September 27, 2012 11:54
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U-Vic has sold a former Coast Guard vessel to a private diving company in North Vancouver.
The University acquired the Tsekoa II two years ago with the intent of converting it into a coastal research platform and a demonstration of "green" shipboard technology. The plan was shelved when bids to do the refit came in significantly over budget, and the ship was put up for sale.
A spokesperson for the university says Canpac Diving Inc paid "pretty close" to the 180 thousand dollar asking price.
The money goes into a fund for the eventual resurrection of the research ship project. The university may decide it's more cost effective to pay for a new purpose-built vessel than to re-fit an old one.