BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) - The University of Vermont has ordered a new research vessel that will be used to help study the waters of Lake Champlain.
The $3.9 million 64-foot aluminum catamaran will be a floating classroom and laboratory.
It will be powered by two AC electric motors, backed up by two 306-horsepower diesel engines. The vessel will be able to run on all-electric power for trips under two hours.
The new vessel will replace the university’s aging research boat, Melosira. It will be based at Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, on the shore of Lake Champlain in downtown Burlington.
“We are thrilled to be the first academic institution to adopt this technology to advance research on freshwater ecosystems,” said Nancy Mathews, the dean of UVM’s Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources.
The university is expected to take delivery of the vessel in 2022.
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