The fleet

Two hulls out of the same Louisiana yard.

Near-identical sisters — both built of welded steel by Universal Iron Works at Houma, Louisiana, a year apart, for work that had nothing to do with gold. They are the same hull: same registered dimensions, same coastwise and registry endorsements, same recovery arrangement, and both now mine the Norton Sound ground.

Offshore mining vessel

M/V Nikola

A 112-foot steel utility vessel converted for offshore placer recovery. Deck-mounted excavator and crane, onboard sluice recovery, 1,404 square feet of clear working deck, and accommodation for a full rotating crew through the Bering Sea season.

Official number617891
Year built1980
BuilderUniversal Iron Works, Inc.
Built atHouma, Louisiana
Hull materialSteel
Length112.3 ft
Breadth29.0 ft
Depth10.2 ft
Tonnage358 GT ITC / 94 GRT
EndorsementsCoastwise, Registry

The name NIKOLA painted in white block letters on a dark grey steel hull — Her name on the bow, freshly painted.

Three-quarter view of the Nikola bow from the pier — Bow three-quarter from the pier, showing the raised forecastle.

The Nikola seen broadside on flat water — Broadside on flat water — the working deck runs nearly her whole length.

The Nikola moored alongside other working vessels — Alongside, among the working fleet.

The Nikola main working deck looking aft — The main deck looking aft — 26 by 54 feet of clear working area, 1,404 square feet.

Deck crane on the Nikola against a blue sky — The deck crane, used to set and shift equipment on station.

Close view of the crane knuckle and hydraulic rams — Knuckle and hydraulic rams at close quarters.

Excavator mounted on the vessel deck — The deck-mounted excavator — the business end of the operation.

Excavator bucket resting on the deck — Bucket at rest between seasons.

Deck gear and rigging aboard the Nikola — Deck gear and rigging, laid out for the run north.

Small tender boat stowed on deck — The tender, stowed on deck.

The Nikola helm station and wheel — The helm.

Interior of the Nikola wheelhouse with instrument console — Wheelhouse — instrument console and chart space.

Wide view of the wheelhouse with windows on three sides — Windows on three sides give the watch a full horizon.

Mast, radar array and antennas above the wheelhouse — Mast, radar and antennas above the house.

Satellite communications dome mounted above deck — Satellite dome — Norton Sound is a long way from a cell tower.

Red electrical switchboard panel in the engine room — Main switchboard.

The galley aboard the Nikola — The galley. A season is long, and the crew eats aboard.

Offshore mining vessel

M/V Stryker

A steel vessel out of the same Houma yard as the Nikola, built in 1981 as the research vessel Geodetic Surveyor and rebuilt through 2025. She works the ground herself — a flat deck sized for the recovery plant, a 7,500-pound A-frame aft, two staterooms and ten bunks, and 30,000 gallons of fuel — which is what it takes to stay on station rather than run for shore.