Ecospan has a number of well equipped survey vessels some of which are available for hire with a skipper to external organisations. Alternatively, we are more than willing to act as a sub-contractor for any specialised sampling programmes.
Hovercraft
Ecospan Environmental Ltd operates a BBV4 four man 4.9 m hovercraft which was specifically purchased and fitted out for undertaking inter-tidal surveys over mud flats. The hovercraft is powered by 4 stroke engines that make it dramatically quieter than 2 stoke craft and have significantly improved fuel efficiency. The craft is fully certified by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
It eliminates most of the major safety concerns associated with working in such environments.
Due to its unique design it is possible to sample without leaving the safety of the cockpit.
It is extremely rapid, thereby drastically reducing sampling time and enabling samples to be taken over large distances.
It is able to access areas that are not accessible by other means.
It does not damage the environment. The hovercraft leaves only very light tracks as it travels on a cushion of air. These are not visible after one tide.
Rigid Hulled Inflatable "Pagrus"
Pagrus is a well equipped, 6.5 m, twin engined, MCA category 3 workboat licensed for 6 people. It is capable of working up to 20 miles from a safe haven as well as being suitable for estuary or river work. The vessel is easily towed by our 4 x 4 van enabling its use anywhere around the UK or Europe .
Pagrus also has 2 VHF radios, a Simrad CE33 dGPS chart plotter (which can be linked to PC plotting software), a dual frequency colour echosounder and a fluxgate compass. It can be fitted with a variety of other specialised equipment and survey instrumentation (e.g. ADCP) and is used extensively for hydrographic work, ecological survey work and as a support vessel for diving and hovercraft operations.
Zodiac Inflatable
This 5.5 m inflatable boat provides support to Ecospan's other MCA coded boats where more than one vessel is required. It is also used for a wide range of projects on inland lakes and small rivers where the use of a larger boat is impractical.
