Vessel that aided in discovery of famous WWII shipwrecks finds new life in US Navy

The research vessel of the late Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, has found new life.

The R/V Petrel, the maritime brainchild of Vulcan Inc.’s director of undersea operations and Naval History and Heritage Command, aided in the discovery of famous World War II ships such as the USS Indianapolis (CA-35), USS Juneau (CL-52), Japanese carrier IJN Kaga, carriers USS Lexington (CV-2), USS Wasp (CV-7) and USS Hornet (CV-8).

Now, the vessel is operating under a new name on behalf of the U.S. Navy.

Following Allen’s death, the Navy purchased the vessel in 2022 for $12.5 million, and in 2025 rechristened the Sarah Lynn, the U.S. Naval Institute was first to report.

While the mission of the Sarah Lynn remains unclear, the R/V Petrel was outfitted with of state-of-the-art sensors and remotely operated vehicles to aid in its underwater archeology mission, making it “an ideal platform to survey underwater infrastructure like communication lines and oil and gas pipelines,” according to USNI.