R/V Seward Johnson

© Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution

R/V Seward Johnson
The R/V Seward Johnson is a 204-foot oceanographic and submersible-support research vessel owned and operated by Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute (HBOI) at Florida Atlantic University. It was built in 1984 and commissioned in 1985 as the namesake of HBOI founder, J. Seward Johnson, Sr. With a 6,000 nautical mile range and a cruising speed of 13 knots, the R/V Seward Johnson is capable of working in any of the world’s oceans, while accommodating up to 40 research staff and crew. The R/V Seward Johnson has 360-degree bow and stern thrusters, twin propellers and rudders, dynamic positioning and state-of-the-art precision navigation, giving it the capability to maneuver and position easily and efficiently and station-keep with the accuracy required by today’s undersea and oceanographic research missions. The vessel also carries in-house ocean engineers who are experts in surface oceanographic procedures and submersible vehicle launch and recovery.

The ship routinely operates in the waters from the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of Maine, but has also carried out missions to Cuba, the Galapagos Islands and the Cape of Good Hope. Following the Space Shuttle Challenger accident, the RV Seward Johnson was used to support the shuttle wreckage recovery mission.