RFI-SOW_1.pdf

STATEMENT OF WORK

The U.S. Geological Survey has a vessel requirement to support 2 separate missions:

1) The deployment of 2 seafloor geodetic stations (6 transponders) and 1 waveglider. Sound velocity measurements will be taken at the deployment sites. The tentative deployment window of operations is July 21- 25, 2025.

2) the retrieval of 1 wave glider near the entrance of Humboldt Bay. The planned retrieval window is ~4-6 weeks after deployment of the waveglider (Aug. 18-Sep.12, 2025).

USGS Field personnel will mobilize and load scientific equipment on the vessel one day prior to- and after operations.

The vessel will transit with the equipment and personnel to the study site offshore the southern Cascadia subduction zone. The monument assemblies consist of the benchmark base (800 lbs.) and an acoustic release (100 lbs.), separated length. Once overboard, the entire assembly free-falls to the bottom and the acoustic release and float package return to the surface to be recovered and set for the next deployment.

The goal of this offshore work is to deploy 2 benchmarks and measure existing seafloor geodetic stations to understand strain accumulation and release (locking) along the shallow subduction megathrust interface in southern Cascadia. This work is being done as part of the USGS Subduction Zone Marine Geohazards Project and in collaboration with scientists at the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program, Scripps Institute of Oceanography, and University of Stuttgart, Germany.

VESSEL OPERATIONAL SPECIFICATIONS TO BE PROVIDED TO USGS

1. Name and detailed description of the vessel to be used under this contract

2. Name, proof of U.S Coast Guard license, and description of experience of the Captain

3. Contract vessel shall have marine and general public liability insurance with limits of liability for:

a. Bodily Injury of not less than $100,000 for each person and $500,000 for each occurrence

b. Property damage of not less than $100,000 for each incident and $500,000 in aggregate. Proof on insurance shall be provided after contract award.

VESSEL REQUIREMENTS

1. The vessel shall be fully licensed by the U.S. Coast Guard as required by law and shall have passed all appropriate U.S Coast Guard requirements for safety and seaworthiness.

2. The vessel shall be equipped with radar, depth sounder, EPIRB, safety equipment, medical kit, current nautical charts, and GPS navigation.

3. The vessel shall be at least 90 feet overall length with a working deck, A-frame or overboarding equipment, winch, and a cruising speed of at least 8 knots.

4. The vessel must be able to accommodate up to 8 USGS and contract personnel for 24-hour operations.

5. Three meals per day will be provided for USGS and contract personnel. The intended work will require odd working hours and, thus, flexibility in mealtimes and provision of snack food throughout the day. Breakfast and lunch may be either hot or cold meals, but dinner must be a hot meal. Meals must be well balanced, nutritious, palatable and varied. If special dietary needs (e.g., low-sodium, vegetarian, diabetic, etc.) are required, USGS will notify the contractor at least 10 days prior to scheduled departure of the nature and number of special dietary requirements.

6. The vessel captain must have at least four years of experience as vessel master in the Pacific.

7.

sufficient to load and off-load from a flatbed truck. The vessel must have a shipboard crane able to load all equipment or arrange shoreside crane services for both on- and off-load.

8. The vessel must be equipped with appropriate systems and equipment redundancy to ensure successful completion of mission and/or safe return to port in the event of equipment failure at sea.

9. The vessel must have sufficient deck space for the storage and deployment of the Seafloor monument assemblies, float package, wave glider, and gear basket. Vessel shall be equipped with handling gear, workspace and equipment with the following minimum specifications:

A-Frame: 15 ft vertical clearance, 10-ft horizontal clearance (for wave-glider deployment), 3,500 lbs. SWL, minimum reach 8ft outboard and 4ft inboard Winch and Wire: 3,500 lbs. SWL on Winch, Wire, and all overboarding equipment in the wire train, including sheaves, fairleads, and blocks.

Deck(s): At least 400 ft2 of working deck, or sufficient space for 1 and enough clear deck space for deployment operations.

Crane: 1,000 lbs. SWL to relocate science equipment stored on an upper deck, if necessary.