Appendices
Minutes of the 1998 Annual RVOC Meeting
University of Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii
Wednesday, 4 November 1998
Hawaiian Regent Hotel
The meeting was called to order by RVOC Chair, Paul Ljunggren, Marine Superintendent of Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory.
WELCOMING REMARKS
Bill Coste, Marine Superintendent, University of Hawaii welcomed the RVOC to Honolulu and introduced Barry Raleigh, Dean of the School of Ocean and Earth Sciences and Technology, University of Hawaii.
Dr. Raleigh gave a brief overview of the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology and the impact that the recent award of a NSF Research Center grant would have on the institution. This award is one of 5 given throughout the country this year and will be used to fund research on growing micro algae for commercial use. The award is given in conjunction with the University of California, Berkley.
The part played by University of Hawaii faculty in this years’ election was
discussed and the affect their involvement may have on future issues involving
the University was mentioned. Dr. Raleigh closed with a brief update of the
directed funding for the new mid Pacific SWATH.
AGENDA
The meeting followed the agenda outlined in Appendix I.
Registered attendees are listed in Appendix II.
OLD BUSINESS
Minutes of the 1997 Meeting - A motion was made, seconded and passed to accept the minutes of the 1997 meeting.
Medical Standards and Job Descriptions - Fred Jones reported on the findings of the Medical Standards Review Committee. A package including the Medical Standards NVIC was submitted to the Oregon State Legal Department and Dennis Nixon. The consensus was that it would be difficult to enforce standards beyond those required by the Coast Guard. It was pointed out that programs operating in remote or harsh environments, like the Antarctic, could adopt their own standards but it would be difficult to enforce special standards for mariners on other UNOLS vessels. All scientists working on NSF programs in the Antarctic must meet medical standards established by OPP.
A number of job descriptions are available through Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory and University of Oregon for those individuals wanting to develop documents for their institutions.
Primer for Small Research Vessels - Dave Powell, group
leader for this effort, reported that 3 sections have not been submitted. As
soon as these sections are received the primer will be complete. Dennis Nixon,
Dan Schwartz, Steve Carignan and Blake Powell volunteered to service on the
review panel for the primer.
NEW BUSINESS
STCW - An overview of the status of research vessels
in general and uninspected research vessels in particular with respect to US
Coast Guard requirements for manning and the enforcement of STCW regulations
was presented by Steve Rabalais, Appendix III. Discussion
followed concerning Coast Guard regulations and their applications to uninspected
research vessels. Further action was deferred to the Round Table Discussion.
COMMITTEE AND LIAISON REPORTS
UNOLS - Dr. Robert Knox reported that these are interesting times for UNOLS and the academic fleet. Although attempts to create a National Ocean Commission were not successful this year, it was an indication of the rising interest in the oceans and emphasized the need for the US to get involved in ocean policy in the broad sense not just ocean science and commerce.
Last week was the 50th anniversary of the NSF Ocean Science Division, the event was very well attended, and did a good job of demonstrating the accomplishments of NSF and ONR in the field of ocean sciences. The NSF budget increased this year and the account for Navy Ocean Studies has stabilized after many years of instability. All of these developments should be viewed with optimism, but the reality is still that the UNOLS fleet is underutilized. Our new partnership with NAVO has reduced the deficit in ship days, but may not in the long haul be the final solution to the problem of under utilization of the fleet.
A number of new ships are coming into the academic fleet from a number of sources. The impact of these new vessels is as yet undetermined. The challenge will be to integrate these new vessels into the fleet and keep the fleet as a whole working at its maximum capacity.
Jack Bash followed with updates on other UNOLS activities.
Safety Committee - Tom Smith reported that the Safety Video is finished and copies have been sent out. The video is intended to augment the safety training manual and should be used to alert scientists to the dangers of going to sea and encourage them to read the training manual.
The Research Vessel Safety Standards (RVSS) are out for review by the Safety Committee and will be out for review by the RVOC as a whole by the end of November. Issues like STCW have delayed the process and some of the questions surrounding manning requirements on unlicensed vessels are still unresolved. The Committee will attempt to resolve the discrepancies in the regulations next year.
Ship Scheduling Committee - Mike Prince gave an overview of the Scheduling Committee’s activity over the past year. Because so many issues that affect the scheduling process are undecided in June the Committee will adopt a new process for addressing the fleet schedule next year. A letter of intent will be submitted by all operators in April or early May and will take the place of the June scheduling meeting. This letter will identify the science projects requesting time on each vessel and will not attempt to present a full schedule with firm dates, transit times and port calls. After funding decisions are made in June it is anticipated that enough information will be available to begin formulating real schedules. A full scheduling meeting for all schedulers will be held in July. A schedule review meeting will be held in September and will involve those operators that have unresolved scheduling problems on their vessels. Joe Ustach and Mike will develop a format for the letter of intent and distribute it to the schedulers early next year.
Some major unanswered questions still surround the GLOBEC program for 1999 and this is affecting the schedule of a number of UNOLS vessels. NAVO funding questions appear to be resolved and NAVO cruises will go as planned in 1999. The future of NAVO funding for the fleet is not clear.
The Knorr will be layed up next year. A number of large ships will have substantial periods at the dock.
Littoral Warfare Advance Deployment (LWAD) cruises scheduled on UNOLS vessel will be working in conjunction with regular Navy assets in 1999. These cruises are fixed in time and UNOLS operators will have to fit these cruises into their schedules.
Research Vessel Technical Enhancement Committee (RVTEC) - Dan Schwartz attended the RVTEC meeting at SIO this year and reviewed the highlights of their meeting. This year RVTEC was combined with InMarTech. Presentations were given on the current state of the art and future technologies including the deployment of large over the side packages like 30m cores. The RVTEC’s involvement with INMARTEC will probably continue and it was recommended that RVOC attempt to coordinate more of our activities with these 2 groups. It was pointed out that the trend toward more reliance on R/V technical groups and less involvement from individual P.I. technicians will create greater demand on existing R/V tech pools and provide a larger market for these services at our institutions.
Fleet Improvement Committee (FIC) - Joe Coburn, RVOC’s representative to FIC and AICC reported on the activities of these 2 committees. FIC was rather inactive in 1998. They have been working on Science Mission Requirements for the East Coast intermediate vessel. Some consideration is being given to revamping FIC and Larry Atkinson is working on this issue. Bob Knox expanded on the history of FIC and how they should provide oversight in strategic planning for new platforms. This oversight is provided through the Fleet Improvement Plan.
Arctic Icebreaker Coordinating Committee (AICC) - The
Committee has been working with the Coast Guard in their efforts to develop
science capabilities on the Icebreaker HEALY and have been coordinating science
of opportunity cruise on vessels working in Polar Regions.
National Science Foundation (NSF) - Dolly Dieter reported that Dick West has resigned and his duties have been passed on to Dolly and Sandy Shor. The 1999 NSF budget will increase by 5%, but it is unclear how much of that increase will find its way into ship operations. All indications are that the bulk of this increase will go into science. The administration of NSF considers this increase to be a single year phenomena.
Upgrades to the proposal guidelines and the cooperative agreements are on hold until the Academic Fleet Review (AFR) is complete.
In 2001 all proposals must be submitted through Fastlane. Some attempts to submit through Fastlane this year were successful, but others experienced some difficulties.
The AFR is moving on and the next meeting is scheduled for the first week of December. The way NSF finances the fleet is receiving considerable attention in this process. The committee’s report should be out by the end of September.
Office of Oceanographer of the Navy- Dr. Patrick Dennis represented the Office of the Oceanographer of the Navy. RADM Jerry Ellis has relieved RADM Paul Tobin as the Oceanographer of the Navy. Also, it was announced that Dr. Richard Spinrad, currently working for JOI/CORE, will become the Technical Director on the Oceanographer's staff. It is expected that Dr. Spinrad will assume his new position in February 1999.
Navy's oceanographic survey ship modernization and replacement program is nearing
completion. USNS MATTHEW HENSON (T-AGS 63) was recently delivered, USNS
BRUCE C. HEEZEN (T-AGS 64) will be launched in March 1999, and the sixth and
final PATHFINDER Class ship (T-AGS 65) was included in the FY99 DOD Appropriations
Bill. The contract for construction of the PATHFINDER by Halter Marine
shipyard in Moss Point, MS will be awarded in December 1998.
Office of Naval Research (ONR) - Sujata Millick presented the report for ONR. She introduced Tim Pfeiffer as the new IPA replacing Andy Silver, who has returned to his original assignment at Carderock Naval Surface Warfare Center.
ONR's budget for UNOLS vessel operations this year is $5.4 million.
The DSV Sea Cliff has been transferred to WHOI. An engineering study is underway to examine various strategies for the best use of the vehicle.
Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO) - CDR Jim Trees represented NAVO Appendix IV. The Navy is very pleased with the processed data and the shiptime that they have received from UNOLS. The easy assignments are in the process of being completed and efforts will now shift to accomplishing some of the more difficult tasks like developing mechanisms for utilizing the UNOLS fleet in foreign state EEZ’s. In addition NAVO is working to market their relationship with UNOLS to their customers, which includes other federal agencies.
National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) - CDR Elizabeth White introduced Capt. Warren Taguchi, NOAA Pacific Marine Center and Lt. Mark Sramek, Honolulu Port Captain, and reported on NOAA activities. A number of personnel changes have taken place at NOAA and OAR. A new Deputy Undersecretary, Scott Gudes has been appointed, and the Assistant Administrator for OAR is now Dr. Dave Evans, and the Deputy Assistant Administrator for OAR is Louisa Koch . The RON BROWN has completed a full year of operation and the CHAPMAN has been decommissioned. The University of Puerto Rico is now operating the CHAPMAN.
The CHAPMAN has been replaced by the GORDON GUNTER, which is operating out of the Southeast NMFS Lab in Pascagoula Ms. The title has been transferred on the MALCOLM BALDRIDGE and the disposal proposals are being received for the DISCOVERER.
A new NOAA brochure on the Oceans was presented and a limited number of copies were made available.
The Coastal Ocean Program (COOP) is now a part of the National Ocean Service (another of NOAA's Line Offices). There were no increases in the OAR or NOS budgets for ship time in the 99 appropriation. COOP and NSF are negotiating what to do about the jointly funded cruises scheduled for next year. Cdr. White was available to provide a point of contact in COOP to discuss shiptime for GLOBEC and ECOHAB.
U.S. Coast Guard - CDR George Dupree, LCDR Steve Wheeler and Dr. Jonathan Berkson represented the Coast Gaurd. CDR Dupree reported on the status of the Polar class vessels Appendix V. The POLAR STAR and POLAR SEA are participating in Operation Deep Freeze on alternating years. POLAR SEA will be on Deep Freeze deployment beginning early November. In addition both ships had Arctic deployments last year. The POLAR SEA participated in the International Oil Spill Exercise, which involved the U.S. and Japan and was coordinated by the Russians.
The HEALY is scheduled for delivery on 30 June 1999. The first science year
will be 2001.
U.S. Coast Guard (cont’d)- Cdr. Dupree continued his presentation on the HEALY. The primary mission for the ship is to provide a high latitude research vessel for the science community. The secondary mission is to conduct other multi-mission requirements like SAR, logistical support, marine environmental protection, etc. The ship will cruise at 12.5 kts. Unlike the Polar class vessels the HEALY does not have turbines or CP propellers, but it does have a bow thruster. The HEALY will carry a crew of 67 and an 8 person aviation detachment. The scientific complement is 35 with a 15-person surge capacity.
The vessel endurance is 180 days and it can operate in -50º F weather. The ship will have a fully functional ECDIS system and they are working with National Inventory Mapping Agency to develop maps for the Polar region.
The ship will have 20m coring capabilities from the stern and quarter and they are working on a design to conduct 30m coring activities. The ship will have a 20’ boom for collecting air quality samples out side of the bow wake. Civilian employees will manage all major systems on the vessel.
U.S. State Department - Tom Cocke reported on activities within
the State Department. Thanks were extended to UNOLS, The Ocean Studies Board
and CORE for giving the support needed to acquire funds from NOAA, NSF, and
ONR to hire a full time assistant. Mr. Cocke introduced Liz Maruschak who will
be working on clearances along with Tom. Ms. Maruschak briefly reviewed her
plans for the office and their computer system.
SACLANT Undersea Research Center - Chris Gobey reported on the activities of SACLANT and their research vessels, the ALLIANCE, and a 60' Army T-boat. The ALLIANCE carries a German, British, and Italian crew and the smaller vessel has an all Italian crew. Last year the ALLIANCE logged 170 days at sea on NATO cruises and an additional 70 days on private charter. They are looking for funding to replace the smaller vessel.
The ALLIANCE is ISM certified and has under gone the 1st annual audit.
Chris relayed an incident in which a major whale stranding was blamed on seismic activities conducted on board the ALLIANCE. The cause of the stranding was never confirmed, but as a result of this incident, in the future, a full environmental scope study must be performed before every acoustic, or any other survey.
Canadian Coast Guard - Terry Tebb represented the Canadian Coast Guard. Since the 1995 merging of the Canadian Coast Guard and the Fisheries fleet there has been a 25% reduction in support for this agency. They provide vessel support to the national research institutions and to Canadian universities through a grant system. They are in the process of obtaining ISM certification and they anticipate that it will be difficult to maintain, but feel that it will be worth the effort. All crew on Canadian Coast Guard vessels are licensed and meet STCW requirements.
They will be adding a science vessel on the east coast, a new buoy tender on the west coast, and doing a major science up grade on another vessel. They have a total of 112 ships operating nationally, 22 of them are on the West Coast.
Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) - Dr. Marieke Rietveld spoke about their experiences with the charter of their vessels to commercial firms. The pitfalls associated with conducting commercial charter were highlighted and examples of how to deal with each scenario were provided through NIOZ’s experience with the charter of their vessel to a consortium of 17 oil companies Appendix VI. Some suggestions for preparing a contract were given; set up a penalty clause for late payment, avoid subcontracting, stick to a standard C/P (common provide), evaluate the use of a simple Data Exchange Contract, always consult with your insurance carrier, and never sign a contract that contains requirements that you cannot provide.
BPP Technology - Kemal Sinatra updated the group on the activities of the BPP. The former head of the BPP is now the president of the Republic of Indonesia. This should result in added support for ocean research. From 1990-98 the agencies 4 vessels participated in 80 missions in conjunction with institutions from France, Norway, U.S., Australia, and numerous commercial entities.
The agencies 4 vessels are all similar. They are 60m x 12m and are equipped
to conduct a variety of surveys, including hydrographic (multibeam) and fisheries
surveys.
Research Vessel Updates:
University of Hawaii - Robert Hinton provided a status report on the SWATH AGOR 26 Appendix VII. Halter Marine began as the odds on favorite to build the replacement for the MOANA WAVE but Lockheed Martin in association with Ingall’s Shipyard got the contract. Acquisition reform was largely responsible for the contract going to Lockheed Martin. The initial design contract was for $1M. and they were to meet the requirements established by UNOLS for this class vessel. Their analysis of the mission requirements lead them to the AGOR 23 class, but these were difficult to meet in a SWATH vessel. The cost of this vessel would be twice as much as the $36M available to build the ship. Ingall’s then agreed to continue working on the detailed design of the vessel but will accommodate a search for a more economical way to get the vessel built.
A bid package is now being prepared to submit to other yards for their evaluation. This has delayed the project by 3 months. The bid packages should have gone out in the middle of November and responses are requested before the middle of December. Of $45M allocated for the vessel there is only $25M available for the actual construction of the ship.
The ship is a 2,500T vessel with a 100T science payload with a 10,000 nautical mile range. The vessel will be built to commercial standards instead of Navy standards. All packages will be worked over the stern or over the bow. Crew size is between 16 and 18 and the ship will carry 30 scientists.
Great Lakes Science Center - Bob Nester provided an over view of their fleet of vessels and their attempts to purchase a new boat. Jamestown Marine surveyed 4 of their vessels. After the survey, modifications were made to 3 of the vessels and a fourth was determined unfit for duty. The Center’s newest boat was built in 1976. A design was presented for a 107’ vessel with a 26’ beam Appendix VIII. The vessel will be used primarily for fisheries cruises and has a construction cost of $3.2 million. There are accommodations for 3 crew and 7 scientists. The maximum duration is 17 days on a day boat basis; returning to the dock every evening. The vessel is scheduled to be completed in July/August 1999.
Final design drawings for the renovation of the Center’s 100’ Sturgeon are complete Appendix IX. The refit will begin late in 1999 and are scheduled to be complete by June 2000.
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) – Jose Espino, Marine Superintendent, represented STRI. Jose gave a brief account of the Smithsonian Institute and the part that STRI plays in that organization. The main objective of STRI is research in the tropics and the headquarters for the Institute are located in Panama City, Republic of Panama. They operate a number of research field stations on both sides of the Isthmus.
The Institute’s vessel Urraca was obtained in 1994. It is a FRP hull, 96' in length. She is a single crew vessel with a variable pitch propeller. A large part of the vessel's work is in support of diving activities. They carry 2 dive compressors.
Skidaway Institute of Oceanography - Steve Carignan provided a review of their progress on replacing the Bluefin. ABS comments on their new vessel the Savannah were received in December. A total of 28 shipyards were identified as prospective bidders and 7 bid packages were sent out. Washburn and Doughty in Booth Bay, ME was the only yard to submit a bid. Their bid was $2.4 million, which was more than the amount appropriated for the construction of the vessel. Skidaway has negotiated the construction cost down to $2 million but a contract has not been signed.
The vessel is 91' long and will have an endurance of 12 days.
University of Miami - David Powell represented the Marine Operations Department at the University of Miami. Their plans for the construction of a 96’ aluminum catamaran are progressing. A design contract is in place and model tests have been completed. Bid packages were sent out to 14 yards in early October. About $3.5 million are available for the design and construction of the ship.
She will have dynamic positioning capabilities, a moon pool, and "A" frame on the main deck. There will be berthing for a maximum of 20 people and it will draw 5' of water. The vessel is expect to admeasure at under 100 tons. Cruising speed is planned for 12 knots. Certification will be USCG Subchapter T ; ABS International loadline.
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute - Steve Etchemendy provided new information on the repairs to the Western Flyer. The vessel operated successfully for 7 months before cracks in the struts were discovered. Glosten Associates did a Global Finite Analysis to determine the stress points on the hull.
Bids packages for repairs to the vessel were sent to 5 yards. Bay Ship and Yacht on Alameda Island in San Francisco Bay, CA was the successful bidder. They have in house aluminum welding capabilities and significant expertise in this field. This was an important factor in choosing a yard.
The price tag for the repairs is about $4 million. Repairs include removing most of the machinery from the vessel and adding new frames in between every existing frame. Repairs were complicated by the sophisticated nature of the original construction of the ship. Fiber optic cables were built into the original design of the vessel and are used to provide complete control of the engine room from the wheelhouse. In the aft portion of the ship the diameter of the lower hull was changed from 9' to 11' in order to carry the extra weight from the addition of extra frames and new strength members.
A videotape of the Western Flyer being removed from the water was shown at the break.
Insurance and Liability - Dennis Nixon, Risk Manager for the UNOLS fleet, reviewed maritime case history, insurance in the UNOLS fleet over the last year, and discussed issues regarding charters Appendix X.
The price of insurance is lower now then it has been in some time. The downward spiral in costs is still in place and may continue for some time. In 1991 insurance costs for the fleet were $1.5 million compared to $1.0 million in 1998. Total savings over the eight-year period beginning 1991 are $1.19 million.
The cost of insurance per person on each of the UNOLS vessels was presented.
Accidents caused by equipment failures resulting from non-Y2K compliance will not be covered by insurers.
A discussion of charters, leases and waivers followed. Indemnification agreements are usually not valid except under Admiralty Law. But both Texas and Louisiana have passed anti-indemnity laws. So in these 2 states indemnification agreements can not be used to hold the owner harmless from negligence on the part of the operator. In most other states indemnification agreements, which hold the owner harmless in accidents caused by negligence of the charterer or their employees, can be signed between the owner of a vessel and the charter of the vessel.
One issue that remains a problem is how to obtain hull insurance on government owned vessels when they are chartered to non-government entities. In most cases, underwriters will charge for an entire years hull insurance for the charter period even if this period is less then 12 months. Establishing a fair market value for R/V’s is very difficult. This makes it hard to establish a fair rate for coverage.
A number of significant cases from 1998 were discussed.
Evening Reception at Waikiki Aquarium
Thursday, 5 November 1998
Hawaiian Regent Hotel
NSF Ship Inspection Program - T. Blake Powell of Jamestown
Marine (JMS) gave an update of the UNOLS Ship Inspection Program Appendix
XI. JMS is the service provider for the Ship Inspection Program
and their philosophy is to facilitate information exchange among the operators.
The company has experience in naval architecture, diving support services, technical
reports, manuals, and videos.
JMS has inspected 17 vessels in the UNOLS fleet since September 1997. Vessels have been inspected from all 3 classes. The RVSS are used as the standards for the inspections along with CFR’s, MARPOL, etc. Blake reviewed the most common discrepancies discovered during their inspections.
The goal for the inspection program for out years is to bring all UNOLS vessels into the current inspection cycle, share lessons learned in the inspection program with all vessels in the fleet, and to work to raise standards where needed.
Maritime Advisory Services (MAS) - Dr. Dale Hutchinson represented MAS. MAS was founded in response to a U.S. Coast Guard study which found that adequate medical services were not available for mariners, when at sea. An overview of their facilities was given. For redundancy they operate out of 2 different phone company central offices located in 2 separate area codes. The MAS office has multiple phone lines, full backup emergency power and all accepted means for ship to shore communication. There are 2 separate response centers.
MAS offers evacuation services, full medical documentation, medical supply services, response training, along with other services.
A call was made for operators to send medical history forms to MAS.
Discussion followed on defibrillators. Automated external defibrillators (AED) were recommended over standard type defibrillators. Operators require about 2-4 hrs. of additional training after completion of basic CPR in order to use the units. They cost about $3,500. There are 2 different kinds of AED’s, one is an automatic unit and one is an automated unit. The automated units were recommended. Most maritime companies are not carrying AED’s now. Bi-phasic units were recommended.
MAS uses the Seafarers Health Improvement Programs (SHIPS) list as the basis for their pharmaceutical list.
STCW Awareness Training - Captain Kim Parker of ABS Marine Services provided a discussion of the new STCW regulations and what was required to comply with this new law. A detailed explanation of each section in the STCW Convention followed Appendix XII. The original 1978 Convention has not been adhered to because the provisions were open to different interpretations, they made no provisions for implementation or enforcement, and lacked the ability to integrate developing technologies. The new regulations have explicit requirements for all facets of marine operations from seafarers to control states and training institutions.
Chapters of most importance to UNOLS operators are Chapters II-IV, VI, and
VIII. These sections establish the minimum standards for masters, and deck and
engineering personnel onboard vessels in different size categories (i.e. <500
grt, >750 kW, etc.). They also set safety, emergency, medical and survival
training standards and address requirements for watch keepers. All
transitional measures for STCW end on 1 Feb. 2002.
Lunch
International Safety Management (ISM) Code - Captain Kim Parker of ABS Marine Services provided details on the new code and the responsibilities of all entities involved Appendix XIII. The objectives of ISM are to ensure safety at sea, prevent human injury or loss of life, and to avoid damage to the environment. The Safety Management System (SMS) is the backbone of ISM. It establishes procedures for safe ship operations, environmental protection practices, accident and nonconformity reporting, emergency preparation and response, and internal audits and management review. The SMS must establish commitment to take appropriate action, define purpose and establish a plan, ensure capability to perform in support of objectives, and continually evaluate learn and improve.
The final step in implementation of ISM is certification. The certification process takes about 12-18 months. An external audit is necessary to determine that the SMS is in compliance with the ISM Code, and that it is being effectively implemented and is in use by the company’s personnel, ashore and afloat. Before an audit is undertaken the company must show records from the company’s annual internal audit. The auditors will look for objective evidence to demonstrate that the company’s SMS has been functionally effective ashore for at least three months, and an SMS has been in operation onboard one ship in the fleet for the same amount of time.
ISM Certification is related only to management systems, it is not a hardware
certification document. It focuses on the relationship between shoreside and
shipboard personnel.
Evening Buffet Dinner at Hawaii Maritime Museum,
Pier 7 Honolulu Harbor and visit to Research Vessels
Visit to University of Hawaii Marine Center
Friday, 6 November 1998
Hawaiian Regent Hotel
SPECIAL REPORTS-Continued
Layup Costs for Class I vessels - Tom Althouse provided an estimate for the layup costs for a Class I vessel Appendix XIII. The Roger Revelle was used as the typical Class I vessel for the purpose of estimating these costs. A 1 year (12 month) layup would cost approximatly $926,096. A total of 9 full and part time employees (8 FTE’s) would be required to maintain the vessel during the layup period for a total costs of $362,442.
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute’s SWATH - Joe Coburn provided an up date on their plans for the construction of a 100'-105' coastal research SWATH. Model tests conducted in Norway indicated that the new design will be significantly more sea kindly than much larger mono-hulls. It is expected to admeasure well under 300 domestic tons and may go under 200 gt.
Construction costs for the vessel is estimated at $7 million. Approximately $450 K has been spent on model test and design. The boat will carry a crew of 5 including the cook and will accommodate 12 scientists. The day rate will be $4-5 K/day.
Operating draft will be 13' and transit draft will be 9'6". Deck load is expected to be about 20 tons and the vessel will carry a limited winch suite.
Sea Education Association - Phil Sacks discussed their
plans to replace the Westward. The new vessel will be a sail ship with a 280
ton displacement. Total construction cost is estimated at $5-6 million. Funding
will be through private sources. The vessel will be ABS class and USCG Inspected.
ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION
Marine Superintendent or their equivalents from member and guest organizations met to discuss issues of mutual interest. A summary of the topics discussed included:
BUSINESS MEETING
Assignment to committees, panels and work groups:
There were no new action items
Agenda items were discussed for meetings in 1999 and 2000. Potential agenda items were:
Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute will host the 1999 meeting and the University
of Alaska will host the meeting in 2000. The dates for the meetings are
to be determined.
Adjournment
The RVOC wishes to express its thanks to, Bill Coste and Barry Raleigh of University of Hawaii and the U of H Marine Operations staff for hosting this years meeting.