The whole Blue Observer team is preparing the next scientific expedition of one year and a half in the Indian Ocean.
Equipment to be added
To carry out this 18-month mission in the best conditions, the sailboat must undergo some work and we must also add scientific equipment on board:
acquisition of a new J1 | install a CTD rosette, a winch and equip the existing laboratory | install 6 additional solar panels, a hydrogenerator and an additional battery pack.
During the month of November, part of the team started to prepare the boat for her departure from the water.
The work starts
It was in the middle of a gale in Brest that we had to remove the sails. During a lull in the night, the team went to the sailboat to remove the J1 (the large gênois).
The sails were then stored at Incidence Sails.
The work continued with the removal of the sailboat’s boom.
After detaching it from the mast, the boom was lifted and placed on a trailer on the pontoon of the Brest Marina. Like the sails, the boom was stored for the duration of the work.
Once these elements were removed, the boat was ready to leave the water.
The water outlet of the sailboat
For the exit of water, we moved the sailboat from the Marina du Château to a quay of the commercial port of Brest. The boat was then lifted by crane and placed on its berth.
An impressive operation to see!
This allowed the work to continue on land.
We were able to remove the old engines and replace them with new ones. We use velvet propulsion throughout our expeditions. Nevertheless, the engines remain indispensable at certain times, especially for maneuvering in ports or giving a little energy to the measuring instruments.
The rest of the work will continue during the year 2023. Stay tuned to our social networks to keep up to date with the progress of the work.