Attachment A.1 - Questions and Answers.pdf

Solicitation No. 19GE5025Q0098 - Questions and Answers

Question 1:

Query on the SOW Item 3.2.1 Hull Material- Marine Grade Aluminum. Can you advise if

Composite Hull (FRP) will be considered?

Answer 1:

No, FRP will not be considered.

Question 2:

It is noted that the requirements state all 6 boats to be delivered by NLT than February

2026. Just to clarify does this mean under contract by February 2026 or actual delivery in country by this date. It is our experience that meeting a delivery in country of 6 boats by the

February 2026 date would be very difficult for any industry supplier, especially considering the transit time once shipped is typically at least 30 days and could be longer depending on customs clearances.

Answer 2:

Delivery shall be free on board (fob) destination, not earlier than August 31, 2026, but not later than February 1, 2027. The changed delivery dates are reflected in solicitation amendment 0001.

Question 3:

Would the government consider milestone or progress payments over the course of this build? Net 30 payment terms can put a significant financial burden on a small business such as ours.

Answer 3:

The Government will consider progress payment as per the Addendum to FAR 52.212-4 and the clause at FAR 52.232-29, which are being incorporated into the solicitation via

Amendment 0001.

Question 4:

Is there a preferred brand of Navigation / Communication equipment, e.g., Raymarine, Garmin, Simrad or Lowrance?

Answer 4:

This is a brand name or equal acquisition and there is no preference. While the end user is familiar with Raymarine and Furuno for navigation and Motorola for communications, brand name or equal will satisfy the requirement and is acceptable.

Question 5:

Is there a preferred FLIR Camera: We use the M232 mostly on Police Patrol Vessels in the US.

Answer 5:

The FLIR camera should have 640 x 480 thermal video, long range HD color pan and tilt camera with active gyro-stabilization and radar and video tracking for surveillance operations. It should be optimized for long-range detection with 4x optical and thermal zoom. Thermal focal length 26mm to 105mm with video refresh rate <9Hz or 30 Hz

(NTSC/PAL). Visible camera line of resolution up to 1920 x 1080 @ 30 fps, ½.8” exmor R

CMOS visible detector, minimum illumination 0.1 lux, field of view optical 63.7 degrees x

35.8 degrees WFOV to 2.3 degrees x 1.29 degrees NFOV, zoom 30x optical zoom, and

129mm to 4.3mm visible focal length. Operating temperature range -13F to 131F (-25C to

55C), storage temperature -56F to 176F (-50C to 80C), and shock of 15 g vertical and 9 g horizontal, vibration IEC 60945; MIL-STD-810E, and wind 100 knots. Weight less than 29 lbs. Must be able to detect a 30-foot vessel at 3.7nm (6,850 meters) and detect a human sized target at 1.0 nm (1800 meters).

Question 6:

For the dewatering pump, is a small pump to remove the last bit of bilge water or [is it] used for encountered vessels to remove water for salvage?

Answer 6:

It is a small hand-pump to remove bilge water.

Question 7:

Cabin Seating: Does the agency want 6 Shock seats inside cabin or 2 Shock Seats with bench style seating or 4 Shock Seats inside and two outside?

Answer 7:

We require six shock-absorbing seats inside the cabin. We will consider a configuration of four shock-absorbing seats and two shock-absorbing saddle seats or six shock-absorbing seats.

Question 8:

For the Small Boat and Spare Parts Project Notice ID 19GE5025Q0098 solicitation, which currently call for Yamaha or equivalent 250–300 hp gasoline engines, would it be possible for boatbuilders to propose our 300 hp diesel outboard engine as an alternative?

Answer 8:

This is a brand name or equal acquisition. The brand name or equal specification is tied to the brand of the outboard engine only; it does not apply to fuel.

We are unable to make or accept changes to the specified fuel type.

Question 9:

Will you accept two different boat proposals from the same vendor?

Answer 9:

Yes. Please see FAR 52.212-1(e). Each quotation shall be complete and separate from any others that you submit in response to this solicitation.

Question 10:

Will you accept a vessel with a 10ft beam, with the boat meeting all other parameters?

Answer 10

A 10-foot beam is acceptable.

Question 11:

The items below from the list provide call out Brand Specific engines/parts from BRP Evinrude

– BRP / Evinrude no longer manufactures outboard engines meaning we would not be able to procure complete new engines – Are these for an existing fleet or can we replace these with the

Yamahas OBM and Parts to support the inbound craft?

0043 3 EA E TEC 300, 25" Std Ro, ICON Electronic Controls

0044 3 EA E TEC 300, 30" Std ,ICON Electronic Controls

0045 3 EA E TEC 300, 25" Ctr Ro, ICON electronic Controls

0061 12 EA Prop, Rebel, 3 blade, 15 1/4 x 19 P RH SS

0062 6 EA Prop, Rebel, 3 blade, 15 1/4 x 19 P LH SS

0063 18 EA Prop nut kit (BRP)

Answer 11:

This is a brand name or equal acquisition. This is not for an existing fleet. All spare parts should be for the brand name or equal outboard engines in this acquisition.

Question 12:

Are there any minimum FLIR specifications or requirements listed in paragraph 3.2.2?

Answer 12

The FLIR camera should have 640 x 480 thermal video, long range HD color pan and tilt camera with active gyro-stabilization and radar and video tracking for surveillance operations. It should be optimized for long-range detection with 4x optical and thermal zoom. Thermal focal length 26mm to 105mm with video refresh rate <9Hz or 30 Hz

(NTSC/PAL). Visible camera line of resolution up to 1920 x 1080 @ 30 fps, ½.8” exmor R

CMOS visible detector, minimum illumination 0.1 lux, field of view optical 63.7 degrees x

35.8 degrees WFOV to 2.3 degrees x 1.29 degrees NFOV, zoom 30x optical zoom, and

129mm to 4.3mm visible focal length. Operating temperature range -13F to 131F (-25C to

55C), storage temperature -56F to 176F (-50C to 80C), and shock of 15 g vertical and 9 g horizontal, vibration IEC 60945; MIL-STD-810E, and wind 100 knots. Weight less than 29 lbs. Must be able to detect a 30-foot vessel at 3.7nm (6,850 meters) and detect a human sized target at 1.0 nm (1800 meters).

Question 13:

Can you provide clarification of the 3-year cabin paint system requirement listed in paragraph

3.2.2?

Answer 13

High-performance marine coatings designed to provide corrosion resistance, UV protection, and abrasion resistance. System composition should be comprised of three layers – primer (epoxy primer 2 part), intermediate (epoxy barrier coat), and topcoat (aliphatic polyurethane 2 part).

The 3-year paint system should provide corrosion resistance with minimum 3-year protection in marine saltwater environment, including no peeling, blistering, or corrosion creep beyond 1/8 inch. The system shall be UV and weather resistant with >85% gloss retention after 1,000 hours of accelerated weathering. It should pass ASTM D3359 (cross-cut tape testing) with a minimum

4B rating and must meet or exceed ASTM D4060 taber abrasion performance thresholds and impact resistance tests. System must be free of hexavalent chromium and lead. Vendor must provide certificate of compliance with mil-spec standards, paint system technical data sheets, environmental limits, and quality control logs.

Question 14:

Yamaha engines are preferred but Attachment C spares list makes reference to Evinrude ETEC lower units. Can you confirm that the lower units are to be Yamaha as well?

Answer 14

The offeror’s solution for spare parts shall be compatible with the offered outboard engine.

This is a brand name or equal acquisition. This is not for an existing fleet. All spare parts should be for the brand name or equal outboard engines in this acquisition.

Question 15:

Are there any seat operational or technical specification requirements beyond the six (6) person seating capacity in the cabin listed in paragraph 3.2.1? Attachment C spare parts makes reference to SHOXS part numbers which suggests that the seats in the main cabin should be SHOXS.

Please advise.

Answer 15

Minimum vertical shock mitigation must reduce whole body vibration exposure in accordance with ISO 2631-5 (Evaluation of exposure to multiple shocks), ISO 2631-1 (ride comfort and health exposure limits), and MIL-STD-1472H (Human engineering standards for vibration limits).

Each seat must feature a shock-isolated suspension system, typically air or coil spring based with some hydraulic dampers, adjustable damping to accommodate a weight range of 125-250lbs, minimum of 4-6 inches (100-150mm) of vertical shock absorption, and motion range must account for vertical and fore-aft impacts. Must comply with MIL-STD-

1472H (ergonomics and anthropometry), adjustable seat height and fore-aft slide, integrated foot rest for shock isolation, backrest and seatpan geometry must support posture for 8 hour operations/missions.

Corrosion-resistant materials (marine-grade aluminum, stainless steel, or coated steels);

UV- and mildew-resistant seat cushions (marine-grade vinyl or ballistic nylon); withstand marine environment: salt spray, fuel/oil exposure, UV radiation; seats must be through-bolted to deck reinforcement points with backing plates; vibration-proof hardware; 4-point or 5-point harness compliant with SAE J2292 or FMVSS 209/302; Cushions and fabrics must meet FAR 25.853(a) or equivalent. Must fit into existing or new cabin layout without impeding crew movement; compatible with communication headsets and helm controls.

This is a name brand or equal acquisition.

Question 16:

The spares list appears to be based on a Safe Boats International 38-foot, triple Evinrude engine vessel. The quantities on CLIN’s 0009-0025 are inflated and significantly more than what is needed for the total of (6) boats for 2 years, and 2200 annual hours. Does the USG desire us to adjust the quantities to a twin engine vessel based on 2200 hours for two years as recommended by the OEM and required by the SOW? Or will the USG adjust the quantities based on the OEM recommendations in a revised amendment?

Answer 16

The quantities listed in CLINs 0009-0025 are based on a previous small boat acquisition by

US Embassy Hanoi and reflect input from subject-matter experts, as well as a combination of local partner needs, the operating environment, availability of parts on the local market, and anticipated maintenance program requirements.

The Government is aware that OEM-recommended quantities for two years might be lower than the requested quantities. However, the requested quantities represent a legitimate need that goes beyond the basic OEM-recommended quantities for two years, considering operational realities and programmatic requirements.

The Government requests that the offeror price the quantities as stated in the solicitation.

Question 17:

Evinrude engines have been discontinued for over 5 years, and the SOW requirement is for a twin-engine vessel. Should CLIN 0045 be disregarded as it does not apply to a twin-engine vessel? Should CLINs 0043 and 0044 be replaced with the appropriate Yamaha engine standard rotation and counter rotation engines?

Answer 17

Please disregard CLIN 0045. For 0043 and 0044, this is a brand name or equal acquisition.

This is not for an existing fleet. All spare parts should be for the brand name or equal outboard engines offered in this acquisition.

Question 18:

CLIN 0048 and 0049 are for Safe Boats International patented collar parts that only they use on their boats. All other boat manufacturers utilize WING Collars. Can we replace those two CLIN parts with the WING Collar equivalent?

Answer 18

Spare collars should be the same brand collars as the collars installed on the small boats provided in this acquisition.

Question 19:

Column B of the spare parts list refers to SBI# which we understand to be Safe Boats

International number. Can you clarify that we can list our boats’ part numbers as we do not have access to their part numbers?

Answer 19

Yes. The offeror should list spare parts relevant to its proposed platform.

Question 20:

The solicitation’s requirement for final payment only upon delivery, with no interim payments, appears inconsistent with customary commercial practice. Under FAR 12.302(c), any clause that deviates from commercial practice must be supported by an approved waiver and market-research justification (see Red River Waste Solutions, Smelkinson Sysco, Verizon Wireless).

Please confirm whether such a waiver was obtained and, if so, provide the corresponding justification or market research findings.

Answer 20:

Please refer to Q&A no. 3.

Question 21:

Will Government grant waiver for FAR 52.247-64 if no us flag vessels are available for timely delivery?

Answer 21

If the contractor cannot locate a U.S.-flagged vessel for the shipment, please contact

MARAD’s Office of Cargo and Commercial Sealift at cargo.marad@dot.gov for assistance.

Excusable delays shall be governed by the commercial clause at FAR 52.212-4(f).

Question 22:

Part of the spare parts package – Will one sea container with spare parts be going with two boats to each location?

Answer 22

The three delivery locations will receive two (2) boats each along with the appropriate number of associated spare parts.

{END OF Q&A}

mailto:cargo.marad@dot.gov