The vessel is equipped with comprehensive and modern hydroacoustic equipment and can operate numerous geophysical and geotechnical devices. The vessel’s dynamic positioning system ensures excellent station-keeping even in demanding conditions. Aranda is also well-suited for the study and monitoring of underwater infrastructure.

Current

Research equipment

Aranda is equipped with top-level research equipment that serves high-quality physical, chemical, geological, and biological marine research. The modern hydroacoustic survey equipment enables versatile marine measurements and 3D modeling of seabed topography. The image backgrounds in PDF files show the placement of the measurement equipment on Aranda.

Marine research equipment
Image
  1. Satellite buoy
  2. U-tow
  3. Side scan sonar
  4. Data communication
  5. Plankton net
  6. Metal and oil sampler
  7. Ultra short base line navigation
  8. Hydrophone
  9. Sub bottom profiler (2-28kHz)
  10. Sediment corer
  11. Ceilometer
  12. CTD probe and Rosetta sampler
  13. Drop keel with multibeam ecgosounder, chirp array
  14. Weather station
  15. Acoustic doppler current profiler
  16. Serial water sampler
  17. Ice pressure monitoring
  18. Van Veen Grab sampler
  19. Actinometer
  20. Wave buoy
  21. Sedimention trap and current profiler
     
Hydroacoustic equipment
Image
 Research vessel Aranda's hydroacoustic equipment 1-8 placement. The numbers are explained in the text.

Technical specifications

More detailed information about Aranda and its research equipment can be found in the Aranda manual.

General technical specifications

General infomation

Name: Aranda
Call sign: OIRY
Year of construction: 1989, Wärtsilä Helsinki Shipyard
Major conversion: 2018, Rauma Marine Constructions Oy
Type: Marine Research Vessel, Special Purpose Ship
Owner: Finnish government, administered Finnish Environment Institute (Syke)
Home Port: Helsinki
Operator: Meriaura Oy
Classification: DNV-GL 1A E0 Ice 1A, Battery (Power), Special Purpose Ship
Cruising speed: 10.5 knots
Maximum speed: 13.5 knots
Max endurance: 60 days
Overall length: 66.3 m
Width: 13.8 m
Maximum allowed draft: 5.0 m (drop keel down + 2.4 m)
Gross tonnage: 1969 t
Crew: 13
Can accommodate researchers: 27

Machinery

Propulsion system: Diesel-electric
Main engines: Wärtsilä Vasa 8R22 MD and Wärtsilä Vasa 12V22 MD, total 3 MW
Auxiliary engine: Scania DI09/74M, 250 kW
Emergency diesel: Valmet 411 52 kW
Propulsion battery: corvus, 2 x 100 kWh
Electric propulsion motors: 2 x Siemens 1RN6, 0-1000 rpm, 1584 kW
Main propeller: Berg 900H/4, controllable pitch, 2600 mm
Bow thruster 1: Brunvoll 11/52, 0-1500 rpm, 400 kW
Bow thruster 2: Schottel Pump-Jet RD 132, 0-1000 rpm, 360 deg., 400 kW
Stern steering thruster: Bakker, PDL 60-900, 150 kW, 0-1500 rpm
Engine room: E0

Tank Capacity

Fuel: 307 m³ (max.)
Lubricating oil: 9.2 m³
Ballast water: 356 m³
Fresh water: 79.3 m³ (+ freshwater generator, RWO SWRO-10, 12.0 m³/day)
Grey/black water: 101.2 m³
 

Research vessel Aranda – – shared maritime technology and marine environment research platform by Syke and VTT
Read more (vttresearch.com)

History of Finnish marine research vessels

You can find a brief summary of the history of Finnish marine research vessels in the PDF file below.

Contact information and visits

Visits

Visits to Aranda The public has the opportunity to visit Aranda on open house days. Open house events are held annually in Helsinki or, when possible, in other coastal port cities. On Baltic Sea Day, the last Thursday in August, Aranda is open to the public.

The research vessel is not accessible. Children are welcome on Aranda with a supervising adult, but it is not safe to move around the vessel with an infant. Visitors should be prepared to wait before boarding, as only a limited number of people can be on board at a time.

More information

  • senior coordinator Panu Hänninen
    Finnish Environment Institute
    forename.surname@syke.fi
     
Image
Research vessel Aranda. © Ilkka Lastumäki
Contact information

Home port (Google maps)
Tammasaarenlaituri
Helsinki, Finland

Visiting address and address for deliveries

R/V Aranda
Tammasaarenlaituri
00180 Helsinki
Finland

E-mail: aranda(at)syke.fi
Captain     +358 50 566 6266     +358 295 252 020
Duty officer     +358 50 331 6160     +358 295 252 200
VOIP phone     + 46 31 334 4964      
Satellite connections
(Inmarsat Fleet)     Tel. +870 773 180 335
Telex +581 423 000 024     Fax +870 783 185 094

Aranda office

Finnish Environment Institute, (Syke)
Latokartanonkaari 11
FI-00251 Helsinki

Panu Hänninen and Jarkko Moberg

E-mail: firstname.surname(at)syke.fi

For inquiries regarding the rental of Aranda, please contact the Aranda office. For information about the research expedition, visits, and details about the scientific content of the trip, please contact the expedition leader.

Employment service

Meriaura Oy
Eerikinkatu 26
20100 Turku
Finland
Tel: +358 2 2111 600
E-mail: crewing(at)meriaura.fi
Home pages: www.meriaura.fi

Meriaura Oy  is responsible for the ship's crew.
 

More information

Panu Hänninen

Senior coordinator

Jarkko Moberg

Senior specialist