Hundreds of San Diegans took advantage of a rare opportunity Saturday to tour a research vessel that’s being retired by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography after 46 years of service.
It was a final look inside the R/V Melville, which had seldom been open for public visits because of the scope of ocean research, safety concerns and delicate instruments aboard, according to Scripps.
The 279-foot ship was built in 1969 with funding by the Navy. It was owned by the Office of Naval Research and operated by Scripps Oceanography as part of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System.
The Melville, which carries a crew of 23 and can fit up to 38 scientists aboard, has towed cameras that dip deep below the surface, carried remotely operated vehicles, and launched and recovered unmanned aircraft used to measure gravity and the physical properties of the atmosphere, according to Scripps.
Researchers said Melville was designed to last 30 years but kept going for 16 more. In that time, it has sailed 1.5 million miles, crossed the equator 90 times, mapped the deepest spot on the planet and made the first-ever observation of deep volcanic eruptions.
It will be superseded by the new R/V Sally Ride, which is being outfitted at a shipyard in the the Pacific Northwest.
City News Service contributed to this article.
