Restored

Construction of the new, custom-built 60-
foot boat has begun in Seattle, Washington
and is expected to be completed in July.
Aluminum plates have been cut and welded
into the structure.
“The San Carlos is outdated, requires a
lot of maintenance, and is made up of a fiberglass
shell,” said Environmental Program
Manager Karen Gehrts, Chief of the Division
of Environmental Services Environmental
Water Quality and Estuarine Studies
(EWQES) Branch. “It has gotten to the point
where maintenance costs and upkeep of the
boat are comparable to the long-term investment
of a new vessel.”
“It makes more sense to invest in a new
vessel that will be more efficient and have improved
technological capabilities to keep up
with our increasing monitoring demands,”
said Gehrts.
The EWQES Branch, which ensures DWR
compliance with state water monitoring mandates,
has seen a rise in special study requests,
including numerous studies focusing on the
drought’s effect on water quality.
“We are excited to be part of the design and
building process for the new research vessel,”
said Water Resource Engineer Associate
Scott Waller, who gathers the water quality
data on board the San Carlos. “The new
vessel will continue to provide a platform
that both encourages and supports the next
generation of scientific leaders and serves the
science and engineering research communities
for decades to come.”
New Features
The new $3.5 million vessel will cruise at
a faster speed, have more lab and back deck
space for sampling and a smaller four-foot
draft (the distance from the surface water to
the lowest part of the boat, such as the propeller
or rudder) allowing the boat to enter
shallower waters for restoration studies.
“There will also be more instruments—
such as GPS, communications, everything
in the pilot house in the new vessel,” said
Eric Santos, Chief Engineer of
the San Carlos. “Everything
we have now is very old. There
is always an issue with the San
Carlos when we take it out.
We are all looking forward to
trouble-free surveying.”
A high-technology flow
through system will also sample
the water as the boat is in
motion with the use of probes.
“By allowing us to gather data faster
and the ability to move to different locations
in the water quicker, the new vessel
will improve the team’s productivity on
board, allow us to keep up with meeting
our mandated monitoring commitments
in a timely fashion, and meet the
high-demand of requests for information,”
said Gehrts.
The Bay-Delta Monitoring and Analysis
team currently runs into issues when
studies require larger sampling. To have
enough lab and deck space for more
than 225 benthic samples from 180 stations,
the team also uses the Bureau of
Reclamation’s research vessel to gather
the samples.
Used for Bay-Delta monthly mandated
scientific research and water quality monitoring,
the San Carlos Research Vessel
was custom-built for DWR in 1976 by the
Campbell Yacht Company in San Diego.
“Our use of a research vessel is an
integral part of DWR’s Environmental
Monitoring Program, dating back to 1976
when we starting using the San Carlos,”
said Senior Environmental Scientist
Shaun Philippart, Chief of the Bay-Delta
Monitoring and Analysis Section. “Our
new vessel will be constructed of the
newest safety materials and the latest navigational
equipment to help ensure we
conduct mandated and special studies
monitoring in the safest and most effective
manner.”
Top: DWR Chief Engineer of Fish Vessel Eric Santos,
who has navigated DWR’s original San Carlos for 23
years, stands at the port bow of the new vessel.
Middle: The high grade aluminum starboard and
stern of the San Carlos measures 60 feet by 24 feet.
Bottom: Starboard hull shows location where main
engine, generator and fuel tank will be located.
Photos by Karen Gehrts, DWR
California Department of Water Resources DWR Magazine j Winter 2015 | 2016 27