RV Sonne
Sonne as ARA Austral | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Germany | |
| Name | Sonne |
| Operator | RF Forschungsschiffahrt GmbH |
| Port of registry | Bremen, Germany |
| Route | Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean |
| Builder | Rickmers Werft, Bremerhaven, Germany |
| Laid down | August 1968 |
| Out of service | August 2014 |
| Identification |
|
| Fate | Sold to Argentina |
| Argentina | |
| Name | Austral |
| Owner | CONICET |
| Operator | Argentine Navy |
| Cost | $54,192,935 ARS, €5,150,000 |
| Acquired | 12 December 2014 |
| In service | 7 November 2015 |
| Identification |
|
| Status | Active as of 2018 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Research vessel |
| Displacement | 4,952 t (4,874 long tons) |
| Length | 97.61 m (320 ft 3 in) |
| Beam | 14.20 m (46 ft 7 in) |
| Draught | 6.80 m (22 ft 4 in) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion | MaK 8 M 282 Diesel-electrical system |
| Speed | 12.0 knots (22.2 km/h) |
| Crew | 25 + 25 scientists |
RV Sonne (German for 'Sun') is a former German fishing trawler converted into a research vessel by Schichau Unterweser AG, doing mostly geoscience-related work for a variety of commercial and scientific clients. She was registered in Bremen. In 2015 she was sold to the Argentine institute CONICET and was renamed ARA Austral (Q-21). A new geoscientific research ship, also called RV Sonne, replaced her role in Germany that same year.