The Philia Research Vessel

Philia is a 26 m purpose-built scientific Research Vessel built in the shipyards at Piraeus in 1985/6 commissioned in 1986 as part of a NATO SfS programme in marine environmental and fisheries research.

The greatest asset of the Philia is her flexibility: she is large enough to operate offshore but because of her shallow draught can also operate close inshore. She operates from her home port of Heraklion, carrying out research on the Cretan continental shelf and also in the deep trenches of the Eastern Mediterranean as part of national, international and EU programmes.

The Philia Overview

The Philia has:

full oceanographic capabilities
dry and wet laboratories
an instruments laboratory
free deck area with trawling and hydrographic winches

She is fully fitted out for the deployment of underwater inspection and survey equipment (ROV, UW television and photography sledges). There is accommodation for a crew of 7 as well as 6 scientists, which means that research cruises lasting up to 21 days at sea can be undertaken. Ship time is allotted to each Department's programmes on an annual schedule by a Boat Committee, which also allocates proportional running and maintenance costs to the users. The ship is also available for hire, or may be sub-contracted for specialised work in projects carried out by other organisations and institutes.

Ship data: PHILIA (Research ID: 83 )

Owner ID: 254

Operator ID: 72

Built: 1986

Flag ID: 51

Class: +H100 A1 R (F, HM

Type: Marine Research Vessel

Length: 26.10 m

Breadth: 7.25 m

Depth: 3,20

Draft: 2.55 m

DWT: 45,70 M/T

GRT: 143 t

Fuel: 22 ton.

Consumption: 1600 lit/day

Speed: 9 miles/h (max.)

Fresh Water: 6 ton.

Main Engines: twin variable pitch propellers 2 x 350 shp, speed up to 10 knots

Bow Thrusters: 1 x 25 hp. tunnel bow thruster, bulbouse nose

Propellers: 1 x variable pitch propeller

Auxiliaries: 2 x Mann 85 kW generators

Deck Area: 35 m2, deck crane has been relocated

Handling Equipment:

1 x Hiab, 2 t. crane with extending arm;

2 x net drums;

2 x fishing winches, 12 mm x 1,200m;

1 x hydrographic winch, 4 mm x 2,000m, 6mm, x 1,300 mm;

Accomodation

Scientific Offices: 15 m2, computer room

Scientific Labs: 10 m2. wet lab; 9m2. dry lab; 9m3 deep freezer
(- 20deg.C)

Crew Cabins: Total 7

Bunks Per Cabin: Total 7

Charterers Berths: Berths for 6 scientists

Additional Data:

Scientific equipment: Simrad EK 500 split beam 38 and 120 kHz echo sounder; Simrad EK 400 single 120 kHz echo sounder; Biosonics dual beam 120 kHz V-Fin echo sounder; Furuno colour net recorder; Mini Rover Mk II ROV; Osprey underwater cameras and sledge; Seabird CTD; Multiple corers; Aanderaa RC7 current meters (7 units); Water bottles; Plankton samplers; Sediment traps; Various benthic grabs; Boxcorers and dredges; Benthic and pelagic trawl nets.

Instrumentation: Auto-pilot; GPS; Loran C plotter; Satnav.; Simrad EK 400 echo sounder; Furuno sonar, 50 kHz, 3 Km; Aandera weather station; Meteostar 2000.