Tug Services BPA PWS 01.18.21.pdf

SBRF Tug Services BPA PWS Page 1

Performance Work Statement (PWS) US Department of Transportation

Maritime Administration (MARAD) Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet (SBRF)

Tug Services January 18, 2022

1.0 General

The Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet (SBRF) is an anchorage of the National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF) located in Suisun Bay, a tidal estuary northeast of San Francisco Bay. Of the original eight fleet sites, it is one of three that is still in operation and the only site serving the U.S. west coast.

The U.S. Maritime Commission (MARAD’s predecessor) established an anchorage at Suisun Bay in 1946; the site had previously been a public anchorage used by the U.S. Navy after World War II. When it opened, SBRF hosted 125 ships; by 1952, that number had increased to 340. The fleet is much smaller now, but still hosts the largest number of vessels of the three anchorages that comprise the

NDRF.

2.0 Objective

The objective of this BPA is to provide towing services to the SBRF to accomplish intra-fleet ship moves within the anchorage and mooring maintenance by adjusting or deploying anchors and chains to/from ships.

The Contractor shall furnish labor, supervision, equipment, and transportation to provide tug and docking pilot to support various Government requirements per Call Order. The terms “service” or “services” below may refer to any or all support functions, unless a certain service is specifically mentioned. The services are primarily intended to support heavy weather preparation, contingency, and recovery operations, but may also be required for routine harbor support services. Contractors may partner or subcontract with other entities to provide the full range of services, such as other tug companies.

Due to the nature of the work and the Government’s intent to reduce excessive transit time costs to and from the SBRF site, the Contractor must have a local office and access to tugs within a 65-mile radius of SBRF.

3.0 Specific Tasks

The Contractor shall provide tug services to SBRF in General Anchorage #26 for the evolutions described below. Unless otherwise specified by the San Francisco Bar Pilots for ship moves, any tugs offered for the services specified above will be of at least 3,000 horsepower, twin screw conventional, ASD tractor or Z-drive tractor.

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3.1. Intra-Fleet Ship Move

Periodically SBRF will require a ship to be moved from one row/nest to another, or from one berth on a row/nest to another berth on the same row/nest. Any ship move within the anchorage will be orchestrated by a San Francisco Bar Pilot, who will determine the type of tugs and horsepower/bollard pull required for the move.

For ship moves, SBRF will arrange for a meeting during the solicitation phase with the applicable BPA holder, the San Francisco Bar Pilots, and key SBRF personnel to plan the move. It is most beneficial and desirable to conduct this meeting on-site, however, depending on health advisories at the time, the meeting may be conducted virtually.

3.2 Mooring Maintenance

Periodically SBRF will need to deploy anchors and chain to establish mooring points for ships in the anchorage, retrieve and reposition ship anchors and chain, or recover lost anchors and chain, as needed. In this case, a Pilot will not be needed. Only one tug will be required to make up to and position SBRF’s Anchor Handling Barge (Barge). The tug shall be able to maneuver as follows: back down, work offshore, work inshore, and make way ahead as directed to deploy anchor chain from the Barge’s deck or straighten out a chain already in the bay, then hold the Barge steady for the anchor drop. SBRF crew will manage operations aboard the Barge. The evolution will be under the direction of Fleet Superintendent, Deputy Fleet Superintendent, or Deck Operations Supervisor.

3.2.1 Run Out Ship Anchors After Arrival

It has been recent practice to deploy a ship’s bower anchors during a ship’s arrival in SBRF. In times when this cannot be done, tug services would be required to maneuver SBRF’s Barge to a ship’s bow and hold steady while SBRF lowers an anchor to the deck of a barge and secures it ready for deployment. The tug would then maneuver the Barge as described for Mooring Maintenance above.

Periodically stern anchors will be set. The operation will be similar to running out bower anchors, except that the anchor and chain will be staged on the Barge and connected to the ship’s stern bollards or pre-installed chain pigtail. The tug will then hold the Barge steady at the stern of the ship, then back down and position the Barge for the anchor drop. The evolution will be under the direction of Fleet Superintendent, Deputy Fleet Superintendent, or Deck Operations Supervisor.

3.2.2 Pre-Setting High-Performance Anchors, Anchor Chain and Mooring Buoys

A new mooring technique is being developed at SBRF that consists of pre-setting high-performance anchors, such as the Bruce type, running out anchor chain, and attaching a mooring buoy. Ships would then be moored to the buoys with synthetic line. This arrangement is similar to a Conventional Buoy Moored System.

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As single tug would be required to maneuver the Barge to the desired location within the anchorage, hold steady while SBRF’s Crane Barge comes alongside the Barge and lifts the anchor by its tether from the Barge deck and sets it on the bay bottom. The tug will next back and maneuver the Barge to deploy the anchor chain off the Barge’s deck to a predetermined position. Once SBRF’s Barge crew secures the anchor chain to the Barge, the tug will back down on the anchor rig to set the anchor.

Once the anchor is set, the tug will continue to back/maneuver until all the chain is deployed off the Barge deck. The tug will then come ahead until the strain is off the Barge and the chain is vertical from the deck to the water, and hold steady. SBRF will attach the mooring buoy to the chain and crane lift the buoy off the deck and into the bay. The evolution will be under the direction of Fleet Superintendent, Deputy Fleet Superintendent, or Deck Operations Supervisor.

4.0 Place of Performance

General Anchorage #26, Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet. The physical address is 2595 Lake Herman Road, Benicia, CA 94510

5.0 Hours of operation and federal holidays

The hours of operation at the SBRF are 0700 – 1730 Monday through Friday, with the exception of Federal holidays. The U.S. Federal holidays are as follows:

1. New Year’s Day

2. Martin Luther King Jr. Day

3. President’s Day

4. Memorial Day

5. Juneteenth

6. Independence Day

7. Labor Day

8. Columbus Day

9. Veterans Day

10. Thanksgiving Day

11. Christmas Day

SBRF anticipates the majority of the work under the BPA to be performed during SBRF’s hours of operations during daylight hours. However, there may be times when work may be required during the weekends during daylight hours.

6.0 Government Furnished Items

SBRF will:

• Provide a riding crew or line handlers aboard ships and/or the anchor handline barge to secure tugs’ mooring lines, retrieve and deploy ship mooring lines, and operate anchor windlasses or capstans.

• Provide crane service to handle anchors and chain aboard the Barge.

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• Have placed fenders as needed.

• Ensure that shaft and rudder locks are secure as applicable.

• Remove brows between ships.

• Stow accom ladder, if required.

• Disconnect shore power to ship as appropriate.

• Utilize their generator vessel (56’ utility boat) to provide power for anchor windlasses during ship moves as needed.

• Provide transportation for the Pilot/ person-in-charge (PIC) to and from the SBRF pier to the ship if required.

The contractor will:

• Provide appropriately sized tugs, per Pilot’s recommendations, to move each ship.

• Provide appropriately sized tug to act as motive power to maneuver SBRF’s anchor handling barge.

• Provide Pilot and, if required, person-in-charge (PIC) to direct ship moves.

1.0 General