LRV-Prototype and Foundation of the OceanRabble Marine Conservation Fleet
To decontaminate shipwrecks, remove ghost nets and collect waste from the seabed, you need the right tool!
In our case, this means a ship that optimally supports all our activities, especially our environmental and marine conservation missions, and also meets many other criteria. We first took a look at traditional cargo sailing ships and tall ships, which have transported goods and passengers alike across the globe for centuries. Although they are well proven and have timelessly beautiful lines, they do not easily meet current standards in terms of safety, comfort and environmental protection. No matter how many old ships we looked at and how hard we tried to adapt these designs to today’s requirements and our specific needs, we ultimately had to realise that only a completely new design could deliver the desired results, and the idea for Zωή (‘Life’) was born.
The most obvious differences to historical cargo sailing ships concern the main construction material, the auxiliary propulsion, the anchor gear and winch, the navigation equipment as well as the interior of the ship, especially galley, refrigeration and sanitary rooms and areas and facilities that logically did not exist on the historical models – such as the diving base. The construction method also differs significantly. Traditionally, caulked planks were built over naturally curved or steam-bent frames. We make the hull, deck, frames and stringers as well as the masts from wood epoxy laminate. This construction method is by far better than the historical one in every respect, be it durability, strength, shapeability or material waste. But this was also only invented in the 21st century. The rigging, on the other hand, will largely correspond to that of the past and, thus, will not least become a popular team-building activity for our guests under the guidance of the ship’s crew. The exterior appearance will also be largely unchanged and thus increase the recognition and the positive image of the ship.
With an overall length of approximately 60 metres, Zoe is a huge, highly specialised and yet extremely versatile tool. Her design therefore represents a major multidisciplinary challenge. In addition to the mentioned combination of traditional lines, good performance, modern building materials and current regulations, the requirements of a floating technical diving centre, an expedition ship, a training facility, a hotel, a scientific research department and much more must be combined.
In the subchapters, you will find continuously updated information on the individual topics.
Key data:
Rough estimate building time: 3 years
Length over all: ~ 197ft (60m)
Length on deck: ~170ft (52m)
Beam over all: ~30ft (9,3m)
Draft: ~11ft (3,4m)
GT: < 500GT
Displacement: ~700t
Number of sails: approx. 20
Air draft: ~ 100ft (30m)
Typ: Full-rigged ship
Auxiliary propulsion: electrical / hybrid
Thickness of the hull wall/deck: 100/60mm (@mahogany and no ice-class) up to 200/120mm (fir with outermost layer robinia and light ice-class)
Naval architect: Dykstra
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