R/V Lone Star

The research vessel Lone Star is a 70 foot, steel-hulled vessel that was reconditioned completely and equipped for marine geological research in coastal waters; she can operate in water depths as shallow as 3 meters. Lone Star is owned and operated by the Department of Geology and Geophysics, Rice University, and is docked at the Texas A&M campus in Galveston, Texas. The crew consists of a captain (with ocean-going license) and mate. The Lone Star can accommodate six scientists for up to one week at sea.

• Hull: 70 ft, 1/4 inch plate steel
• Engines: Twin 671 Detroit Diesels
• Electrical Plant: 25 Kw and 15 Kw generators
• Fuel: 2000 gallons (roughly 10 days or 1500 mile range)
• Fresh Water: 500 gallons
• Living accomodations:
  • Sleeps 8 in 3 cabins
  • Full galley
  • Two heads (one with shower)
• Laboratory Space:
  • Geophysical instrumentation lab
  • Mechanical lab and dive locker
• Work Deck:
  • 344 square feet of deck space
  • Hydraulic winch with 2000 ft. 1/4 in. wire
  • H-frame with 18 ft. of deck clearance
  • Articulating crane - moves heavy equipment on and between decks
• Electronics:
  • Autopilot - interfaces with DGPS navigational system
  • Three depth sounders (includes two chart recorders for 0-600' and 0-2000')
  • VHF, single side-band and Cellular telephone
  • Raytheon 24-mile radar
• Diving Equipment:
  • U.S. Divers full face mask with underwater communication system (diver-diver and diver-vessel) for two divers
  • Fixed air supply from 15 scfm compressor and storage bottles
• Scientific Equipment
  • Edo 3.5 kHz subbottom profiling system
  • Edo model 606 Side Scan Sonar with recorder
  • High-resulution seismic reflection system
    • EG&Uniboom
    • 15 cu. in. water gun
    • 10, 20, and 40 cu. in sleeve guns (one each)
    • Minisparker
    • EPC recorder, filters, amps, etc.
    • Streamers of varying lengths, including a 24-channel ITI streamer
    • Elics digital acquisition system (2-channel)
    • Two 15 scfm compressors, and one 35 scfm compressor
• Sediment sampling Equipment:
  • Piston Corer (15 ft.)
  • Vibracorer-pneumatic hammer corer ( 20 ft.)
  • Smith McIntyre Grab sampler
  • Box corer
  • Diver-operated drilling rig (hollow-stem auger type)

The Lone Star is a UNOLS approved vessel and has met all of the safety standards for UNOLS and the USACG. For more information on the Lone Star, please contact:

Dr. John B. Anderson
Department of Geology and Geophysics
Rice University
Houston, Texas 77251

Telephone: (713) 527-4880
Fax: (713) 285-5214
email: johna@geophysics.rice.edu