Vessel Charter - Buoy Recovery and Deployment

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration seeks a vessel charter to recover one buoy and deploy a replacement buoy near Santa Barbara, California, with quotations due October 12, 2026, at 5:00 PM PST/PDT and questions due October 8, 2026, at 12:00 PM PST/PDT. This is a Request for Quotation with no small business set-aside, evaluated under Lowest Price, Technically Acceptable criteria on a firm fixed-price, all-or-none basis.

Performance runs October 14 through December 31, 2026, with place of performance in Santa Barbara, California. The vessel must be U.S. flagged with current USCG inspections and endorsements, capable of maneuvering at approximately 1 knot, and equipped with a crane having a Safe Working Limit of at least 5,000 pounds with sufficient outboard reach for buoy recovery. The vessel must maintain approximately 3 meters by 3 meters of open deck space. Two PMEL personnel will board to oversee recovery and deployment. The recovered buoy (approximately 8 feet long, 5 feet diameter, weighing up to 1,500 pounds) and 300 meters of mooring system wire and chain must be returned to NOAA. Amendment 1, issued October 8, clarified that vessels equipped with an A-frame are acceptable and provided a mooring diagram with equipment specifications.

Proposals must include itemized cost breakdowns for loading/offloading PMEL gear, vessel transiting, buoy recovery, fuel, and other associated costs, with monthly and annual pricing for base and option years. Service Contract Act prevailing wage rates apply per Department of Labor Wage Determination WD 2015-5647 (Revision 29). Quotations must be submitted electronically to ben.carlson@noaa.gov with payment via Net 30 invoicing through the Invoice Processing Platform. The NAICS code is 483111, Deep Sea Freight Transportation, with PSC V124. Evaluation employs three pass/fail criteria: technical approach, relevant experience and qualifications, and price.