From: Bellingham, James
Sent: Wednesday, November 08, 2000 2:58 PM
To: 'Forcucci, David'; Gashler, Drew
Cc: 'dorado@mbari.org'
Subject: HEALY visit - notes from first visit

Hi Dave,

Here are some notes from the last HEALY meeting:

Meeting included:  
	CAPT Jeffrey Garrett (Commanding Officer HEALY)
	LCDR David Vaugh (Operations Officer HEALY)
	LTJG Todd Adrian (Marine Science Officer, HEALY)
	Dave Forcucci (USCG)
	Jim Bellingham (MBARI)
	Drew Gashler (MBARI)

The meeting was held 10/17 0800 aboard the HEALY in the Sr. Scientist Conf.
Room.  Much of the meeting consisted of an informal brief of the objectives
of the ALTEX project, and discussions of how AUV operations might be carried
out from the Healy.  Near the end of the meeting, we left the conference
room and toured parts of the ship including the dry lab, the fan-tail, the
transducer well, and we walked under the ship to look at the bottom of the
transducer well.

DECK HANDLING

The hanger opening to the port side of the fan tail is just big enough for
us to store and possibly assemble the AUV inside.  The hanger is 14' by a
little more than 16', and quite high.  The deck is uneven, which will make
our usual method of rolling a vehicle around on carts a little difficult,
especially with such a long vehicle.

Also, we could back a van up to the dry lab directly.  This is a difficult
place to locate a van, as it is actually under the helo deck.  But it is
possible.

LAUNCH & RECOVERY 

Launch and recovery will probably be done by the port crane.  This means the
vehicle must be capable of being lifted by the crane.  The starboard A frame
outside the CTD hanger extends 10' and is another option.

Launch in ice may or may not be possible depending on whether wind is
compressing ice pack.

Recovery in ice seems potentially quite difficult, especially if the vehicle
ends up under a keel.  Divers are a last resort.  Is it possible to get
access to the CG ROV???

Getting a line on the vehicle will probably be achieved by putting a person
in a basket attached to a crane, and lowering them to near the vehicle off
the stern.

TRACKING & ACOUSTIC COMS

The outstanding issue identified in the visit is the difficulty of mounting
acoustic devices such as acoustic communications and tracking transducers on
the ship.  The tracking system appears to be the most challenging problem.
Typically a small hydrophone array and associated electronics are mounted
more or less ridgidly to the ship, at a depth about two meters below the
ships draft.  This is normally done either by mounting the transducer to a
pole which is deployed over the side of the ship, or by using a lock-out
through which the tracking transducer can be extended.  

Considerations in mounting the hydrophone/tracking transducer include:  

   ensuring that the orientation of the hydrophone array does not 
   twist relative to the ships heading, 

   ability of the ship to manuever with the hydrophone down and functioning,


   ease of deployment of the hydrophone,

   mounting the hydrophone so as to get a full 2pi steradians coverage,

   immunity, to the degree possible, to ship noise,

   running cabling from the hydrophone to the tracking electronics

Ship has 13' freeboard, and 30' draft, which means that any over-the-side
pole will be about 50' long, which is very long.  Mounting the hydrophone
with an over-the-side pole which would allow the ship to run up to 4 kts (a
speed which would allow the ship to keep up with the AUV) seems very
challenging.

There are no wells which allow equipment to be extended clear of the ships
bottom (which is very flat).  The transducer wells are covered with some
material with unknown acoustic properties. 

Operation of tracking systems in ice while underway seem to not be an option
unless systems can be made to function through the transder wells.

LOGISTICS

The Healy will depart Seattle in early June.  Options include:

a)  Shipping our equipment aboard the ship in June - substantial storage
space is available.
b)  We might be able to ship equipment to an intermediate port (in
England?). 
c)  Shipping equipment to Tromso to meet ship.

Observations/Questions:

The ALTEX AUV project will certainly not be in a position to ship vehicles
or key support equipment in June (four months before the cruise).  

However some equipment and supplies might be put aboard the ship before
sailing, for example:
- hydrogen peroxide
- lithium pellets (Pyrosolve Z)
- van with some supplies

What arrangements must be made for shipping the AUV and associated equipment
through a non-US country to the HEALY?  The LN-250 in particular is export
restricted.
 
COMMUNICATIONS

INMARSAT may or may not the available.  Satellites are shadowed by the ship
structure on some heading for latitudes above 75 deg.  Above 80 deg
satellite communications may not be available at all.

HELICOPTER OPERATIONS

Operate with 50 nm radius.  Used routinely.  Operating distance may be less
in dark.

ICE PREDICTION

None routinely available.  The NASA science party might, however, be able to
provide satellite imagery.

-----Original Message-----
From: Forcucci, David [mailto:DForcucci@d11.uscg.mil]
Sent: Monday, November 06, 2000 11:25 AM
To: Bellingham, James
Subject: Thursday Meeting


Jim,

How's it going! I made arrangements for you to stay on HEALY on the 8th.

Regarding the  meeting Thursday;  do you need any audiovisual equipment for
the meeting?  

Dave