Our expedition support vessel is the SRV (Sailing Research Vessel) Discovery. She is specially equipped for remote island expeditions.

In the last eight years she has visited more central Pacific Islands than any other vessel we know about - ever. Her success in achieving this memorable goal can be attributed to her heavy steel construction, her maneuverability (she has two engines) and shallow draft. She has an extremely heavy duty hydraulic anchoring system - something rarely found on other vessels. These features have contributed to her excellent safety record and ability to get the job done.

SRV Discovery - dinner time (March 2011)

She has 18 berths, a spacious main cabin and a four berth aft cabin, a well-appointed galley with stove, hot water heater and microwave. As a catamaran design there is plenty of room for bulky equipment, such as camping gear, scientific equipment, inflatables, scuba compressor, water pump, generator set, stores for the outer islands, kayaks, wind surfers and surf boards.

She is definitely not a luxury passenger vessel or super yacht with private cabins and air conditioning - but in reality is a practically designed and fitted out, hard working, commercial vessel.

As a dive support vessel she really comes into her own, with large boarding ladders on the stern and easy access to the water via the side gate. She has ample deck space for getting geared up, and has inflatables for shallow water snorkeling and diving. She is ideal for supporting drift dives along the outer reef drop offs - or through the big lagoon outlets [passages] that we visit, including Kanton in the Phoenix Islands and Suwarrow National Park in the Cook Islands.

Harry Verney built her in Taranaki, New Zealand in 1984. She operated as a charter vessel for scuba diving and sports fishing out of Sandspit (near Warkworth) and was named the MV Frae by Harry.

SRV Discovery - aft main deck cabin ( Feb 2012)

Capt Dr Graham Wragg (Pacific Expeditions Ltd) became her second owner in 2002 and renamed her the Bounty Bay. She was used as a motor vessel for science, government and tourism charters around the central Pacific islands until 2009.

After a major overhaul in New Zealand she has returned to service with Pacific Expeditions. Upgrades and additions include:
- a new four berth cabin on the aft deck (see above photo)
- two new RFD life rafts
- a new 10 meter sailing mast, rigging and sails
- 3000 liters of extra fuel tankage
- and she has been renamed the "SRV Discovery".

SRV Discovery, unloading passengers from Pitcairn Island
Mangareva, Gambier Islands (March 2011)

Boat specs
Type: Motor/Sailing Catamaran
Length: 16 meters (55ft)
Weight: 35 tons
Fuel: 8 tons
Water: 2,500 liters
Range: 6,000 kilometers with motors (sails add extra distance)
Engines: 2 x Ford 120 HP marine diesels
Construction: steel
Sailing Mast: 10 metres

Communications and Electronics
Uniden VHF radio
Icom SSB radio
Iridium Satellite phone
Lowrance chart plotter
Furuno GPS with “Man Overboard” function
Lowrance broadband 3G radar
JRC 2000 meter depth sounder
Raymarine autopilot

Foc'sle accommodation (with hatch above)

Safety
2 new 8 man RFD life rafts
1 float-free 406 MHz EPIRB (emergency beacon)
1 personal 406 MHz EPIRB (for shore party)
2 handheld reverse osmosis seawater desalinators
1 danbouy & 3 life rings (1 with light and 1 with rope)
New 12mm anchor chain, hydraulic motor & control valve

Shore Transport
3.2m and 3.7m inflatables
18hp Tohatsu outboard

Amenities
2 double berths (one in each foc'sle)
14 single berths
(5 in each hull, plus 4 in the new aft main deck cabin)
Electricity (240v and 12v)
Toilet and shower
Well-appointed galley with gas oven and microwave
Fridge and large (350 litre) freezer