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Full specifications
Vaquita: Ocean Spirit 43, Woods Design (UK), built by Coplan Boats, Walkerville, South Africa.
Hull ID OS43-7. SAMSA Category A, certified for unrestricted
offshore operation. Currently moored at Durban Marina.
Prefer a copy? Download the full Vaquita profile (PDF, 1 MB).
Vessel particulars
| LOA | 12.9 m (43 ft) |
| Beam | 7.85 m |
| Draft | 1.25 m |
| Hull ID | OS43-7 |
| Fuel capacity | 2 × 1 250 L |
| Fresh water | 2 × 750 L |
| Black water | 2 × 75 L |
Propulsion and steering
| Engines | 2 × Yanmar 4JH57, 4-stroke naturally aspirated diesel, 57 hp each, mid-mounted |
| Gearboxes | 2.63:1 reduction, flexible coupling |
| Shafts | 35 mm stainless steel, through thrust bearing and Vetus double-lip seal |
| Bearings | Twin cutlass (stern tube + P-bracket) |
| Propellers | 20-inch three-blade |
| Steering | Twin rudders on skegs, 35 mm flanged stocks, Vesconite bearings, Vetus hydraulic rams (port and starboard independent) |
| Max speed | 9.5 knots |
| Cruise speed | 8 knots |
| Survey speed | 5.5 knots |
Electrical and solar
| System | 12 V DC and 220 V AC, redundant port and starboard sides |
| Alternators | 2 × 150 A (3 600 W), engine-driven |
| Starter / engine batteries | CSB 12390 deep-cycle, 2 banks of 6 × 12 V 100 Ah |
| House batteries | 8 × 1.2 kWh Hubble lithium |
| Solar array | 6 × 420 W TRINA monocrystalline (2.52 kW combined) |
| Solar controllers | 2 × Victron SmartSolar MPPT 150/85 |
| Inverters | 2 × Victron MultiPlus II 3 kVA, parallel-capable |
| Bilge pumps | 2 × 12 V automatic per hull + 1 manual per engine compartment |
Navigation electronics
| VHF radio | Garmin VHF 315i |
| Chart plotter (12") | Garmin GPSMAP 8412xsv with G3V East Africa charts |
| Radar | Garmin GMR 18xHD |
| Sonar module | Garmin GSD 26 |
| CHIRP transducer | Garmin Airmar B275LHW, 12-pin, 1 kW |
| Smart transducer | Garmin Airmar DST810 |
| Autopilot | Garmin Reactor 40 hydraulic, SmartPump, GFR10 feedback |
| Network | Garmin NMEA 2000 |
Survey equipment
- Transducer pole system
- Rear stainless-steel support structure with a thick-walled 70 mm pole, adjustable from 200 mm to 1 000 mm below the hull and propellers. Removable base plate accepts alternative bolt patterns during mobilisation. Configured for sub-bottom profilers, multibeam sonar (Reson 7101 or equivalent), and side-scan systems.
- Electronic winch
- Runva 9500 lbs winch with 200 m of 4 mm dyneema line (1 300 kg breaking strain). Raises hydrographic equipment between sites, and can also tow side-beam, magnetometer, sampling and plankton-net rigs onto the rear scoop.
- Hydraulic winch
- Stainless-steel winch with 300 m of 6 mm dyneema (3 200 kg breaking strain). Line runs through a swivelling stainless-steel hoist projecting 1 m beyond the forward beam for grab and sediment sampling. Motor produces 1 000 daNm of torque, lifts 1 000 kg comfortably. Speed 50 to 60 m/min over the first 100 m of line. Hydraulic brake holds the line when the motor is neutral.
- Hydraulic system
- 32 cm³/rev displacement pump, 30 L/min flow at 180 bar with the engine idling at 1 000 rpm. Driven off the port engine via double belt and electromagnetic clutch (engaged only when winching at sea). 90 L hydraulic-fluid reservoir.
- Wash-down
- High-pressure saltwater hose for rinsing sediment samples, the grab cradle, and the aft scoop.
Accommodation and deck
- Cabins
- Four ensuite cabins. Forward two with queen beds, aft two with twin singles. Each cabin has a shower, electric toilet, and porthole for natural light and ventilation.
- Saloon
- L-bench seating for six around a table, with the ship's office (desk with drawers) on the port side and galley storage below the bench.
- Galley
- Mid-mounted for access fore and aft. Double sink with hot and cold pressurised water, double-door inverter fridge-freezer, gas stove, microwave oven.
- Aft deck
- Covered, with twin L-bench seating and tables port and starboard, integrated power outlets, sample-bottle storage, escape hatches, gas braai, sink, and live-bait well. Elevated helm station on the starboard side gives all-round visibility above main-deck level.
- Fore deck
- Seven hatches: port and starboard rope lockers, central chain locker with windlass, two wet lockers, and port and starboard ventilation hatches for the forward cabins.
- Laundry
- Combined washing machine and spin dryer in the starboard companionway.
Safety
- Classification
- SAMSA Category A, the highest operational classification under South African small-vessel regulations. Certified for unrestricted offshore operation, including transoceanic and deep-sea voyages.
- Life raft
- 12-person, stern-box mounted
- Fire extinguishers
- 1.5 kg in each cabin, 2.5 kg in the galley, automatic extinguisher in each engine room
- Other
- Full SAMSA Category A safety inventory
Construction
| Hulls (below chine) | GRP with biaxial glass layup |
| Hulls (above chine) | GRP biaxial glass with core |
| Bridge deck | GRP biaxial + Nida core, 150 mm high on a 9 mm marine-ply matrix (350 × 350 mm) |
| Aft deck | GRP with 75 mm honeycomb core, 120 mm high on a 9 mm marine-ply matrix |
| Lower bulkheads | 15 mm marine ply encapsulated in GRP, bonded to hull with woven roving and chopstrand |
| Upper bulkheads | GRP foam-cored or 16 mm marine ply |
| Lateral beams | 20 mm marine ply / GRP biaxial |
| Interior finish | Polyester flowcoat |
| Exterior above waterline | 2K polyurethane |
| Below waterline | Epoxy primer over epoxy moisture barrier, black antifouling |
| Glazing | Toughened safety glass throughout |
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