Derecktor Shipyards, Mamaroneck, N.Y., has secured a contract to construct a new research vessel for SoundWaters, a Stamford, Conn.–based nonprofit dedicated to environmental education and Long Island Sound stewardship. The news was announced on Dec. 3 at the International WorkBoat Show in New Orleans.
The 50'x23' aluminum catamaran, to be named Brewer, was designed by Chartwell Marine Ltd., Hamble-le-Rice, England, as a purpose-built research and education platform to expand SoundWaters’ hands-on marine science programming to thousands of students across the region. "The vessel blends proven performance with a flexible educational layout optimized for data collection, onboard learning, and passenger safety," the shipbuilder said in its announcement.
SoundWaters uses Long Island Sound as a living classroom to promote environmental literacy and conservation. With Brewer — named in honor of Jack Brewer, founder of Brewers Marinas — SoundWaters will deliver on-water programs to schools from New Rochelle, N.Y., to New London, Conn., and from Port Washington to Greenport, N.Y., enabling it to reach 10,000 more students, expand scientific programming, and further its mission to protect one of America’s most important estuaries.
The vessel will be operated by a two-man crew and will have capacity for 35 passengers.
The newbuild will feature Volvo Penta D8-700 IPS propulsion with secondary and docking control stations. Auxiliary power will be supplied by a Fisher Panda generator in a system designed with Canal Marine.
The vessel will be outfitted with an A-frame with level-wind Okeanus trawl winches, Pullmaster winch for buoy and mooring deployment/retrieval, and a davit for Ponar grab sampling and CTD casts. It will also feature a wet/dry laboratory with an education-focused layout.
The vessel's integrated Garmin package will be supplied by L&L Electronics, and its lighting package from Imtra. A high-efficiency heat pump system from Termodinamica will handle the boat's heating and cooling.
“This project brings together craftsmanship, collaboration, and community,” said Erik Derecktor, manager of new construction, Derecktor Shipyards. “SoundWaters’ educational mission aligns perfectly with our own vision of building vessels that make an impact in the community. This platform will serve our employees’ families, our neighbors’ children, our industry’s future craftspeople and mariners.”
“R/V Brewer will use our waterways to bypass highway traffic, enabling our education team to reach 10,000 more students across the Long Island Sound region,” said Leigh Shemitz, president of SoundWaters. “We are very excited; Derecktor’s reputation for quality, smart innovations, and close proximity made them the ideal partner to bring this next chapter of our mission to life.”
According to Derecktor, the project signals its expanding partnership with Chartwell in semi-custom, purpose-built vessel production, offering adaptable platforms for research, training, and commercial missions.
“The Chartwell and Derecktor teams are continuing to adapt and improve each other’s workflows to deliver excellent vessels to market”, said Andy Page, managing director, Chartwell Marine. “Common structural modules, optimized aluminum extrusions, reduced system complexity, and continuous improvement allow us to balance performance, value, and quality.”
