Conversion of surplus oilfield supply vessels to research vessels

There are still a great number of oilfield service vessels held by financial institutes and the Maritime Administration. These vessels can be bought at reasonable prices, but the great difference in mission requirements between an oilfield service vessel and a research vessel can make the conversion difficult. Design goals and constraints of OSV's are discussed in their relationship to the conversion of these vessels to research use. The conversion of a 150' supply vessel to a research vessel is discussed in detail.