30 SEPTEMBER 2026

THIS IS THE MILITARY SEALIFT COMMAND NORFOLK, STRATEGIC SEALIFT

PROGRAM SUPPORT OFFICE, N103A

SOURCE SOUGHT NOTIFICATION NO. N32205-SS-PM4-26-176

SUBJECT: TUGCON; OPEN-OCEAN TOW MISSION

1. THIS IS MARKET RESEARCH CONDUCTED BY THE PM4 PROGRAM OFFICE OF

MSC. IT IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ONLY, AND YOUR RESPONSE WILL

NOT BE CONSIDERED AN OFFER. THIS REQUEST FOR INFORMATION DOES NOT

COMMIT THE GOVERNMENT TO PAY ANY COSTS INCURRED IN THE

PREPARATION OR SUBMISSION TO THIS SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE OR TO

CONTRACT FOR SERVICES.

2. MSC REQUESTS INFORMATION ABOUT THE PRICE AND AVAILABILITY OF ONE

OR TWO U.S. FLAG, JONES ACT, OCEAN-GOING CERTIFIED TUG(S) CAPABLE OF

TOWING EX-FORT WORTH (LCS-3) AND EX-LAKE ERIE (CG-70) “IAW THE U.S.

NAVY TOW MANUAL (SL740-AA-MAN-010).” THE REQUIREMENT IS FOR ONE

VOYAGE CONSISTING OF TWO SEPARATE TOWS.

3. DESCRIPTION OF THE TOW:

• TOW 1: EX-FORT WORTH (LCS-3)

o DISPLACEMENT – 3,500 LT o LENGTH – 387.6’ o BEAM – 57.7’ o MAX DRAFT – 14’ 1”

• TOW 2: EX-LAKE ERIE (CG-70)

o DISPLACEMENT –9,600 LT o LENGTH – 567’ o BEAM – 55’ o MAX DRAFT – 36’

4. PORT(S)/PLACE(S) OF DEPARTURE: BOTH VESSELS ARE LOCATED AT NAVAL

STATION SAN DIEGO, CA

5. LAYTIME: FOUR (4) DAYS FOR THE ENTIRE MISSION.

6. PORT(S)/PLACE(S) OF DESTINATION: EX-FORT WORTH (LCS-3) WILL BE

DELIVERED TO INACTSHIPS BREMERTON, WA AND EX-LAKE ERIE (CG-70) WILL

BE DELIVERED TO INACTSHIPS PEARL HARBOR, HI

7. LAYDAYS: COMMENCING/CANCELLING: 14 DECEMBER 2026

8. TUG REQUIREMENTS:

• THE VESSEL(S)/TUG(S) SHALL EITHER BE BUILT ON OR AFTER 1970 OR IF

BUILT PRIOR TO 1970, CONTRACTOR MUST SUBMIT EVIDENCE ISSUED OR

ENDORSED BY THE USCG, ABS, OR ANOTHER USCG-RECOGNIZED

CLASSIFICATION SOCIETY SUFFICIENT TO ESTABLISH THE DATE AND

SCOPE OF THE REBUILD THAT THE TUG(S) WAS(WERE) FULLY REBUILT

AND REPOWERED AFTER 1970.

• BOLLARD PULL: SUFFICIENT TO TOW EITHER VESSEL (LCS-3 AND CG-70) AT

A MINIMUM TOW SPEED OF SIX (6) KNOTS FOR FIVE (5) KNOT SOA IN

BEAUFORT 5 CONDITIONS. MAXIMUM TOW SPEED TO BE CALCULATED IAW

THE U.S. NAVY TOW MANUAL. THE TOWING VESSEL WILL BE TOWING ONE

VESSEL AT A TIME IN TWO SEPARATE TRIPS, OR IF TWO TOWING VESSELS

ARE OFFERED, ONE TOWING VESSEL PER SHIP.

• TUG(S) SHALL BE FULLY BUNKERED FOR THE VOYAGE.

• TUG(S) SHALL HAVE SUFFICIENT FUEL AND STORES CAPACITY TO

COMPLETE THE TOW WITHOUT STOPS FOR FUEL OR SUPPLIES. FUEL STOPS

AND RESUPPLY ARE AUTHORIZED IF ONE SINGULAR TOW VESSEL IS BEING

UTILIZED FOR BOTH TOWS.

• INTERNET AND SATELLITE PHONE CAPABILITY.

• U.S. NAVY TOWING MANUAL (SL740-AA-MAN-10) WILL BE USED AND

COMPLIED WITH FOR THIS REQUIREMENT. THE LINK FOR DOWNLOAD IS:

HTTPS://WWW.NAVSEA.NAVY.MIL/HOME/SUPSALV/00C2-

SALVAGE/SALVAGE-PUBLICATIONS/

• THERE WILL BE A PRE-TOW CONFERENCE AT NAVAL STATION SAN DIEGO,

CA PRIOR TO TOWING EACH VESSEL. THE TIME OF THIS MEETING WILL BE

MUTUALLY AGREED UPON BY MSC AND CONTRACTOR BUT SHOULD

OCCUR NOT LATER THAN 24 HOURS BEFORE TOW. REQUIRED ATTENDEES

INCLUDE TUG CAPTAIN/CONTRACTOR REPRESENTATIVE, MSC

REPRESENTATIVE(S), A REPRESENTATIVE FROM EACH VESSEL AND THE

IMS.

• CONTRACTOR SHALL OBTAIN THE SERVICES OF AN INDEPENDENT MARINE

SURVEYOR (IMS). THIS SERVICE SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE OFFER’S

LUMP-SUM PRICE. THE IMS IS AN INDEPENDENT THIRD PARTY TO ACT AS A

MEDIATOR BETWEEN THE NAVY AND THE CONTRACTOR TO PROVIDE

INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS OF THE OPERATIONS AND TO ASSIST IN SETTLING

DISAGREEMENTS. THE IMS SELECTED SHOULD BE PROPOSED BY THE

TOWING CONTRACTOR AND AGREED TO BY THE MSC TECHNICAL

REPRESENTATIVE. IMS DUTIES SHALL INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING, BUT ARE

NOT LIMITED TO:

O PERFORM DETAILED TECHNICAL EVALUATION AND OVERSIGHT AS

NECESSARY, TO ENSURE THE TUG(S) AND BOTH TOW VESSELS (LCS-

3 AND CG-70) ARE PREPARED AND RIGGED FOR TOW IAW THE U.S.

NAVY TOWING MANUAL, AS APPLICABLE.

TECHNICAL EVALUATIONS SHALL INCLUDE A REVIEW OF THE

FOLLOWING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO:

• CONTRACTOR PREPARED TOW PACKAGE.

https://www.navsea.navy.mil/Home/SUPSALV/00C2-Salvage/Salvage-Publications/ https://www.navsea.navy.mil/Home/SUPSALV/00C2-Salvage/Salvage-Publications/

• PRE-TOW CHECKLIST TO INCLUDE ITEMS SUCH AS

VERIFYING THE CONDITION OF BOTH TOW VESSELS

(LCS-3 AND CG-70) AS BEING SEAWORTHY OF THE TOW.

• MATERIAL CONDITION OF THE TUG(S) AND BOTH TOW

VESSELS (LCS-3 AND CG-70).

• PREPARATIONS OF THE TUG(S) AND BOTH TOW

VESSELS (LCS-3 AND CG-70).

• INSPECTION OF ALL MATERIAL, EQUIPMENT,

HARDWARE, LINES, AND REQUIRED CERTIFICATES.

• COMPLETED U.S. NAVY TOWING MANUAL APPENDIX H.

• ISSUE A TOWING CERTIFICATE WHEN THE TUG(S) AND

BOTH TOW VESSELS (LCS-3 AND CG-70) ARE SAFELY

RIGGED FOR TOW.

• CONTRACTOR MUST PROVIDE TOW BRIDLE AND HARDWARE, EMERGENCY

TOW LINES, FLOODING ALARMS, NAVIGATION LIGHTS, DAY SHAPES IAW

THE COLREGS RULES OF THE ROAD, AND NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING (NDT)

OF VESSEL DECK FITTINGS. THIS MUST BE PROVIDED FOR BOTH TOWED

VESSELS.

• CONTRACTOR MUST PREPARE AND SUBMIT A COMPREHENSIVE TOWING

PACKAGE FOR REVIEW AND APPROVAL PRIOR TO COMMENCEMENT OF

TOW. THIS PACKAGE INCLUDES, BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO:

o A COMPLETED APPENDIX H FROM THE US NAVY TOWING MANUAL

WITH ASSOCIATED DETAIL

o STEADY STATE TOW LINE TENSION CALCULATIONS OVER THE

SPECTRUM OF ANTICIPATED WEATHER CONDITIONS ALONG THE

TOW ROUTE

o SPEEDS OF ADVANCE (SOA) o WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LIMITS o A SKETCH OF THE TOW CONFIGURATION WHICH IDENTIFIES ALL

COMPONENTS IN THE TOW RIG FROM THE TOW MACHINE ON THE

TUG(S) TO THE PAD EYES ON TOW (THIS INCLUDES TOW WIRE,

CONNECTING SHACKLES, CHAIN INSPECTIONS, AND PAD EYE NDT

(NON-DESTRUCTIVE TESTING) INSPECTION PAPERWORK.

o DOCUMENTATION OF PEDIGREE, TESTING, OR STAMPING FOR THE

INDIVIDUAL JEWELRY COMPONENTS TO ASSIST IN IDENTIFYING

THE WEAKEST LINK AND TO FACILITATE FORENSIC ANALYSIS IN

THE EVENT OF A FAILURE, AND TRACKING OF FAILURE TRENDS.

o TUG(S) SPECIFICATIONS TO INCLUDE HULL AND TOW MACHINERY

CERTIFICATIONS, BOLLARD PULL, TOW WIRE CERTIFICATIONS, AND

THE MASTER’S TOWING ENDORSEMENT.

o ROUTE PLANNING AND IDENTIFICATION OF PORTS OF REFUGE

INCLUDING ASSOCIATED RESTRICTIONS FOR ENTRY AS STATED BY

THE CAPTAIN OF THE PORT.

o THE COMPLETED TOW PACKAGE MUST BE SENT TO NAVSEA AND

MSC REPRESENTATIVES FOR APPROVAL PRIOR TO TOW.

• LUMP SUM AMOUNT SHALL INCLUDE UP TO FOUR (4) DAYS OF LAYTIME.

• POSITION REPORTS. POSITION REPORTS SHALL BE ISSUED BY ELECTRONIC

MAIL: VESSEL SHALL PROVIDE POSITION/STATUS REPORT IN PORT TWICE

DAILY AT 0000Z AND 1200Z AND AT-SEA FOUR TIMES DAILY AT 0000Z,

0600Z, 1200Z, AND 1800Z. ADDITIONALLY, POSITION/STATUS REPORTS

SHALL BE SENT UPON DEPARTURE AND ARRIVAL, AND AT OTHER TIMES

REQUESTED BY THE APPLICABLE MSC AREA COMMAND FOR FORCE

PROTECTION REASONS. REPORTS SHALL BE SENT TO THE EMAIL

ADDRESSES THAT WILL BE PROVIDED AFTER THE CONTRACT AWARD.

9. INTERESTED PARTIES ARE REQUESTED TO PROVIDE THE FOLLOWING

INFORMATION:

A. NAME AND COMPLETE DESCRIPTION/CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TOW

VESSEL(S) INCLUDING CERTIFICATE OF INSPECTION (COI), CERTIFICATE OF

DOCUMENTATION (COD) OR CLASSIFICATION SOCIETY EQUIVALENT,

PHOTOS, AND ALL DELIVERABLES AS PER MSC TUG PROFORMA (TUGCON -

SPOT) FEBRUARY 2026 (02-26).

B. LUMPSUM (INCLUDE UP TO 4 DAYS AT DESTINATION SITE FOR

CUSTOMS/DELIVERY) AND DEMURRAGE RATE.

C. ITINERARY, NUMBER OF DAYS REQUIRED TO COMPLETE THE TOW

MISSION.

D. BUSINESS SIZE. IF OTHER THAN SMALL BUSINESS, PROVIDE A NARRATIVE

OF SUB-CONTRACTING POSSIBILITIES ENVISIONED, IF ANY. IF NONE,

PROVIDE AN EXPLANATION.

E. ANY OTHER PERTINENT QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS INCLUDING 46 CFR,

CHAPTER 1, SUBCHAPTER M - TOWING VESSELS.

10. THE FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION 19.102 ESTABLISHES THE SMALL

BUSINESS SIZE STANDARD FOR THIS TYPE OF WATER TRANSPORTATION

SERVICE AS NAICS “483111” WITH A SMALL BUSINESS SIZE LIMITATION OF 1,050

EMPLOYEES. PLEASE INDICATE IF BUSINESS IS A SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN.

11. RESPONSES ARE REQUESTED, VIA EMAIL, PRIOR TO 1100 HOURS, EASTERN

TIME, 06 OCTOBER 2026. THE POINT OF CONTACT DAVID ANAYA, EMAIL

DAVID.C.ANAYA.CIV@US.NAVY.MIL, OR TEL (564) 226-8419.

SIGNED: E. NIC HATCHER, CONTRACTING OFFICER, MSC, N103

mailto:DAVID.C.ANAYA.CIV@US.NAVY.MIL