R/V Rachel Carson

R/V Rachel Carson is owned by the University of Washington's School of Oceanography and is operated as part of the Academic Research Fleet within the UNOLS framework (University National Oceanographic Laboratories System). Carson is capable of conducting operations within the Salish Sea and coastal waters of the western United States and British Columbia. R/V Rachel Carson began life as R/V Aora, a fisheries research platform built in 2003 by Macduff Shipyard in Macduff, Scotland. The University of Washington acquired the vessel in 2017 and conducted conversions to support oceanographic research in addition to fisheries research. 

Carson is 72 ft in length, 26 ft. beam, and a 14 foot draft. The normal cruising speed is 9 knots. Carson can support up to 28 persons including crew for daily operations while 13 persons can be accomodated for multi-day operations. The vessel boasts four marine heads with showers, a fully functional galley, and a wet and dry lab. 

Interested in planning a cruise on Carson? Check out information on Cruise Planning