Earlier this week band members from Sound Garden joined King County Executive Dow Constantine at the King County Environmental Lab to christen the new scientific research vessel, Sound Guardian, a name inspired by the icon Seattle band.

Soundgarden members Kim Thayil and Matt Cameron attended the christening ceremony and both offered praise for the new vessel.

“We are honored that this witty name is used for the boat, and I do appreciate the reference to the physical and cultural geography in the name. We are very honored to be associated with this and the mission,” said Thayil.

“Well we are obviously the least qualified people here today to be speaking at the podium, but we are very honored for the privilege of being here today,” said Cameron.

The name is the result of King County’s “Name the Vessel” contest held last January.

“There were so many great names suggested, but we think the public really came through with SoundGuardian,” said Christie True, Director of King County’s Department of Natural Resources and Parks. “Not only does it aptly describe the vessel’s mission to protect water quality in Puget Sound, which is where all our water eventually flows, it’s a nod to our region’s beloved grunge music heritage. We are thrilled with the new boat and its new name.”

Bruce Kessler, of south King County, chose the winning name, and Kessler received a commemorative plaque during the christening ceremony.

Kvichak Marine built SoundGuardian across the canal from the lab. The brand new twin-hull environmental research catamaran will replace the 40-year-old, Liberty. It will also be much more efficient, cleaner and safer while operating in rough waters. SoundGuardian will be the vessel King County uses to monitor water quality and to build on more than 45 years of data. The vessel is equipped with new technology that scientist will use to taken better readings of water quality by gathering sediment, biological and water samples. It is also more maneuverable and will enable faster response times to environmental emergencies.

SoundGuardian alongside Liberty at the King County Environmental Lab.

Executive Constantine said that the new vessel will help carry out the County’s mission of ensuring clean water for wildlife and it’s populous.

Over 15,000 hours were spent designing and constructing SoundGuardian. The ship is 45 feet long, weighs 42,000 pounds and cost $1.98 million to construct. It will hit speeds up to 30 knots, which is twice as fast as the Liberty. The catamaran design lifts the watercraft out of the water, facilitating less drag, making it more fuel efficient as well as maneuverable. In fact, SoundGuardian is the most advanced and capability research vessel of its size on the western sea border, said Kate Leone, Manager of the King County Environmental Lab.

“By making our work more efficient it enables us to do more with existing resources. … We are truly excited to have this fantastic new vessel as part of the lab.”

“They (Kvichak) delivered a ship that will provide our staff with the equipment they need to perform work that is critical to our quality of life,” said Executive Constantine.