Merlin
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Overview
23 m Jones Act-compliant autonomous survey vessel from SAFE Boats for US offshore wind.
Merlin is a 23-metre autonomous survey vessel that Washington state boatbuilder SAFE Boats International designed for the growing US offshore wind industry. Built in aluminium to comply with the Jones Act, it carries a ready-integrated geophysical sensor suite from Echo81 and autonomy from Mythos AI to map wind farm sites without a full crew of surveyors aboard. A hybrid or hydrogen powertrain can cut emissions. It was introduced in 2023 as the first such survey vessel that customers could buy directly from a builder.
Primary Roles
Notes
23 m (about 75 ft) aluminium semi-displacement monohull with a 1.6 m draft and twin Volvo Penta D13 hybrid-ready engines with IPS drives, plus a hydrogen option from Zero Emission Industries. Developed with Mythos AI (autonomy), Echo81 (sensors) and World Marine Design, and built in Tacoma, Washington. Crew and surveyors can still take over; berths, galley and a marine mammal observer post are fitted. No deliveries have been reported.
