Hack Noyes

OPERATOR: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Bayfield Fisheries Field Station
HOMEPORT: Bayfield, Wisconsin

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: Since 1970, the R/V Hack Noyes has conducted numerous independent surveys to provide data to manage the Wisconsin waters of Lake Superior effectively. The vessel is fitted specifically for setting and lifting gill nets to collect fish data but is also used for hydroacoustics in the fall. The crew of the R/V Hack Noyes consists of a captain, biologist, and fish technician. The annual operating season for the Hack Noyes begins at ice-out with an early April assessment targeting Lake Trout. It continues through the year, concluding with Cisco Hydroacoustics and gill netting by the middle of December. Most of the work done on the Hack Noyes is also part of lake-wide efforts involving many other agencies.

VESSEL DESCRIPTION: The R/V Hack Noyes was built in 1946 by Burger Boat Company in Manitowoc, Wisconsin and purchased by a commercial fisherman for use on Lake Michigan. The original name of the vessel was Helen Jean. It was used on Lake Michigan until 1951, when it was sold to the Wisconsin DNR and renamed Hack Noyes for use on Lake Superior in the Apostle Islands as a law enforcement vessel. The vessel was named after the late Haskell P. Noyes, head of the Wisconsin Conservation Commission from 1931-1933. 1970, it was transferred to the Wisconsin DNR Fisheries Management Department in Bayfield. 

The R/V Hack Noyes is 55 feet long, has a beam of 15 feet and draws 6 feet of water. The vessel is steel construction and remains in the water year-round. Its strong hull is needed in the spring and fall when ice flows are common on Lake Superior.

In 2011, the R/V Hack Noyes underwent a major retrofit, replacing a large amount of hull steel, installing a new main engine, and converting the steering system to hydraulic control. These significant improvements allowed the vessel to perform tasks with increased efficiency and maneuverability and extended its operational lifetime.  

VESSEL DESCRIPTION:

YEAR BUILT: 1946

LENGTH: 55 feet

BEAM: 15 feet

Stokes Media made a video to show more about the Hack Noyes and its crew's work on Lake Superior. Watch for an onboard look during the October Lake Trout Assessment.