THE SEAWATCH BUOY
  • The SEAWATCH buoyA multi-sensor wave directional buoy
  • A unique design optimizes wave direction measurements
  • Modular shaped hull for easy transport and local assembly
  • Data presentation in real-time
  • Full onboard processing of all measured data
  • Two-way communication link for data transfer and remote control of buoys
  • Flexible configuration of sensors and data collection
  • Designed for safe and easy handling
  • Special mooring design minimizes mooring influence on buoy motions
  • Easily deployed
  • Environmentally friendly
  • Not sensitive to extreme temperatures
  • Proven track record since 1985

A multi-sensor wave directional data buoy capable of measuring wave height and direction, ocean current speed and direction, meteorological parameters, sea surface temperature, salinity and temperature and salinity profiles.
Ideal for making current and wind measurements, together with ocean waves, as the buoy is vertically stabilized giving low pitch/roll motions.
Additionally, the buoy can be equipped with numerous other sensors, satisfying the customer’s specific configuration needs, such as oxygen, hydrocarbon, gamma radiation measurement and an optical sensor for algae detection.
The SEAWATCH buoy is essentially a sensor carrier for a series of oceanographic, meteorological and water quality measurements.

Experience gained since 1985 has shown that the SEAWATCH buoy design is stable even in extreme sea conditions.

DATA PRESENTATION

OceanInfo is a PC-based system for the presentation of metocean data collected by the buoys or other data sources and has the following functions: time series plots, simple univariate statistics, univariate and bivariate distribution tables and curves, wind roses, print, copy or export of graphs, maps and data, extreme analysis (based on a 3-parameter Weibull distribution fit), gamma spectrum and TS diagram (temperature/salinity).

DIRECTIONAL WAVE SENSOR

The buoy is fitted with an MRU, Motion Reference Unit, for wave direction measurements based on the heave/translation principle. This sensor offers the unique advantage of not being sensitive to either high or low temperatures, and being insensitive to spinning and rough handling. The MRU incorporates an accurate 3-axis fluxgate compass for buoy orientation measurements. This is important for high quality wind and wave directional data.  

THE HULL

This vertically stabilized buoy is built around a spherical instrument container. The instrument container is surrounded by three vertical 6 metre long seawater resistant aluminium legs that are kept together by a top frame, a middle deck and a bottom frame. The top and bottom frames serve as support for the meteorological and submerged sensors, whilst the middle deck contains the main buoyancy elements and the fendering. The water line runs through the middle deck, so that the part of the buoyancy above the middle deck serves as extra buoyancy.

POWER SUPPLY

Maintenance free solar panels and sealed lead-acid backup batteries enable longterm unattended operations. For low sun radiation conditions, lithium batteries can be supplied.

MOORING

There are five major types of mooring designs used with the SEAWATCH Buoy. The design used for a particular deployment depends on several factors. The most important are the current speed in the water column and the water depth. Further, surface activities such as ship traffic and even the danger of fish bite on the mooring must be taken into consideration.

APPLICATIONS

  • Harbour and coastal monitoring
  • Coastal engineering
  • Offshore design and operations
  • Scientific studies
  • Maritime traffic control
  • Meteorological and climatological studies
  • Water quality control studies
  • Wave and wind energy studies

SEAWATCH AROUND THE WORLD

More than 60 SEAWATCH buoys are presently operating and providing data around the world. Some of our customers are:
  • International Maritime Academy (IMO), Italy
  • International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Monaco
  • National Centre for Marine Research Institute of Oceanography, Athens, Greece
  • Puertos del Estado, Spain
  • Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology, Indonesia
  • National Research Council, Bangkok, Thailand
  • National Institute of Ocean Technology, India
  • SMHI - Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute, Sweden