The Sound School's principal research vessel is the Island Rover, a 51-foot motor vessel modeled after traditional Chesapeake Bay deadrise fishing boats. She was designed for passenger service and adapted by The Sound School for education and research. The vessel is used for teaching students general seamanship, small boat handling and is used as a platform for research in the Long Island Sound estuary.

The Sound School's vessel operations classes use Island Rover to gain experience in the operation and maintenance of commercial vessels. Juniors and seniors learn basic seamanship skills in the classroom, on board and become proficient in boat handling and navigation.

Island Rover has a large working deck and space for a class of approximately 20-25 students. She is equipped with a 500 lb capacity davit on her starboard quarter for the deployment and recovery of instrumentation and collection gear.

Island Rover's high speed maximizes time on station. Her stability and sea-kindliness make her a good working vessel in choppy conditions and her light draft allows access to shoal areas. Island Rover is a versatile platform suitable for use with CTD's, ROV's, dredges and for limited dive support.