The Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) navigation training vessel, Merchant Vessel (MV) Mercator, is a modified Pacific Class patrol boat. Purpose built for navigation training by Tenix Marine in Western Australia, it was launched in October 1998 to replace the aging Attack Class patrol boat HMAS Ardent.
Homeported at HMAS Waterhen in Sydney Harbour, Mercator provides training to officers and sailors in coastal navigation, ship handling and watch-keeping procedures. It is also utilised to assist Major Fleet Units (MFU) with boarding party training.
Specifications
- Type: modified Pacific patrol boat
- Role: navigation training
- International callsign: VHN8774
- Home port: HMAS Waterhen
- Builder: Tenix Ship Building WA
- Launched: 15 October 1998
- Displacement: 165 tonnes
- Length: 31.5 metres
- Beam: 8.21 metres
- Draught: 2.6 metres
- Speed: 16 knots
- Range: 2,880 nautical miles at 8 knots
- Crew:
- 8 civilian crew
- up to 20 RAN trainees and staff
- Machinery: 2 Caterpillar diesels
Function
Modified pacific patrol boat