How much does research time aboard Little Cloud cost?

Research berths are free. Operating contributions are discussed case by case depending on the project, its duration and its needs. Write to sam@sailinglittlecloud.com with your project and dates.

What kind of science can a sailing catamaran support?

Hydrophone and instrument deployment, visual surveys, water and biological sampling, drone operations, dive-based fieldwork, coastal monitoring, and long-duration logging along a 6,000+ nm route. Catamarans are stable, quiet under sail, and can anchor in under a metre of water.

Where and when is the vessel available?

Brittany and Iberia in late summer 2026, Madeira, the Canaries and Cape Verde in autumn, an Atlantic crossing in November, the Caribbean island chain December to March, the Bahamas March to May, then Jamaica and Panama's San Blas islands in June 2027, with Central America and Mexico the following season.

Sam, an EPFL environmental engineer (MSc) and RYA Yachtmaster Offshore 200t, and Oriane, a PADI dive instructor and freediver who runs all dive operations aboard.

for the scientists

A low-cost research vessel that's already going your way

By Sam & Oriane · Updated July 2026 · 6 min read

Ship time is one of the most expensive line items in ocean science, and one of the hardest to justify for small projects. Little Cloud is a different proposition: a 43-foot sailing catamaran crossing from Brittany to the Caribbean, the Bahamas and Panama over the next twelve months, with research berths offered free of charge. We're sailing anyway. Put your instruments, your samples or your field team aboard.

The platform

Little Cloud, Catana 431

43 ft / 7.4 mdaggerboard catamaran: stable working deck, quiet under sail, no engine noise during acoustic work
< 1 m draftboards up, she works in shallows and reef flats most research vessels can't reach
solar + windrenewable power with a lithium bank for continuous instrument loads, plus a watermaker
Starlinkbroadband at sea: live data upload, remote supervision, shore contact
dive opsfreediving and snorkel equipment, run by a PADI dive instructor
chase boata fast, capable tender for sampling runs, drone recovery and film support

What we can host

Instrument deployment and testing: hydrophones, sensors, prototypes needing real sea miles
Multi-day offshore campaigns: visual surveys, acoustic transects, sampling along a 6,000+ nm route
Dive-based fieldwork: reef monitoring, collection dives, photo-ID
Long-duration logging: we already record sea-surface conditions, wildlife sightings and water quality on every leg
Film and documentary support alongside the science

We're not a compliance vessel for heavy gear: no A-frame, no wet lab, no winch rated in tonnes. What we are is a stable, low-carbon, endlessly patient platform with a crew that genuinely wants the science to work.

Who's already aboard

We sail as a participating vessel in the International SeaKeepers Society's DISCOVERY programme, join an AIMM cetacean campaign in Portugal in September 2026 (hydrophones and drones, offshore), test a sensing instrument for Sailowtech (EPFL), and log for CoralWatch, ORCA, The Shark Trust and Eyesea. Your project would be in good company.

Where and when

Aug-Sep 2026: Brittany, Bay of Biscay, Galicia, Portugal
Sep-Nov 2026: Madeira, Canaries, Cape Verde (Macaronesian corridor)
Nov-Dec 2026: Atlantic crossing, trade-wind route
Dec 2026-Mar 2027: Caribbean island chain, St Vincent to the Virgin Islands, Dominican Republic
Mar-May 2027: Bahamas, including the Exumas shallows
Jun 2027: Jamaica, then Panama's San Blas islands; Central America and Mexico the season after

on money Research berths are free: that's the point. Operating contributions are discussed case by case, depending on the project, its duration and what it needs from the boat. Small projects and student fieldwork are explicitly welcome.

The crew

Sam is an environmental engineer (EPFL, MSc) and RYA Yachtmaster Offshore 200t with over a decade of sailing instruction. Oriane is a PADI dive instructor and freediver who runs all dive operations aboard. Between the two, your field team gets a safe platform and hands that understand both the sea and the protocol sheet.

Frequently asked questions

How much does research time aboard cost?: Berths are free. Operating contributions are discussed per project. Write to us with your project and dates.
What science can a sailing catamaran support?: Instrument deployment and testing, visual and acoustic surveys, sampling, drone ops, dive fieldwork, and long-duration logging. Stable, quiet under sail, and able to anchor in under a metre of water.
Where and when are you available?: See the route above, or the full interactive itinerary. We plan season by season, and research legs can shape the schedule.
Who runs the boat?: An EPFL environmental engineer who is also an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore 200t, and a PADI dive instructor. The science is half the reason we're out here.

need a boat for your fieldwork?

Tell us about the project, the region and the dates, and we'll tell you honestly whether Little Cloud can carry it.

Write to us →