The IUSRU operates in many different environments and therefore we must have the equipment to adapt to all of these conditions, at present we have access to several vessels owned by our members which due to their generosity we can call on when they are required. The 2 vessels owned and operated by The IUSRU are our sonar vessel, “Tintreach” and our Inflatable Tender. These 2 vessels along with larger vessels owned by our members have proved to be sufficient to allow us to operate in the vast majority of conditions and environments and are adaptable to be used for other uses including the sonar vessel being used as our diving vessel and our Inflatable Tender also deploying divers on previous occasions. 

 

Side Scan Sonar Vessel

 

Boat Manufacturer – Valiant

Model – V450

Name – Tintreach (Irish for Lightening)

Length – 4.5M

Breadth – 1.95m

Year Boat Built – 2000

Engine Manufacturer – Mercury

Power – 50HP (Single Screw)

Year Engine Built – 2000

Fuel Type – Petrol

Max Designed Speed – 5500 RPM

 

This vessel is primarily used to operate our Side Scan Sonar Equipment. It has been specifically adapted to mount the “Fish” (Please see Sonar section here) to the transom of the vessel so it can be deployed and operated simply and easily with a minimum of 2 crew (Skipper and sonar operator) however where possible a 3^rd person will be on board to tend the fish manually to spread the work load for the crew. This vessel has proved to be very responsive in fast water conditions, including rivers and tidal locations, it has a shallow draft which allows us to search and transit through low water locations, it is also very stable and the perfect size for our sonar operations.

 

 

Inflatable Tender

 

Boat Manufacturer – Excel

Model – HD430

Name – IUSRU

Length – 4.2m

Breadth – 2m

Year Boat Built – 2006

Engine Manufacturer – Honda

Power – 15HP

Year Engine Built – 1999

Fuel Type – Petrol

Max Designed Speed – 5500 RPM

 

This vessel is used for a variety of uses and has proved to be the workhorse if the IUSRU, It is adaptable, small and weighs very little meaning that it can be deployed and recovered in the vast majority of locations, when all our other vessels cannot get into a specific location to search, generally our inflatable tender will ensure that a search is completed. However its small size, weight and power means it is not suitable for any strong tidal or river conditions and is not suitable for sea conditions. The Inflatable Tender is ideal for searches in harbours, small rivers and bodies of water with little or no current.