RI-Based R/V Endeavor Retires After 50 Years

Endeavor at sea. Photo courtesy Alex DeCiccio/URI

The Rhode Island-based research vessel Endeavor is retiring this month after 50 years of continuous operation.

The Endeavor will retire upon completing its final mission on September 20.

Owned by the National Science Foundation and operated by the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography, the ship was first launched in 1975.

Over the course of its career, Endeavor brought thousands of scientists, engineers, technicians, students, and teachers on more than 700 expeditions and traveled more than one million miles in support of science.

Along the way, the research vessel spent 9,600 days at sea, carried more than 8,000 scientists onboard, and visited 22 countries, including Brazil, Ecuador, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine, Senegal, and Namibia.

The public will get a chance to tour the R/V Endeavor on October 4 and 5 at the URI Bay Campus in Narragansett. However, availability is limited.

Reserve your spot to tour the Endeavor.