Seawork debut for iXBlue catamaran
iXBlue, the specialist French navigation, positioning and imaging organisation operating in over 30 countries, launched at Seawork International its latest all-purpose catamaran designed for hydrographic, oceanographic and biological missions, iXCat 80.
Built by H2X, the company’s own shipyard in the south of France, the 25-metre craft is claimed to represent a major step forward for survey vessels of its type, having been moulded in a single operation using infusion techniques; it has a top speed of 22 knots and can accommodate 16 personnel.
Constructed from composite materials, it features a lightweight hull free of corrosion while generating a very low level of acoustic noise in order to produce particularly high levels of imaging. Its development extends iXBlue’s ranges of vessels supported by subsidiary equipment which also includes seabed mapping sonars, sub-bottom profilers, inertial navigation and underwater positioning systems.
By David Goodfellow
