Sea-Kit had planned to make a transatlantic trip with the Maxlimer this year, but the mission was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Then, the vessel used its multi-beam sonar to map an under-surveyed area of approximately 300 square nautical miles near the entrance to the English Channel.

"The project’s overall aim was to demonstrate the capabilities of current technologies to survey unexplored or inadequately surveyed ocean frontiers, and we have absolutely done that. It is a ground-breaking achievement to prove true over-the-horizon capability," said Sea-Kit's director of technology, Peter Walker. 

The Essex control center operated the vessel remotely, 24/7, for the duration of the test.

The offshore survey company Fugro recently put an order with Sea-Kit for two new vessels, such as Maxlimer, and participated in the trial run. In a statement, Fugro Director of Remote Inspection Ivar de Josselin de Jong confirmed that the test was a confirmation of his plan.

The trial journey was sponsored by a number of other partner organizations, including the Global Marine Group, Map the Gaps, Teledyne CARIS, Woods Hole Group and the Nippon Foundation. It also provided funding from the United Kingdom Space Agency and regulatory support from the United Kingdom Maritime and Coast Guard Department.

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