Government agencies continue to purchase JW Fishers SeaLion ROV including the US State Department, a US Navy maintenance facility, and an Emergency Management Agency in Wyoming. An official at the Navy facility in Washington said their group had spent a considerable amount of time researching the various ROVs on the market today. "Several vendors came to our facility to demonstrate their vehicles. We were not impressed with the performance of the micro ROVs. The SeaLion best fit our requirements for power, rugged construction, and an economical cost."

The SeaLion utilizes a six motor propulsion system; four horizontal thrusters and two vertical. This arrangement provides the power to operate in currents up to 3 knots and to "drag" extended lengths of umbilical in pipeline penetrations. With vertical thrusters mounted at an angle on the each side of the body, the ROV has tremendous maneuverability. It can rotate 360 on its axis or crab sideways across the bottom, a capability not found in many small ROVs. The SeaLion's color camera, assisted by four 100 watt quartz halogen lights, produces high resolution video images of the underwater environment with exceptional clarity.

To fit the varied requirements of military, law enforcement, and public safety agencies, the SeaLion is available with an extensive list of options which allow it to be tailored to the mission. Options for the system include a manipulator arm, metal detector, scanning sonar, crash cage, 1,000 foot depth rated housing, long umbilical lengths, and European format cameras. Using the manipulator arm, the ROV can pick up a light weight object off the bottom or carry a guide line down to a submerged object. The metal detector is a unique feature not offered by other ROV makers. With the detector attached to front of the vehicle, the SeaLion can search for mines, bombs, unexploded ordnance, and weapons. The scanning sonar allows the operator to "see" far beyond the range of camera. The sonar can scan an area up to 200 feet in diameter around the ROV, helping it quickly locate targets of interest.

Feedback from the agencies provides an example of the variety of functions these ROVs will serve. The SeaLion purchased by the Department of State was sent to a US Embassy on a Caribbean Island where it will assist the Coast Guard in inspecting vessels bound for US waters. The system purchased by Wyoming's EMA will help law enforcement agencies and public safety dive teams search for drowning victims, locate sunken vessels and submerged vehicles, and recover evidence that criminals dispose of in lakes and rives. The Navy's SeaLion will be used for the inspection of various ship's hulls from aircraft carriers to submarines, and to inspect other underwater structures at the facility. It will also be a tool to aid in base security.

For more information on Fishers ROVs or a color brochure on all of their quality underwater search products, contact Christopher Combs at J.W. Fishers Mfg Inc., 1953 County St., East Taunton, MA 02718. Phone (800) 822-4744 or (508) 822-7330. Fax is (508) 880-8949. E-mail to jwfishers@aol.com or check out the website at www.jwfishers.com.