RV Franklin

RV Franklin (subsequently Northern Franklin) is an oceanographic and hydrographic research vessel custom built in Cairns, Australia for the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in 1984–5. She was operated by CSIRO as Australia's first Marine National Facility research vessel and undertook 180 voyages in the "blue water" (=offshore) Australian region and in the Southern Ocean between 1985 and 2002.^[1] Data about and from these surveys is stored at the CSIRO NCMI (National Collections and Marine Infrastructure) Information and Data Centre in Hobart.^[2]

Franklin underway in 2000
History
Australia
Name	Franklin
Builder	North Queensland Engineers & Agents Pty. Ltd, Cairns
Yard number	110
Launched	1985
Completed	March 1985
Identification	IMO number: 8301797 MMSI number: 231781000
Name	Franklin
Port of registry	Faroe Islands (2011-) Sweden (??-2011)
Identification	Call sign: OZ2102 (2011-) Call sign: SEIN (??-2011)
General characteristics
Tonnage	1,178 tons
Length	55.61 m (182 ft 5 in)
Beam	11.99 m (39 ft 4 in)
Draught	3.8 m (12 ft 6 in)

In 2003, Franklin was replaced as the Marine National Facility by the RV Southern Surveyor and the vessel was sold, first to a group of northern hemisphere private investors, and subsequently (in 2005) to the European marine survey operator MMT, based in Sweden. MMT subsequently became part of the worldwide operator Ocean Infinity. As at 2025, the vessel continues to operate in the northern hemisphere for marine survey work, under the name Northern Franklin; its operations are run via the company Northern Survey by arrangement with MMT, sailing under the flag of Denmark.^[3][4][5]

Gallery

• 
  At CSIRO Hobart wharf, late 1986
• 
  At CSIRO Hobart wharf, late 1986 (detail)
• 
  Start of a research voyage, leaving CSIRO Hobart wharf, late 1986
• 
  RV Franklin open for inspection, Hobart, January 1987