New Hydrographic Survey Vessel Begins Service
The Maritime Administration is holding a ceremony in Tallinn's Hundipea Harbor today to mark the beginning of service of the new SWATH-type hydrographic survey vessel Jakob Prei.
According to the administration's director general, Andrus Maide, the new vessel will help Estonia meet the hydrographic surveying requirements set by the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission. Those mostly concern surveying international shipping routes located in domestic waters, which must be done in accordance with the standards established by the International Hydrographic Organization, he said.
Currently, only around 26 percent of Estonia's offshore territory has been surveyed. The agency is aiming to survey the entire area by 2029.
In addition to hydrographic surveys, the ship will also assist in marine research efforts and rescue operations, ETV reported. The 14-million euro purchase price of the German-built ship was covered entirely by the European Regional Development Fund.
The vessel is named in honor of Col. Jakob Prei, one of the founders of the nation's hydrographic service in the 1920s.
Ingrid Teesalu