R/V Knorr: Technical Details and History

The R/V Knorr, built in 1969 by the Defoe Shipbuilding Company in Bay City, Michigan, is owned by the U.S. Navy. It was turned over to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in 1971 for operation under a charter agreement with the Office of Naval Research (ONR). It was named for E. R. Knorr, a hydrographic engineer and cartographer who in 1860 held the title of Senior Civilian and Chief Engineer Cartographer of the U.S. Navy Office. Its original length and beam were 245 and 46 feet, respectively. Beginning on February 6, 1989, it underwent a major mid-life retrofit or "jumbo-izing" at the McDermott Shipyard in Amelia, Louisiana. A midsection was added to the ship to stretch its length by 34 feet to 279 feet, and fore and aft azimuthing propulsion systems were added to make it one of the most maneuverable and stable ships in the oceanographic fleet while on station. By the time it was returned to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in late 1991, the retrofit had consumed 32 months. The P6 Section was the first scientific cruise after the retrofitting. The R/V Knorr was designed for a wide range of oceanographic operations, possesses anti-roll tanks and an ice strengthened bow, and like its sister ship, the R/V Melville, it is used for ocean research and routinely carries scientists from many different countries. Table 1 provides a list of the technical research characteristics of the R/V Knorr