Second Civil Hydrography Programme Contract- Scotland
Gardline Hydro prepares to undertake its second two-year contract under the Civil Hydrography Programme (CHP) on behalf of its client, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). The offshore Scotland contract comprises two areas: one in the Eastern approaches to the Firth of Forth: the second between Cape Wrath and the Fair Isle Channel, to the West of the Orkney Islands. Both projects total approximately 8400km2 of seabed mapping and will help to update Admiralty Charts and other publications to ensure the safe navigation of vessels.
Earlier this year, the MCA awarded Gardline its first CHP contract to survey the Western Approaches. In addition Gardline Hydro, in partnership with Survey 2000 Limited, was awarded a two-year vessel charter by the Ministry of Defence on behalf of the MCA. Royal Navy personnel deployed on the vessel will undertake inshore water surveys.
Gardline’s dedicated hydrographic survey ships, MV Ocean Seeker and MV Elinor TH will be employed for the project and mobilised with a suite of survey equipment including a hull mounted KS EM1002 95kHz and a high resolution multi-beam echo-sounder. A combination of multi-beam echo-sounder data and side-scan sonar will be used to meet the object detection criteria.
Gardline will submit the survey results to the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) who will perform validation checks prior to acceptance for updating Admiralty Charts and publications.
The survey will be carried out during 2004 and 2005, operating seasonally from April – October.
