Research Vessel Southern Journey Repairs

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration seeks firm-fixed-price drydock repair services for the R/V Southern Journey, a 77-foot steel research vessel, with proposals due May 11, 2026, and questions due May 7 at 14:00 Central Time. This procurement is a 100 percent Women-Owned Small Business set-aside.

Place of performance is at a local shipyard within a 50-mile radius of Pascagoula, Mississippi. The contractor must complete all repairs within fourteen days of arrival at the shipyard. The primary scope addresses electrolysis pitting damage in the engine room bilge area from frame 20 to frame 24, classified as a no-sail category 1 deficiency. Work tasks include haul-out and hull preparation, cropping and replacing affected steel with new steel of identical thickness, installing two 24-pound bolt-on zinc anodes with 316 stainless fasteners, replacing overboard discharge piping on the port side, and prepping and painting the bilge compartment to SSPC-SP-3 standard using specified coatings, plus underwater hull preparation and epoxy/ABC coating per PPG specifications. The contractor must provide all labor, materials, equipment, and facilities; NOAA furnishes the vessel, 220-volt 50-amp shore power, government-furnished engine coolant and additives, and onsite technical supervision. Work must occur during normal weekday hours (0700–1530). NOAA electronic technician approval is required before welding begins, and all paint applications require local PPG representative approval prior to use.

Within five business days of award, the contractor must submit certificates of insurance ($1,000,000 ship contractor's legal liability and $1,000,000 comprehensive general liability), subcontractor lists, qualified welder credentials, and key personnel contact information. Evaluation criteria are Technical Approach and Capability, Price, and Past Performance. Amendment 0002 (May 6) revised the Statement of Work regarding government-furnished engine coolant and additives. The NAICS code is 336611, Ship Building and Repairing.