USNS Gyre

Last updated

History
Flag of the United States.svgUnited States
NameGyre
BuilderHalter Marine, Inc. New Orleans, Louisiana
Laid down9 October 1972
Launched23 May 1973
Acquiredby the U.S. Navy, 14 November 1973
In serviceas RV Gyre (T-AGOR-21), date not known
Out of service17 August 1992
Stricken17 August 1992 (ownership to Texas A&M)
Identification
StatusActive research vessel with TDI-Brooks Intl since 2005
NotesTransferred from Navy to Texas A&M, owned and operated by university until December 2005. Returned to the U.S. Maritime Administration and sold to TDI-Brooks Intl 2005.
General characteristics
Class and type Gyre-class oceanographic research ship
Tonnage292  GRT
Displacement946 tons
Length182 ft (55.5 m)
Beam36 ft (11.0 m)
Draft12.5 ft (3.8 m)
Propulsiontwo Caterpillar Inc. 398D diesel engines, reduction gear drive to two Liaaen variable-pitch propellers
Speed
  • 9.5 kn (17.6 km/h; 10.9 mph) cruising
  • 11.8 kn (21.9 km/h; 13.6 mph) maximum
Range8,000 nmi (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) at cruising speed
Endurance60 days
Complement10 civilian mariners, 23 scientific party

Gyre (T-AGOR-21), best known as RV Gyre, was the lead ship of her class of oceanographic research ships acquired by the U.S. Navy in 1973 for assignment to the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) fleet of Navy owned ships. Gyre was operated by the Texas A&M University School of Oceanography as part of the Navy owned UNOLS fleet until stricken 17 August 1992 and transferred to the university under a program transferring ships to states, schools and other public institutions. The university operated the ship until sale in December 2005.

Contents

Gyre was purchased by TDI-Brooks International, Inc., flagged in Vanuatu, Port Vila and operated as a for hire research and survey vessel with particular suitability for undersea oil and gas related work.

Construction & characteristics

Gyre was built in New Orleans, LA, by Halter Marine, Inc. and was laid down on 9 October 1972 and launched on 23 May 1973. She was delivered to the Navy 14 November 1973 and placed in service as RV Gyre (T-AGOR-21). [1] The ship was the lead of the AGOR-21 class research vessels. [2] The class was to be specifically designed to reduce cost of both acquisition and life cycle costs by adopting commercial standards and practices in design. [3]

The ship was 182 ft (55.5 m) length overall, 36 ft (11.0 m) beam, 12.5 ft (3.8 m) draft, 292  gross register tons  (GRT) with a displacement tonnage of 946. The two shafts were driven by geared diesel engines for a cruising speed of 9.5  kn (17.6 km/h; 10.9 mph), maximum speed of 11.8 kn (21.9 km/h; 13.6 mph). Gyre had a hydraulic electric bow thruster. With a capacity of 89,000 US gallons (340,000 L) of diesel oil the ship had a range of 8,000  nmi (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) at cruising speed and endurance of sixty days limited by food. The ship was operated with five officers and five crew with a scientific complement of twenty-three. [2]

Gyre had wet and dry laboratories with a capability to carry an 8 by 8 by 20 ft (2.4 by 2.4 by 6.1 m) instrument van on deck. For equipment handling and operation there were two "A" frames of 30,000 pounds (14,000 kg) capacity, two cranes with 7,000 pounds (3,200 kg) capacity and three oceanographic/hydrographic/trawl winches. Raytheon shallow and deep water sounding systems were installed and the ship had a capability for seismic profiling. [2]

University assignment

Gyre was leased to the Texas A&M University School of Oceanography as part of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) fleet of Navy owned ships, based in Galveston operating with call sign KJCL. [2] [4] The ship had undergone modifications in 1980 and 1984 and then struck from Navy list in August 1992. The university acquired the vessel by transfer from the Navy and continued to operate Gyre as part of the UNOLS fleet with National Science Foundation (NSF) support for research. [5] [1] The vessel was sold in December 2005. [6]

Operations

The university operated Gyre until 31 August 2005. At that time maintenance of an older ship and federal research budget cuts for research made operation uneconomical. The university was left without a ship capable of carrying twenty-three researchers and sustained voyages in the Western Gulf of Mexico. In 2005 Gyre only made nine cruises with 76 total days at sea compared to fifteen and 194 days at sea in 2000. [7] The 2000 operations involved ten days in support of NSF requirements with the rest supporting state, Navy, Minerals Management Service (MMS), and other authorized federal and private projects. [5] The MMS used Gyre as the research platform for The Deep Gulf of Mexico Benthos (DGoMB) project studying impact of oil and gas operations on the sea floor biota. [8]

Commercial operation

Gyre is currently operated by TDI-Brooks International, Inc., College Station, Texas, flagged in Vanuatu, Port Vila advertised for work out of Mexico, Northern South America and West Africa. [9] [10] Gyre is identified with IMO number 7318999, MMSI number 577275000, and call sign YJYX5 and noted as particularly well suited for oil and gas exploration and off shore production support. The ship now has four laboratory or work spaces and quarters for nine crew and twenty six technical staff. [9]

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References

  1. 1 2 "GYRE (AGOR 21)". U.S. Navy, NAVSEA Shipbuilding Support Office, Naval Vessel Register. 18 February 1999. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 4 National Oceanographic Fleet Platform Characteristics (PDF) (Report). Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO). January 1992. pp. 119=122. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  3. ↑ Van Haaren, Cary G. (March 1978). "The AGOR-21 Class Oceanographic Research Ships: An Acquisition Analysis" (PDF). Naval Postgraduate School. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  4. ↑ "Historical List of all UNOLS Vessels". University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  5. 1 2 "Award Abstract #0070212 Ship Operations". National Science Foundation. 5 August 2003. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  6. ↑ "The history of the Department of Oceanography at Texas A&M University". Texas A&M University. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  7. ↑ Cappiello, Dina (12 June 2005). "A&M to retire research ship; some of crew will follow suit". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  8. ↑ Rowe, Gilbert T.; Kennicutt, Mahlon C. II (July 2009). Northern Gulf of Mexico Continental Slope Habitats and Benthic Ecology Study (PDF) (Report). Minerals Management Service. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  9. 1 2 "R/V GYRE" (PDF). TDI-Brooks International, Inc. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  10. ↑ "R/V Gyre (AGOR-21)". NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive. 4 January 2019. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
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