RV Hugh R. Sharp

RV Hugh R. Sharp is a research vessel owned and operated by the University of Delaware College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment in Lewes, Delaware operating as a member of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS). She is a replacement for Cape Henlopen. At 150 feet (46 m) in length, Hugh R Sharp is a mid-sized research vessel designed for expeditions lasting up to 21 days. The ship spends most of her time working in the Mid-Atlantic coastal region. Hugh R Sharp was delivered to the University of Delaware in December 2005, and the first scientific voyage was undertaken in March 2006 after extensive shakedown cruises and equipment calibrations. She is operated by a crew of 8 and accommodates a scientific party of 22 for up to 21 days at sea. One of the ship's unique capabilities is a hydraulically removable keel which can be dropped in transit to deploy sonar. Each transducer well is mounted with mission specific loadouts of sonar arrays, whether side scan, surface mapping or otherwise. The ship was designed by Bay Marine, Inc. of Barrington, Rhode Island in cooperation with University of Delaware Marine Operations Director Matthew J. Hawkins. Hugh R Sharp was constructed by Dakota Creek Industries of Anacortes, Washington. The name of the ship is drawn from Hugh R.