The Port of Southampton has officially named its Hydrographic Survey Team's vessel Merlin!
The Port of Southampton has officially named its Hydrographic Survey Team's vessel Merlin!
Her godmother is our Hydrographic Surveyor Alice, who, along with Senior Hydrographic Surveyor Sam, uses Merlin to keep the port safe for the many vessels that visit.
Alice said: "I am honoured to be godmother to the vessel I work on.... May she continue to assist us in providing essential information to some of the world's largest ships and all vessels that enter into our port."
Merlin continuously monitors the seabed throughout the harbour area for any change, monitoring berths and dredging progress, along with scour and inspecting navigation aids.
Until recently, Merlin was called Coral Wind, but she has undergone a refit at our partners Berthon International in Lymington. She is equipped with a R2Sonic 2024 multibeam echosounder and Carlson Software Merlin Laser Scanner. This new platform and state-of-the-art equipment will enable us to provide high quality data to our pilots, engineers and wider marine team to continue to bring in the biggest ships in the world.
Southampton Harbour Master, Steve Masters, says: “Along with Swift and Mayflower, Merlin represents a strong investment in the important navigational safety services ABP provides as the statutory Harbour Authority for Southampton. The new vessels are a good showcase of the really varied and valuable work the Marine Services Department does.”