RVOC Meeting - Index of Meeting Materials/Presentations - October 8

2003 RVOC Meeting
October 08-10, 2003
Large Lakes Observatory, University of Minnesota
Gitchee Gumee Conference Center
U.S. EPA Mid-Continent Division
6201 Congdon Blvd.
Duluth, MN 55804

Large Lakes Observatory, University of Minnesota
Gitchee Gumee Conference Center
U.S. EPA Mid-Continent Division
6201 Congdon Blvd.
Duluth, MN 55804

Welcoming Remarks
Mike King, Captain of the R/V BLUE HERON, University of Minnesota, Large Lakes Observatory, welcomed the RVOC participants to Duluth. Mike introduced Dr. Thomas Johnson, the Director of the Large Lakes Observatory who reiterated the welcome to their facility.

Tom introduced Dr. James Riehl, the Dean of the College of Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota. Jim’s opening remarks stated that he was proud to have a UNOLS vessel that supports the EPA Lab and the Large Lakes Observatory.

RVOC Chair Remarks
Steve Rabalais (LUMCON), Chair of the Research Vessel Operators Committee welcomed everyone to the annual meeting and thanked Mike King for hosting the conference. He stated that we had a full schedule of agenda items.

Steve said the Safety Committee meeting was held the day before and that Bill Martin (UW) will serve as the RVTEC representative on the Safety Committee. The meeting was extremely productive.

Steve announced this would be his last meeting as Chairman of RVOC. Tim Askew (HBOI) will take over as Chairman, and nominations for Vice Chair/Chair-Elect will be solicited.

Steve asked everyone to pass around the sign up sheet and update their contact information if necessary.

Steve turned the floor over to the attendees to introduce themselves prior to a discussion on old business.

The meeting followed the agenda outline in Appendix I. Attendees are listed in Appendix II.

Old Business
After a brief discussion, a motion was made to accept the minutes from the 2002 RVOC Meeting. This motion was seconded and the minutes were approved.

Group Purchases were briefly discussed regarding the past year’s equipment items (EEBD’s, vans, radars) and who the purchasing institutions were.

Committee and Liaison Reports (Appendix III & VI)
Mike Prince, UNOLS Executive Secretary, discussed the interactive “Picture Talk” method of attending the meeting. Unfortunately, it could not be utilized due to security required in the EPA conference center.

Mike stated that a new Federal Oceanographic Facilities Committee (FOFC) Plan is needed for new facilities, including aircraft.

Safety Committee
Tom Althouse (SIO) reported that the Safety Committee had enough pressing issues to warrant a separate meeting. Members convened one day prior to RVOC and held a productive meeting. Bill Martin (UW) was elected as RVTEC Representative to the Safety Committee.

Discussions were held on RVSS Status, which was first adopted May 1976. The standards are advisory in nature. Some specific issues included: Should they be mandatory requirements? Is a total rewrite necessary? Should issues regarding inspected vs uninspected be addressed? The Safety Committee will rewrite chapters to require uninspected vessels to meet mandatory requirements. Some smaller vessels cannot physically meet some requirements, i.e., rescue boats. Review cycles are every 3 years, however, the Committee will try to complete them earlier. Also, some discussion regarding legal aspects of mandatory items will need to follow.

The Safety Training Manual needs to be updated to include SOLAS and other new regulations. The RVSS will also be part of ISM Safety Management Manual and needs to include the International Code for the Security of Ships and of Port Facilities (ISPS).

· Hazmat, which is not getting any better. There are no plans in place to remove hazardous material from vessels.

· Wet weight handling gear design requirements. There is no consistency on handling gear requirements, such as cable, winches, blocks, weak links, shackles, etc., that are currently not matched uniformly throughout the fleet.

· Chapter 17 – Charter of non-institutional vessels. Safety Committee recommends this section stay in.

Ship Scheduling Committee
Joe Ustach (Duke University), the outgoing Chair and Dan Schwartz (UW), outgoing Vice-Chair announced the new Co-Chairs, Rose Dufour and Liz Brenner (SIO) for the West Coast and Jon Alberts (WHOI), the new Vice-Chair for the East Coast. Dan reported that the large ships were over subscribed and some projects had been deferred. The requests for intermediates were below capacity and requests for smaller vessels were above capacity. Mike displayed a graph on fleet utilization trends showing 5161 days in 2004.

Ship Security
Dan Schwartz (UW) deferred comment on vessel security to Jim Shelly (MITAGS/PMI) and LCDR. John Herring (NOAA), both whom presented talks on day two of the meeting.

Fleet Improvement Committee (FIC)
Mike Prince reported on FIC and Fleet renewal activities (2002/2003).

Science Mission Requirements (SMR) for Ocean Class (version 1), Regional Class (version 1), and Global Class with seismic capabilities were posted for review.

FIC has recommended an update for the FOFC Fleet Renewal Plan. Implementation of fleet renewal will be the major focus of FIC. New ship design efforts should include new issues and regulations in future design efforts. David Hebert (GSU/URI), the New Chair is replacing Larry Atkinson (ODU), the outgoing chair. Also, new members Ron Benner (USC) and Newell Garfield (SFSU) were appointed.

Deep Submergence Science Committee (DESSC) (Appendix IV)
Mike Prince, UNOLS Executive Secretary, reported for Annette DeSilva, UNOLS Assistant Executive Secretary, on the Spring DESSC meeting June 11-12, 2003. The following topics were briefly discussed:

Research Vessel Technical Enhancement Committee (RVTEC) (Appendix V)
Jean Captain (Large Lakes Observatory) presented a brief overview of current RVTEC issues including real time d ata, SeaNet, ship-to-ship wireless networking, radiation vans, and SWAB procedures (RSMAS). She reported that the Dynamic Positioning System (Simrad-Robertson) on the R/V KNORR is working well. Jean said that .399 cable is currently in use on R/V BLUE HERON and could be a possible replacement for .322. Also, dissolved oxygen sensors may be affected by cold weather and that the new SeaBird sensors are superior to the old ones. Tri-axis has depth limitations. It operates well in 200 meters, but not in 400 meters. The next meeting will be held in Seattle 18-20 Nov. 2003 and will be hosted by the U.S. Coast Guard Integrated Support Center.

Level of service
Mike Prince discussed issues that the subcommittee is looking at with the goal of establishing common services from all operators. The project time line was October / November 2003 with RVTEC discussions on a technical services outline at the RVTEC meeting.

Arctic Icebreaker Coordinating Committee (AICC)
Dan Schwartz (UW) reported that he replaced Joe Coburn (WHOI) as RVOC representative to AICC. The next meeting will be one day before RVTEC in Seattle. Dan stated that it was a bi-polar year for the icebreakers with the HEALY being deployed to Antarctica. He also reported on difficult issues for polar class icebreakers including major casualties (equipment) being the norm on all missions and the cost of midlife refits for both vessels that will cost approximately $400 million per ship.

Ship Operators Cooperative Program (SOCP)
Paul Ljunggren (LDEO) and Lee Black (BBSR) reported that the SOCP is supported by MARAD and has several schools that provide Seaman with STCW & Merchant Mariner Documents in several locations in the US. They meet three times per year at various locations. Paul attended a meeting in Pittsburg, PA and reported that, while all topics of discussion did not relate to UNOLS, some did.

Van Standards and Inventory Committee (Appendix XIX)
Matt Hawkins (UDEL) reported on the status of van standards and the van inventory. The database for the inventory is being complied by Doug White at UDEL. Matt stated that he is the East Coast van pool contact and Fred Jones (OSU) is the West Coast contact.

National Science Foundation (NSF) (Appendix VII)
Linda Goad reported on NSF activities placing an emphasis on the new proposal guidelines. She stated that statistics reflect a major increase in ship days from 2001 to 2004 and stated that 2005 could be a problem, if the number of funded ship days is reduced by NSF.

Linda also announced that proposal changes in 2005 for ship operations will include external review by other agencies.

Office of Naval Research (ONR) (Appendix VIII)
John Freitag reported on current activities at ONR. He said that Admiral Cohen announced the appointment of Dr. Steven Lubard as Technical Director of ONR. John also reported that ONR ship time requests for 2003 were 783 days and for 2004, 740 days (down $1M due to budget reduction). However, ship upgrades and instruments are to be funded. John stated that NSF will fund the new regional class vessels and ONR will fund the new ocean class vessels. However, no funding is marked at this time by the Navy to accomplish this.

Other Issues
A motion study of SWATH vs. monohulls will go forward. Also, KILO MOANA will be outfitted with instrumentation to provide data on motion.

Beth White discussed her role with the Federal Oceanographic Facilities Committee (FOFC). She said FOFC looked into lease/purchase of a vessel vs. building a new one, and the development of integrated federal research vessels. Beth stated that NOAA-UNOLS charters for FY2003 were $8.4M. Beth also discussed NOAA fleet replacement and reported that numerous vessels have been converted and are either operational or due on line in the near future.

U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) (Appendix IX)
Jonathan Berkson discussed recent events with USCG, which is now under Homeland Security. He stated that the International Polar Year would be 2007-2008. Jonathan discussed domestic ice operations and reported that this year’s severe ice season put a strain on the U.S Aids to Navigation (ATON) system. He also indicated that future challenges for polar class icebreakers would be demanding in 2009/2009 when POLAR SEA and POLAR STAR begin their Service Life Extension Program (SLEP).

U.S. Department of State (Appendix X)
Liz Tirpak discussed the make up of Department of State and Marine Science Affairs including the various bureaus within the Department and Law of the Sea. Liz also reported on clearance trends for the last 5 years with an average of 130 cruises per year and 360 clearance requests submitted to foreign states. She also said that an average of 70 foreign requests are received by the U.S. Liz also provided several recommendations to improve clearance requests including 6 months lead time, the ship operators endorsement, electronic application and supporting materials, having foreign partners participate, and a threat assessment of the operations area at the State’s request. Additionally, the State Department provides travel warnings for states of concern.

NATO SACLANT Undersea Research Centre, La Spezia, Italy (Appendix XIII)
Ian Sage discussed recent changes including restructuring, the appointment of two Supreme Allied Commanders, and the moving of headquarters to Norfolk, VA (formerly at SACLANT). Ian reported a successful year of operations (with R/V ALLIANCE at 175 days and CR/V LEONARDO at 150 days) and a full year of operations planned for 2004.

National Environmental Research Council (NERC) (Appendix XIV)
Geraint West reported on recent NERC activities including RSU ship utilization. He stated that funding for science is outweighing ship availability. This year, RRS CHARLES DARWIN worked in the Indian Ocean and RRS JAMES CLARK ROSS supported science programs in Antarctica. Geraint reported on new national facilities that came on line including the ISIS ROV, and the Auto Sub AUV. He also reported that a statement of requirements for the RRS CHARLES DARWIN replacement was nearing completion. Funding of $37 million GBP is available and planned introduction into the fleet would be 2006.

Netherlands Institute Of Sea Research (NIOZ) (Appendix XI & XII)
Marieke Rietveld discussed the recent activities of the European research fleet including International Research Ship Operators Meeting (ISOM), a worldwide meeting of Research Vessel Operators with 65 members from 25 nations. This year’s meeting was in Valpariso, Chile.

The Joint Marine Facilities Group (JMFG) is made up of numerous European Research Vessels and other facilities, ROVs, submersibles, etc. from Germany, France, Spain, and the Netherlands. The main purpose is to exchange ship time and equipment based on bartering.

The Euro Research Vessel Operators International Group (ERVO) includes Iceland, Norway, Bulgaria, Poland and Romania. Their main emphasis is on regional research vessels.

Marieke reported that WGMRI, a Working Group on Marine Research Infrastructure, has a broader scope including monitoring and observing systems, new technologies, and maritime data centers.

The Ocean Fleets Working Group (OFWG) will provide a tool for politicians to decide on future investments in marine infrastructure, including fleet renewal. At least 5 new builds are planned for European countries.

KILO MOANA (Appendix XV)
Stan Winslow (UH) discussed the KILO MOANA’s first full year of operation, which included Alaska and Hawaii with 5 months of ops in Bearing Sea/Gulf of AK. Stan reported great success with bottom mapping, the ability to operate in sea state 6 (12-14’ seas), and sea keeping. She was more stable than most vessels, however not as good as advertised. Stan also reported that KILO MOANA had some problems in the first year of operations. They experience black iron pipe corrosion problems that had to be corrected. Other problems included the bridge wing controls, radars, Dynamic Positioning (DP) System, and Current, Temp. and Depth (CTD) launch and recovery.

CAPE HATTERAS Refit (Appendix XVII)
Joe Ustach (Duke University) reported on the mid-life refit. Most modification and/or renovation items have been completed. Plans are to complete the refit after the end of ops this year.

PELICAN Mid-Life
Steve Rabalais (LUMCON) discussed the refit, which required 7 months in the yard for a total cost of $2-4 Million. The new plan added 280 sq ft of open back deck; increased the deck load to 25 ton from 15 ton; added 2 more science berths for 16 total; all new interior joiner work; overhauling the main engines and generators; install new bilge ballast, fire pump, etc.; new crane; new winch; 75 kHz ADCP; with anticipated speed increase of approximately 1 knot.

ALPHA HELIX Replacement (Appendix XVIII)
Tom Smith (UA) stated that the area of operations for the ALPHA HELIX is extreme with ice most of the time and that the operations window needs to be increased. The replacement concept design for ALPHA HELIX is 226’, 26 science berths, 30” moon pool, fuel 148,000 gallons, sea water ballast 200,000 gallons, with an estimated cost $82M. The design concept was completed in 2001 and model testing began in 2002 with the anticipated replacement date of 2007.

ASTERIAS Replacement
Dutch Wegman (WHOI) reported that the new WHOI Coastal Research Vessel will be 60’x17’x5’ with a 350 nm range and 20 kts cruising speed. Endurance will be 1 day, with 2-3 days maximum. She will be equipped with a stern A-frame, Com 7X winch, and a dive platform. The vessel will be built to Subchapter T compliance.

NMFS Fisheries Vessels
Jim Meehan discussed new NSFS vessel progress. The first FSU, OSCAR DYSON, is scheduled to be fully operational by 2005. The first of four planned, she is 208’ long and is being constructed by VT Halter Marine in Moss Point, Mississippi.

SUNCOASTER Replacement
Randy Maxson (FIO) reported that a replacement for the SUNCOASTER was on hold for a lack of funding. They are hoping funds will be available in 2004/2005. Also, the concept design grew to 140’ from 120’.

CAPE HENLOPEN Replacement
Matt Hawkins (UDEL) gave a brief update on the CAPE HENLOPEN replacement (Also see status report on FIC). Construction will start in 2004 with completion scheduled for 2005.

CMMS Update
Tom Althouse (SIO) reported that the Computerized Maintenance System (Xantic-AMOS system) is being implemented on the REVELLE. He said it is time consuming to set up the database, however once fully implemented, replacement parts for the ship can be ordered while at sea.

Post Cruise Assessments and PCA results
Mike Prince (UNOLS) reported on the Quality of Service Subcommittee progress on PCAs. He stated that the Committee reviewed a subset of the new PCA to evaluate how well the form is addressing issues of quality improvement. The new form appears to be a big improvement and observations will help define the role of the UNOLS Council. The Committee will consider whether to make recommendations to the form. Also, the rate of return from Chief Scientists is still 60% and needs to be increased.

Safety Statistics
Mike Prince (UNOLS) reported on the 2003 safety statistics. There were 20 accidents YTD; 7 had lost time and there were 135 lost days.

Ship Inspection Program
Dolly Dieter (NSF) provided a program update. The new electronic form for ship data (a.k.a. Ship Condition Form) will continue to be used with each operator having a password (private). UDEL will be the first ship to implement this. Each section will be rated using a 5-point system (with 5 being low). Dolly also discussed winch training and she said that the cost of winch training will be covered bv the Manufacturers (Dynacon & Markey) and that NSF will pay travel costs. Unfortunately, scheduling is difficult due to winch operators being at sea. She said the three areas of concern are: 1) winch condition; 2) engineers need more training; and 3) more safety drills are needed (i.e., man overboard, fire, etc.)

Shipboard Scientific Support Equipment Program
Dolly Dieter (NSF) reported that the target date for proposal submission is 1 Dec. and indicated that if proposals are going to be more than one week late, the institution will need permission to extend further. The guidelines are also being revised. Proposals must address merit review criteria and how requested items will improve the ship’s capabilities. The criteria includes: 1) Intellectual (technical) merit; 2) Broader impacts (education, etc.); and 3) Justification for requested items.

Winch and Wire Update (Safe Working Loads, Wire Specs., W&W Inventory and F-O cable)
Mike Prince (UNOLS) gave a brief report on the need for an EM wire to allow heavier payloads (.322 is the current size wire and some operators have used .393 for special instruments). Mike said that there will be tradeoffs and more than one size may be required.

EWING Replacement (Appendix XVI)
Paul Ljunggren (LDEO) discussed the possible EWING replacement (versus upgrading the present vessel). Recommendations will be solicited from the science community on how the EWING might be upgraded. However, Paul stated that in order to provide 3D seismic operations for up to 12 km and maintain enough deck space for vans, etc, a replacement will be needed. Paul also stated that on a recent OBS deployment cruise, the use of linear air gun array compromised OBS deployment. Future options are: 1) maximize general-purpose capability; 2) linear air gun; 3) replacement of the vessel. The replacement concept was endorsed by FIC.

Insurance and Liability (Appendix XIII)
Dennis Nixon, Esq. held a discussion on the state of the law regarding marine mammals. He stated that the Marine Mammal Act is currently going through reauthorization. Lawsuits by environmental groups have impacted the science missions of several UNOLS vessels.

Dennis remarked that marine insurance rose by 24% in the 2002-2003 renewal season and the prediction is that there will be two more years of increases before stabilization.

Dennis also provided an International Safety Management (ISM) Code update. He stated that ISM vessel operators felt that it generates too much paperwork, however those who have passed this barrier, have fewer incidents.

Critical Significance of Human Factors in Ship Design (Appendix XXII)
Dr. Thomas Dobie, National Biodynamics Lab, College of Engineering, Univ. of New Orleans presented an enlightening discussion on the critical significance of human factors is ship design and the human factors input that is required at all levels to ensure maximum efficiency between technology and the human operator.

Low Cost Voice and Data Communications Aboard Ship (Appendix XX)
Mark Witsaman, Vice President of Technology and Development of SeaWave Digital reported that the new SeaWave Integrator 3.0 provides low cost voice and data communications and individual accounts to all users on the ship. Mark provided an overview of SeaWave and the role the company plays in providing low cost voice and data communications. He also provided a demonstration of the 3.0 Integrator and discussed the various communication systems currently available.

Security Discussion Introduction
Dan Schwartz (UW), Chair of RVOC Security Committee discussed the current state of security issues that affect the UNOLS vessels including terrorists, pirates, and anarchy at sea. He stated that the issues of concern for Research Vessel Operators are the terrorism threat, direct attack by small boat, and bombs placed on board. Also, alongside security issues are access control in or during science party embarkations, utilization of professional security, and training the crews.

Overview of National & International Security Regulations (Appendix XXI)
Mr. Jim Shelley, Director of Security Programs for MITAGS/PMI, presented an overview of the International Ship and Port Security (ISPS) Code, the Maritime Transportation Act (MTSA) of 2002, the Proposed Interim Final Ruling (33 CFR Subchapter H), and NVIC 11-02 “Security Guidelines for Facilities”. Also, large vessels subject to SOLAS as of Dec. 29, 2003 and Port facilities servicing SOLAS vessels have a deadline of 1 July 2004. Automated Identification Systems (AIS) will be required on all self-propelled commercial vessels over 65 feet and will also affect most of the research vessels in the UNOLS fleet.

Implementing the New Security Rules at NOAA
LCDR John Herring discussed the current status of NOAA's Marine and Aviation Operations Branch, which conducted an initial risk assessment and is now building a security management system. John stated that the Pinkerton Report indicated that Research Vessels are not prime targets and are therefore low risk. The report covered security issues and management systems including a fulltime person assigned to be security officer with security representatives on all ships. Security Plans were needed and recommendations implemented. Also, vulnerability assessments for each ship and background checks on all employees are needed. Additionally, education of crews and other and Port Facility access control needs to be put in place. (See Federal Register Part II, Dept of Homeland Security, UCSG 33 CFR Part 101, 102, 103, et. al, 46 CFR Part S 2, 31, 71, et. al.

Maritime Training Challenges
Mr. Gregg Trunnell, West Coast Director of MITAGS/PMI discussed new regulations and how they might affect the UNOLS fleet. He also discussed the Pacific Northwest Marine Institute’s capabilities regarding training for Ordinary Seaman to Master Mariner (200 GRT). Greg also discussed the new maritime carrier ladder.

New Designs in Over the Side Handling Equipment
John Freitag (ONR) reported on handling gear for over the side deployment of science equipment. He stated that this was a fleet-wide problem that couldn’t be solved on a piece-meal basis. John and Dolly Dieter are conducting a handling system study, jointly funded by ONR/NSF. The study will be conducted similar to van study with a one-year time limit. The end product will include several systems that need to be explored with a goal of providing guidance to ONR and NSF on a handling system for the fleet.

Round Table Discussion (Marine Superintendents Only)
Marine Superintendents or their equivalents from member and guest organizations met to discuss issues of mutual interest. A summary of topics discussed included:

· Ship Inspection Program (JMS vessel inspections) – Mandatory and required items

· ISM - its impact and extension to other vessels in the fleet including voluntary compliance.

· List of action items for funding agencies including Safety Training Manual, ISM Auditor Training and Security Training out of year-end dollars.

Election of Vice Chair
Matt Hawkins (UDEL) was elected to a three-year term as Vice Chair/Chair Elect and Tim Askew (HBOI) assumed the duties as Chair for the next three years. Steve Rabalais (LUMCON) stepped down as Chair after serving 7 years (4 as Vice Chair and 3 as Chair).

· Safety Committee - Tom Althouse (SIO), Chair; members include Fred Jones (OS), Tim Askew (HBOI), Steve Rabalais (LUMCON), Matt Hawkins (UDEL), Paul Ljunggren (LDEO), Bill Hahn (URI), and Bill Martin (UW).

· Fleet Improvement Committee – Al Suchy (WHOI) is the newly appointed representat ive.

· Scheduling Committee – Rose Dufour and Liz Brenner (SIO) are the West Coast Co-Chairs and Jon Alberts (WHOI) is the East Coast Chair.

Scheduling System Enhancement - Mike Prince (UNOLS); Rich Muller (MLML), Dan Schwartz (UW), and Stan Winslow (UH).

· Nominees to host RVOC in 2005 include the University of Washington, Duke University and University of Texas.