Auxiliary Power For New Sailing Classroom

Diesel Progress North American Edition, Nov, 2001 by Mark Clevenger

A single Caterpillar 3408 diesel engine augments the 8554 sq.ft. of sails for one of the most sophisticated research brigantines sailing the Pacific. This appellation is claimed by officials of the Sea Education Association (SEA) that acquired the 119 ft. SSV Robert C. Seamans in June. Commissioning ceremonies took place at the builder's yards, J. M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp., in Tacoma, Wash. Martinac is headed by Joe Martinac, Jr., who represents a third generation in the 75-year-old concern.

SEA, which is headquartered in Woods Hole, Mass., and which for years has taken students and scientists on sailing excursions in the Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico, will initially operate the craft in the Pacific, according to Rafe Parker, SEA president.

Undergraduate students, recruited from a number of universities and colleges, spend six weeks in Woods Hole, among other tasks designing research projects. Then they put in six weeks at sea with instructors and scientists helping them carry Out the projects. The Seamans will accommodate 30 students, six crew

members and four scientist/instructors.

A Caterpillar 3408 diesel engine rated 455 hp drives a 54 in. diameter, four-bladed Hundested adjustable pitch propeller using Hundested shafting and a Twin Disc M6514 reverse gear with a 4.174 ratio. Morse provided propulsion controls and the controllable pitch propeller is electrically controlled from the wheelhouse. However, the pitch will be set and operate as a fixed-pitch screw under cruising conditions, Chief Engineer L. E. "Bud" Bronson pointed out.

Propulsion and other equipment aboard resulted from several years of research and engineering studies by SEA operations people and consulting engineers, according to Phil Sacks, SEA project manager. SEA is the only organization in the U.S. to offer deep--sea research and training experiences under sail to undergraduate students, Sacks said. The Seamans will replace the older of two sailing vessels in service with SEA.

Sacks said that SEA selected a Pacific Northwest builder because "we wanted to tap into academic interests in the area." The Seamans will operate initially for two years in the Pacific, although students will continue to attend shore classes in Woods Hole.

SEA has undertaken a fund drive in the Northwest, as well,to raise $6 milion for the vessel and $6 million to underwrite operations.

Sacks told a meeting of Pacific Northwest naval architects that sailing ships are quite useful for oceanographic research because of an easier motion in a seaway.

"The hull form eliminates pitching," he said. "We should be able to work in up to a Force 10 gale." He said that the Seamans was the first construction project for SEA in several decades. The organization undertook a broad search for a naval architect, utilizing consulting engineers and designers. SEA staff elected to keep the vessel's compliment to around 40 people.

"We needed to hold to a displacement that would allow the vessel to operate from smaller ports," Sacks said. SEA issued an RFP for preliminary design in 1997. The final designer selected was Laurent Giles Ltd., Lymington, England. Giles tested the proposed hull in model tests in the Netherlands. The vessel is designed to U.S. Coast Guard and ABS classifications.

In size, the Seamans is 119 ft. overall, although a bow sprit extends the length to 135 ft. Beam is 25 ft. 6 in. and draft 12 ft. 6 in. It will carry 6340 gal. of fuel. The hull is ballasted with 60 tons of lead.

The vessel is a three decker with an orlop lower deck for machinery. This level hosts workshops, a control room console, generators, fuel tanks, waste tanks, treatment plant, fresh water tanks, and a central heating plant. A boiler operates off waste heat from the generators. Exhaust from generators and main engine is directed through the main mast.

Electrical switchboards were provided by Con-Select and electronic equipment from Euruno includes FAX-207 Weather Fax, Danavtex, FR-8111 D4 radars with ARPA, GP-31 and GP-80 GPS, GP-582L depth sounder, FS-5000 SSB, FS-1562/15 SSB, and FM-8500 VHF. Litton provided an EM-200 Doppler speed log and SR-180 MK.2 gyrocompass. Other electronics include a Young Marine Wind Tracker and an MRU roll and pitch sensor.

Cascade Machinery of Seattle provided bilge, fire, and emergency pumps.