254 ANNUAL EEPOET SMITHSONIAN" INSTITUTION, 19 3 2 



No matter how well trained the research ship's crew may be, the 

 scientist must thoroughl}^ understand the difficulties and limitations 

 of the work, or he will not be able to evaluate the results properly or 

 .suggest practical programs for scientific cruises. 



Many types of vessels can be used for oceanographj^ with good 

 results. Fishing craft of various types have proved very satisfactory. 

 The main points are that the vessel should be entirely seaworthy and 

 able to remain at sea longer than ordinary commercial usage requires. 

 For the investigator of the chemistry of sea water especially, the 

 steadier the ship, the more accurate will be his work. But to gain 

 steadiness by using a large ship is often a disadvantage. If the boat 

 is too large, besides being expensive to operate, the scientists are not 

 close enough to the water to handle easily much of their equipment. 

 One solution is to use a sailing vessel, because the sails tend to prevent 

 the boat from rolling excessively in a rough sea. In oceanography, 

 then, we find one instance, at least, where the sailing ship can hold out 

 successfully against the inroads of steam. 



One of the most modern examples of a scientific research ship is 

 the Atlantis operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. 

 She was built especially for the work, after considerable thought, 

 and embodies the experience of many men familiar with carrying 

 out scientific work at sea. The result is a boat that is very satis- 

 factory and at least represents one solution to the problem. She 

 is an auxiliary, steel ketch of about 460 tons displacement, and car- 

 ries 7,200 square feet of canvas. Her general dimensions are: 

 Length on deck, 142 feet ; beam, 29 feet ; and draft, 17 feet. She is 

 powered with a 280-horsepower Diesel engine, which besides pro- 

 pelling the ship at a speed of 9 knots in calm weather, supplies 

 through a dynamo the power for the heavy trawl winch. A much 

 smaller Diesel engine generates the power for light, ventilation, and 

 refrigeration, as well as for the hydrographic winch. Perhaps the 

 most specialized piece of equipment is the trawl winch, located, 

 because of its great weight, in the lower hold. It carries 5,000 

 fathoms of special steel cable of 3^-inch diameter, with a break- 

 ing strain of about 12 tons. Tlie hydrographic winch, used mainly 

 for lighter work such as securing deep-sea temperatures and water 

 samples, carries a similar length of much lighter wire and is located 

 on deck. Both winches are electrically driven and fitted with auto- 

 matic devices for guiding the wire smoothly on the drums. 



The Atlantis accommodations include cabins aft for a scientific 

 staff of five, and amidships two laboratories, one opening out to the 

 deck where the rough work is done and another directly below it 

 where the chemical analyses are carried out and where the micro- 

 bioloffist can examine the catch of his si lie net without beins: dis- 



