Source : http://www.tickld.com/pic/t/1118670
It looks....... yeah..... ridiculous. However, this is RP FLIP (sometimes seen as R/V Flip). It's a banana-balls design of a research vessel. When not upright, Flip looks kind of like a big, floating toothbrush. Flip does not propel herself. Instead, she is towed into position by support vessels. Once in position, rear ballasts take on water, slowly and carefully displacing the vessel until she swings upright. While upright, Flip is incredibly vertically stable. She can operate moored in position or drifting, allowing incredibly refined study of ocean physics without having to compensate for vertical motion in data collection
I'm told it's simultaneously the best and worst place to work. RP Flip's vertical stability means it is easier to work and means less sea sickness to combat. However, as you can see in the picture, it's not a big platform to work upon. It also has an aging HVAC system (Flip is from the late 1960s!), meaning it can turn into a sweaty science sauna according to the few people I've known to work on it at some point.
For more information, pics, and video of RP Flip in action, head over to the Scripps Marine Physical Laboratory website (http://www.mpl.ucsd.edu/resources/flip.intro.html)
