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U.S. Navy-Owned Research Vessel Petrel: The Mighty Superyacht Explorer Tipped Over by Wind

One would assume that it takes more than a gust of wind to topple over a massive, heavy steel superyacht, and one would be right, in most cases. RV Petrel, one of the world’s most famous research vessels slash superyacht explorers, might be the exception.
RV Petrel, once owned by Paul Allen now the property of the U.S. Navy, tipped over to its side after strong winds 11 photos
Photo: PA (Composite)
RV Petrel, once owned by Paul Allen now the property of the U.S. Navy, tipped over to its side after strong windsRV Petrel, once owned by Paul Allen now the property of the U.S. Navy, tipped over to its side after strong windsRV Petrel, once owned by Paul Allen now the property of the U.S. Navy, tipped over to its side after strong windsRV Petrel, once owned by Paul Allen now the property of the U.S. Navy, tipped over to its side after strong windsRV Petrel, once owned by Paul Allen now the property of the U.S. Navy, tipped over to its side after strong windsRV Petrel, once owned by Paul Allen now the property of the U.S. Navy, tipped over to its side after strong windsRV Petrel, once owned by Paul Allen now the property of the U.S. Navy, tipped over to its side after strong windsRV Petrel, once owned by Paul Allen now the property of the U.S. Navy, tipped over to its side after strong windsRV Petrel, once owned by Paul Allen now the property of the U.S. Navy, tipped over to its side after strong windsRV Petrel, once owned by Paul Allen now the property of the U.S. Navy, tipped over to its side after strong winds
RV Petrel was tipped over by strong winds, while in the long-term mooring at a dry dock in Leith, Edinburgh, UK. The massive steel vessel is now on its starboard side, leaning at a 45-degree angle, after an incident dubbed the strangest of its kind, which occurred on March 22, 2023. This marks the most recent bitter chapter in the years-long history of the mighty vessel, which, under previous ownership, contributed to several historical underwater finds.

On the morning of March 22, at the Dales Marine Services dry dock, a major incident was declared after Petrel came loose in its moorings and leaned to the side. The incident prompted a major response from emergency services, as 33 people were injured (or 35, according to conflicting reports as of the time of press), 15 of whom required immediate hospitalization.

The incident is now under investigation, with authorities admitting to its strange nature, while saying that strong winds were probably a contributing factor. Overnight weather was windy, with gusts as strong as 38 mph (61 kph), which may have knocked Petrel loose from its fastenings. The vessel had been at the same location since September 2022, after spending a few months laid up in Florida.

RV Petrel, once owned by Paul Allen now the property of the U\.S\. Navy, tipped over to its side after strong winds
Photo: Twitter / @CavasShips
In October that same year, Petrel was acquired by the U.S. Navy for operation under Oceaneering International management, but no refloating plans had ever been made public. Petrel was once part of billionaire Paul Allen’s impressive fleet of superyacht explorers and, as one, had taken part in a series of historically significant finds of lost wrecks and deep-water research. It was formally retired in the summer of 2020 with no immediate comeback plans, due to the international health crisis.

It was a bitter end to a mighty vessel, or so everyone assumed. The U.S. Navy acquisition offered a slight hope of a comeback, but it’s now been tainted by this “unusual” accident.

The late Paul Allen, best known as the co-founder of Microsoft, was also a space enthusiast and underwater exploration pioneer. His fleet of superyacht explorers included the gigantic Octopus, which is now offered for charters to remote locations, and Tatoosh, which was only recently sold to a private party. Petrel, the smallest and last addition to the fleet, started out as a deepwater offshore inspection vessel Seaway Petrel in 2003. Even two decades on, it is still the largest build from Norway-based shipyard Brattvaag Skipsverft AS.

RV Petrel, once owned by Paul Allen now the property of the U\.S\. Navy, tipped over to its side after strong winds
Photo: Wikimedia / HarrisDPO
Measuring 76.5 meters (251 feet) in total length and offering 3,371 GT of interior volume, Petrel has a steel hull and steel superstructure, with rough steel decks, and is designed to brave the seven seas at their worst. Allen bought it in 2016 and immediately set out to turn it into a dedicated deep-sea research platform, paying for an extensive retrofit that saw it packed with tech.

Over the next four years, Petrel’s 20 civilian marine crew and 10 project crew would take part in over two dozen highly-publicized missions resulting in wreck recovery and finds. The most impressive of these was the discovery of heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis in August 2017, widely considered one of the most elusive shipwrecks in history.

During these missions, RV Petrel worked with state governments and museums, following Allen’s wishes to the letter: all wreckage sites would be treated as war graves and their locations not made public. By Allen’s say-so, RV Petrel became the last “tool” to honor the fallen, unknown heroes whose final resting place came to be the bottom of the sea.

RV Petrel didn’t have just the body for such missions, but also the tech. Powered by four Mitsubishi S16R-MPTK diesel engines delivering a total of 6,760 kW (9,065 hp) and four ABB AMG 500M4 auxiliary electric generators, it could move at a top speed of 15 knots (17.2 mph/27.7 kph). Equipment onboard included an Argus 80 kW/107HP remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) with a 100 kg (220 lbs) payload, a Remus 6000 autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) rated for a depth of 6,000 meters (19,700 feet) and 22-hour missions, multibeam echo-sounder, and dynamic positioning capability.

RV Petrel, once owned by Paul Allen now the property of the U\.S\. Navy, tipped over to its side after strong winds
Photo: PaulAllen.com
While technically a superyacht explorer, RV Petrel was never offered for charter or for any other type of civilian use – at least not publicly so – though it could have worked as such a platform, as well. This also means that the only photos of it are from a distance and, as of March 22, of it leaning on its side in dry docking in Edinburgh. It’s a mighty sad development for a once-mighty vessel that had such incredible achievements, so here’s to hoping it’s not the actual final chapter in the saga.

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About the author: Elena Gorgan
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Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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