The expert shipwrights at Hike Metal have been building many types of ships for over 50 years. We have built boats for the Canadian Coast Guard, various fire departments, and many Ferry vessels. But we also have experience building expedition vessels. No matter where you intend to explore, let us make the perfect advanced research vessel for your expedition!
Keep reading to learn more about how we can make world-class expedition research vessels for you.
Step 1: Tell Us Your Needs
The first step to making your ship is determining what it will do. Will you be researching in North America, or will your National Science Foundation expedition take you somewhere far away? The requirements for polar science are different from the ones for deep ocean or Great Lakes research.
Using polar research vessels as an example, if you intend to sail through icy waters, we must design your regional-class research vessel for those waters. According to this article from Science Direct, a polar research vessel can be judged by icebreaking capabilities, logistics, science, and ship size. With polar expeditions becoming prominent because of climate change, you will need an excellent polar research vessel designed for the roughest waters of North America!
While we will tell you what your ship requires for an expedition near Kodiak Island, you must give us as much information as you can about where you will be doing research. Let’s think of innovative solutions together!
Step 2: Designing
Once we know the kind of ship you want, our shipwrights will start sketching and designing with our software. It will be sent your way for further conversations and approval.
Before construction begins, we will run the ship design through mathematical checks and simulations. We want your boat to be flawless before it hits the water, so pre-construction testing is essential.
Remember that ship-making is a time-consuming process. Constructing a boat, especially one as large and specialized as a research vessel, often takes years. With so much time, effort, and materials going into a single vessel, everything has to work the first time. But never fear; we have been making and retro-fitting high-quality metal vessels since 1958. We will factor in your research expedition needs, from crew space to sensitive equipment.
Step 3: Construction Begins
Once you have approved the design, we will begin constructing your expedition research vessel. By now, our team of craftspeople and engineers have run the numbers and scrutinized your design. We have factored in your equipment, the crew accommodations, and more. All we have to do is make it.
Here at Hike Metal, we want your research vessel to last days, if not months, out on the open ocean. That is why we make our boats out of aluminum as opposed to steel. The biggest reason, by far, is that aluminum does not rust. It is a common misconception that stainless steel never rusts; as per WisdomAnswer.com, even the best stainless steel can and will rust in saltwater. Since your research expedition may involve months at sea, better safe than sorry!
Step 4: Keep in Touch
After we start construction, your work still is not done. We maintain close contact with our clients as their boats are being commissioned. We will keep you informed at every step of the design process. That said, we text our clients from our private numbers all the time. You can easily stay in touch with Steve our chief executive officer.
And of course, we will contact you when your expedition research vessel is finished. We pride ourselves on amazing customer service, so don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.
How Much and How Long?
We could say, “and now you wait,” but it is a very long wait. Constructing a regional-class research vessel can take 3–5 years. The R/V Resolution was started in 2019, but did not get into the water until 2022!
You should also prepare to pay thousands of dollars for a top-class research vessel. For example, the CHRV cost somewhere around 15,251,000 CAD to build. Shipwrights can charge by the hour, and considerations for special equipment will add more to the price.
Making any kind of boat is a massive commitment of time, money, and resources and Hike Metal wants to be with you from the start of that process to its finish. We make long-lasting, quality vessels, so you can feel confident that you have made a good investment. Our boats are worth the wait, and effort we build into them.
Contact Us
With a strategic location on Lake Erie right next to the St. Lawrence Seaway, Hike Metal has been serving both the National Science Foundation and the Canadian Coast Guard for decades. Our experienced shipwrights can make any boat your for your expeditions needs. Please contact us for an exact quote for your vessel.
Whether your research takes you to the North Atlantic or South Pacific, contact Hike Metal about your ideal expedition research vessel today!
