RV Anna Weber-van Bosse

This innovative, sustainable and 80-metre-long flagship of ocean research in the Netherlands will be put into service early in 2026. RV Anna Weber-van Bosse was designed by identifying the future needs of the Dutch marine research community. For instance, the new ship will be prepared for the use of methanol and has the ability to work close to the edge of the sea ice in the Arctic and Antarctic. She is equipped with much larger laboratories, more accommodations and state-of-the-art equipment. 

Illustratie van een blauw oceaanonderzoeksschip dat voor de kust van Texel vaart.

Specifications

  • Length overall 79.98m
  • Beam 17 m
  • Max. draught 5.50 m
  • Gross Tonnage approx. 3480 T
  • Net tonnage approx. 1040 T
  • Max. number of berths: 47
  • Service speed: 10 knots
  • Class: Special Purpose Research vessel, Ice Class IC 
For more information, please contact the NMF coordinator
Blauw schip in aanbouw op de kade van een scheepswerf

RV Anna Weber-van Bosse at the shipyard in Vigo September 2025 (Photo: NIOZ)

Construction

In November 2022, the NWO-I Foundation Board approved the definitive grant of the contract for the construction of RV Anna Weber-van Bosse. After years of preparations, construction started in October 2023 at Astilleros Armon Shipyards in Vigo (Spain). Another important milestone was her launch in October 2024. At the end of 2025 construction of the ship will be finished.  Extensive trials will take place before the start of the research cruising program later in 2026. 

Find a timeline and the milestones of the construction here
Grote boeg van blauw onderzoeksschip die hoge hal van een scheepswerf verlaat voor tewaterlating

RV Anna Weber-van Bosse ready for launch at Armon Shipyards in Vigo. (photo: Armon)

Name

Anna Weber-van Bosse was the first Dutch female biologist to contribute substantially to Dutch marine sciences, as evidenced by her many publications, huge plant collection and an honorary doctorate at Utrecht University, as the first woman in the Netherlands. The voyage aboard the Siboga led to Anna Weber-van Bosse's most important scientific contributions. She wrote about the contribution of calcareous algae to the construction of coral reefs in the East Indian archipelago, through publications on purple algae (Florideans) and a major reference work on red algae (Corallinaceae), among others.

Find more information the website of the Huygens Institute
Zwart-wit foto in ouderwetse stijl van een oudere dame die glimlacht terwijl ze op een bank zit

Anna Weber-van Bosse (photo: collection Artis Library)