In mid-August, Moran Iron Works Inc., Onaway, Mich., delivered a new 66'x18'3" research vessel to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The new Steelhead replaces a converted 62'6" commercial trawler of the same name — which the agency operated for 58 years — marking a major step up in technology and comfort.
“It’s probably the most unique, one-of-a-kind vessel,” said Tom Moran, owner and CEO of Moran Iron Works, describing the recent build. “Technology has come so far forward. And with the amount of equipment that Michigan DNR required jammed into it, it’s a floating piece of technology.”
Moran said his yard won the job with the lowest bid and worked closely with the DNR to meet the agency’s needs, including reengineering a desk to fit around a large ice machine. “We had to hand-make the wet lab and dry lab stainless steel cabinets and dissecting counter,” he said.
Among the vessel’s more modern features are a remote-operated crane, wet and dry labs, and comfortable crew quarters. Computers are mounted in overhead cabinets, and all note-taking is done through voice commands and computerized dictation. “The heating and cooling system is even computer-controlled,” Moran said. “If this boat isn’t a Cadillac, it’s definitely a Buick.”
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Funding for the new vessel came through the state legislature, and Capt. Patrick O’Neill, the Steelhead’s primary helmsman, described the boat as “a long time coming.”
The newbuild is stationed at the Charlevoix (Mich.) Fisheries Research Station. In early August, O’Neill was running sea trials and hoping to begin fisheries research in the field by the end of the month. “With the new boat, we have a more fluid workspace,” he said. “The net result is that it’s going to save us in time and our backs through the years.”
The research team conducts frequent net surveys, and the remote-operated crane from Hawboldt Industries spares the crew from hauling fish aboard by hand.
Designed by Boksa Marine Design Inc., Lithia, Fla., the boat has a steel hull and an aluminum pilothouse to save weight. It draws 5'10" and carries a Seakeeper 18 gyroscopic stabilizer to keep it steady on rough days.
Twin 250-hp Cummins diesels turn 32" Michigan Wheel 5-bladed propellers through ZF Marine reverse-reduction gearboxes, and a Thrustmaster bowthruster improves maneuverability. A 30-kW Northern Lights generator supplies auxiliary power, and a 29-kW Cummins generator handles house power, along with a John Deere hydraulic power unit. Solar charging backs up the electrical system to keep everything running.
The steering wheel from the previous Steelhead was carried over to the newbuild and is now mounted to a hydraulic helm alongside a joystick and two remote operating stations.
Furuno electronics handle navigation, with TZT chartplotters at each station, and Kongsberg/Simrad components handle fish finding.
Because ice can form quickly on the Great Lakes, Moran built the Steelhead to handle pack ice. “We can survey more of the late fall-spawning fish that occur in December,” O’Neill said.
The vessel’s work includes researching fish stocks and taking inventory of species in the lakes through experimental gillnetting and a bottom-trawl survey. Once fish are dissected and processed, “gut tubes” carry the remains directly overboard.
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Another major project is a prey fish survey. The boat’s fishfinder detects and targets fish, and the crew counts them using a midwater trawl, with the computer system configured to calculate the biomass in kilotons.
The boat’s custom retractable 3'x10' stern platform has 4' of travel and can support up to 1,500 lbs. “It lets us get more access to the water,” O’Neill said, noting the platform will support man-overboard recovery.
