Vessel Operations

The vessels center maintains and operates a fleet of 40 vessels.

• In 2007, the 74 foot R/V Pelican was converted into a research vessel from a navy surplus landing craft. With a 17’x 24’ working deck, she utilizes a 18,000 lbs lifting capacity crane and 4 hydraulic winches. The R/V Pelican has accommodations for ten overnight.
• The 65-foot R/V Bay Eagle is outfitted with a wet lab containing a flow-through seawater system, and a dry lab housing the electronics. It has two boom winches and redundant hydraulic systems to accommodate a variety of scientific needs and data collections. The R/V Bay Eagle also utilizes interchangeable stern decks which increases its versatility when changing from trawling, to dredging, long lining or other applications.
• The 29-foot R/V Fish Hawk was especially designed and equipped to perform trawl surveys. A sizeable trailerable fleet supports estuarine and tributary research. Electronic systems can be transferred to these smaller boats, enabling precise scientific surveys to be conducted on board.
• The diving facility includes a diver training room and classrooms to support the 20-member VIMS dive team. The VIMS diving program is an organizational member of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences.

View a movie of the R/V Bay Eagle underway (requires QuickTime or similar movie viewer, 1Mb file may take a few minutes to load).