Boat Identity Please

[Griswold]

Can anyone tell me what this boat, seen in the harbour in Ciutadella, Menorca on 2 separate occasions, is used for?

[hughtrimble]

The text on the bridge, could it be 'Conselleri de Medi Ambient i Territori'? If so, some form of environmental monitoring seems likely.

[ralphy]

The gear on the front looks like a water monitoring/rubbish collecting system to me.

Certainly not designed for high speed either, possibly electric propulsion?

R

[Griswold]

Thanks guys. Both arms have nets on them so environmental or rubbish collection seem likely. I did also wonder about it being used to collect marine life around the coastline. It was only in the harbour one day each week we were there but we never saw it moving or where it went. to.

We did wonder if the solar pannel was for either propulsion, (unlikely powerful enough?), or charging a battery. I did manage to get a shot with the rear hatch open and this crop shows some sort of engine I think. I also wondered about what appear to be 2 propane tanks on to of the rear hatch in the second photo above; possibly part of the propulsion system?

[PickleB]

See page 2 of this link which comes from this page.

I have no Spanish so I rely on GoogleTranslate and "coastal cleaning service" suggests that it is indeed involved in pollution monitoring and water quality management.

Then have a scout around: https://abaqua.cat/es/category/limpieza-del-litoral where you will find:

[jwg663]

It's a cleanup boat for collecting micro-plastics & litter from the ocean (he writes confidently!).

Google 'The SeaCleaners' & their 'Mobula' boats to see similar.

[Griswold]

Thanks PickleB and Jim, looks like it is rubbish collection. From the link in PickleB's post I found this....

https://abaqua.cat/es/2019/09/el-ser...us-a-lagost-2/


Which looks distinctly like the arms on the boat in my photo's. Now I need to spend some time on google translate.

This forum has a great collective.

[sweets]

I would suggest those bottles look like some type of gas conversion for the engine in the rear, possible a biogas conversion to avoid CO2 emissions whilst cleaning up the plastic??
That solar panel is not enough for any type of propulsion though, it is porbably there for battery maintenance.
The deployment of those nets on the arms will use a reasonable amount of power, probably more than the simple alternator on the engine will deliver.
I might add that the hydraulic pipework on those arms is pretty Heath Robinson...