131 



The masting arrangement further permits the use of sail, a head-sail to 

 steady the vessel in a seaway with the wind aft, and a trysail for setting when 

 hove to. The main topmast supports radar, aerological instruments, and any 

 equipment required for sampling air up to 22 m, above the waterline. The deck 

 erections are concentrated in the ends of the vessel. Both poop and forecastle 

 head have turtle-backs to reduce taking spray aboard. The wings of the bridge 

 overhang the sides, providing control positions for overside operations. 



SUPERSTRUCTURE 



The crew's quarters are forward, in the forecastle. Officer's quarters 

 wardroom, galley, engine room, bridge, and charthouse, and messrooms are 

 aft. The laboratories are on the well deck, amidships, where motion is the 

 least. The scientists' quarters and additional working spaces are on the deck 

 below the laboratory. Portable catwalks from the forecastle to the laboratory 

 and from the laboratory to the poop facilitate fore and aft communication in rough 

 weather. 



DECK 



The main deck is without sheer, thereby allowing long pieces of equip- 

 ment to be stowed and handled without distortion. The waterways are arranged 

 to permit a clear length of 94 ft. to be handled on the port side. The super- 

 structure sacrificed here is gained back on the starboard side. The main hatch 

 is abaft the laboratory. Its coamings are kept low and there is a clear deck 

 space of 36 x 25 ft. where trawls, dredges, and other bulky pieces of equipment 

 can be worked on. 



WINCHES 



On the forecastle head the SUITLAND has a combined anchor winch and 

 winding machine, which takes care of mooring lines and the port and starboard 

 anchors and chain. Below is a power drum holding 30,000 feet of tapered wire. 

 This can be led through the winding machine either out a hawsehole forward, or 

 aft over a block on one of the foremast booms, permitting either anchoring in 

 deep water with a LWT anchor, or handling heavy coring equipment over the 

 side. Thus anchoring is carried out at the opposite end of the ship from the 

 screw and rudder, and heavy apparatus is handled in the waist and not over the 

 fan-tail. There is a cargo winch for each boom. The hydrographic winch car- 

 ries 20,000 feet of 5/32" or 6/32" diameter wire. When samples are desired 

 in deeper water, the heavier wire is used; and spare length of wire, carried on 

 spools in the hold, are spliced on by ship's force to replace losses. 



SOUNDING WELL 



Probably the most controversial feature of the SUITLAND is her sounding 

 well. Instead of half-drowning a technician on a sounding platform ("chains") 

 over the side, the work with Nansen bottles and similar equipment is done 

 through a well in the very middle of the vessel. The shape of this well is de- 

 signed to minimize free liquid surface, to strengthen the vessel to the greatest 

 extent, and to take advantage of the wire angle situations that arise either with 

 the wind abeam or with the ship steaming slowly ahead. In the forward part of 

 the well, moreover, the oscillators of the echo-sounding equipment are mounted 

 in such a way that they can be readily withdrawn for inspection or repairs at sea. 



