A crowd gathered next to the Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center on Wednesday to welcome the R/V North Wind, Cal Poly Humboldt’s new research vessel, as it docked at its new home in Humboldt Bay.
“I just want to celebrate the fact that this vessel, over the next years and decades, is going to serve as the research lab for students that are going to choose opportunities to pursue careers in everything, from oceanography to other areas of study,” Cal Poly Humboldt Interim President Michael Spagna said to the crowd from aboard the boat after it docked.
After speeches were made by Spagna and Cal Poly Humboldt Dean Eric Riggs, the boat was christened with a bottle of champagne. R/V North Wind Captain Jim Long then invited attendees to tour the vessel.
The R/V North Wind, named by way of a community survey held last year, is a 78-foot by 28-foot custom-built, aluminum catamaran that can travel at speeds of up to 24 knots. The watercraft is able to carry up to 40 passengers on day trips, or up to 14 people for longer expeditions, and is equipped with hydraulic deck machinery, capable of handling up to 5,000 pounds of oceanographic equipment and instrumentation.
The North Wind will be replacing the university’s longtime research vessel, the Coral Sea, whose old engines could no longer meet California’s emission standards. Soon the Coral Sea will be retired and sold outside of California.
While celebrating the new vessel, Dean Riggs also took the time to say some parting words to the retiring boat.
“Before we transition over to this vessel, I think it’s important to acknowledge the impact the Coral Sea has had on many of you and on this community for the last 25 years,” Riggs said to the crowd. “So, huzzah to the Coral Sea! May she always fare well.”
