D. Summary 
THE GERMAN HYDROGRAPHIC INSTITUTE WITHIN THE YEAR 1964 
In the course of the organizational changes -1- ^ the "Allgemeine Ahteilung" 
(general department) has been arranged anew (Annex 1). 
"Meteor" is the name which, on February 8, 1964, the wife of the Presi 
dent of the Federal Republic of Germany gave to the new German research 
vessel. She was accepted from the Seebeck-Werft on March 24, 1964, by 
Dr.-Ing. Hans-Christoph Seebohm, the Federal Minister of Transport, and 
handed over to the GHI for management. As a joint undertaking of the GHI 
and the German Research Association, this research vessel of the Federal 
Republic of Germany will be at the disposal of each partner always half 
the employment period. 
"Meteor's" first great task was to participate, under the leadership of 
the German Research Association, in the International Indian Ocean Expedition 
to start on October 29, 1964. In the meantime numerous members of the GHI 
were fully occupied with making the vessel ready for sea and expedition. 
The main particulars of "Meteor" are: length 82.2 m, breadth 13.5 m, 
gross tonnage 2.615. 79 persons (54 crew members and 25 scientists') ■can 
be lodged. The Diesel-electric equipment gives the vessel a speed of 
13.5 kn. The steaming range is about 10,000 nm. Besides Pleuger and active 
rudders, two bow thrusters provide good manoeuvring capabilities. Anti 
rolling devices reduce the motion of the vessel which is felt also at the 
stations. The scientists have at their disposal: 10 laboratories; different 
sorts of winches for outboard work down to water depths of 12,000 m; 
facilities to start free and captive balloons; wind-weather radar. Marine 
organisms can be placed in various aquaria and conserved in refrigerated 
holds with temperatures down to -30°C. A helicopter can take off and land. 
The hold for scientific instruments has a capacity of 400 m . 
These and numerous other installations not mentioned here have been 
tested for their correct functioning by the technical inspection body of 
the GHI. This body paid special attention to the questions of safe 
navigation and elaborated regulations for the service on board. For 
manoeuvring tests the section "Nautical Geodesy" computed hyperbolae of the 
Danish Decca chain for insertion in large-scale charts. The activities of 
+) See Annual Report No. 17 for 1962, p.5. 
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