The divers with Code 760, Regional Dive Locker at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Upkeep Facility took supply of a brand new purpose-built dive boat in Could.
The brand new boat replaces an Explosive Ordnance Disposal assist boat inbuilt 1991 that PSNS & IMF acquired in 2007.
Based on Mike Richardson, Diving Operations supervisor, Code 760, the brand new boat will assist the divers accomplish their mission extra successfully and comfortably.
“The brand new boat is a purpose-built dive boat with a Marine Knuckle Growth crane,” mentioned Richardson. “It has fixtures and stands to carry dive gear, house and weight allotments for cupboards and tooling, hydraulic energy models to drive our underwater instruments and the MKB, a diver’s dressing room the place divers can change out and in of their wetsuits and take a bathe after the dive.”
Richardson mentioned the brand new boat will assist the essential work achieved by PSNS & IMF.
“The entire work right here on the shipyard is vital to our nationwide safety,” he mentioned. “Our [divers] work can save the shipyard time, cash and cut back dry dock time by executing work pierside. A few of our current emergent work was carried out outdoors the continental United States, and allowed one in every of our ships to stay ahead deployed.”
The brand new boat, designated 65DS2001, was inbuilt Tacoma, Wash. and has an anticipated service lifetime of 25 years. It might carry 14 folks and has a shallow draft, which permits it to moor in opposition to submarines. The hull has lengthy strips of rubber working fore and aft, each above and beneath the waterline, to stop damaging a submarine moored alongside.
Richardson mentioned this diving boat can be used to assist all kinds of missions.
“We’ll use it for surface-supplied Underwater Ship Husbandry diving; work on floor ships and submarines; putting in and eradicating cofferdams; hull inspections; propeller and secondary propulsion unit removing and substitute; work in ballast tanks; in addition to shipyard infrastructure missions resembling cleansing and inspecting dry dock caissons and tunnels, cease logs and fireplace mains,” Richardson defined.
“We will even take sea ground sediment samples for scientists,” he mentioned. “The dive boats with cranes are additionally used to retrieve gadgets and tools from the inactive ships fleet and from vessels at Mooring Alpha; and to maneuver cofferdams out and in of the water and cargo and unload diving tools from the dive boats and barges.”
The brand new dive boat additionally has a number of options widespread to dive boats used within the civilian world.
“The dive boat has a built-in air compressor and hydraulic system to energy the MKB and underwater hydraulic instruments and an educator pump used to dewater cofferdams,” Richardson mentioned. “There may be house allotted for the divers’ air system, a galley and a rest room (head) on board, a swim step with built-in ladder for diver restoration, and umbilical racks.”
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