Research vessel to become fisheries catcher/processor

SEPTEMBER 27, 2012 — Marcon International, Inc. of Coupeville, Wash., has brokered  the sale of the U.S. flag research vessel, Cape Flattery from Anchorage based Tanadgusix Corporation (TDX), an Alaska native village corporation, to U.S. Seafoods, a fishing and marketing company based in Seattle operating off the coast of Alaska.

The 186 ft x 40 ft x 16 ft vessel was originally built in 1990 by McDermott Shipyards in Morgan City, Louisiana for the U.S. Navy as the torpedo trials vessel YTT-9 for reportedly around $38 million.

The hull design was based on that of an oil supply vessel with an ABS ice rated hull, and was therefore heavily built with 1/2 inch hull plate below the main deck and 3/8 inch plate above.

YTT-9 was the first of four sisters and came equipped with two 21 inch and three 12.75 inch torpedo tubes.

The vessel was struck from the Naval Register in 1999 and subsequently sold to TDX who equipped it for diving and ROV operations, surveys, oil spill response, salvage and to generally operate as a research platform.

Accommodations were provided to berth a total of 40 crew and passengers. The vessel is classed with ABS and notated +A1, (E), +AMS. A five year Special Periodical Survey was passed in May of this year.

Cape Flattery is powered by a single 12 cylinder diesel turbocharged Cummins KTA 50 main engine developing 1,250 BHP, which drives a 90 inch x 74 inch fixed pitch propeller via a Reintjes 7.05:1 gear. For station keeping, the vessel is equipped with joy-stick controlled, 300 HP electric Ulstein azimuthing drives aft on each side of the main propeller and a 400 HP omni-directional thruster forward. Ship’s auxiliary power is provided three Cummins 650 kW diesel generators, with back-up provided via a Cummins powered 100 kW emergency generator.

As a research vessel, the ship’s working area consisted of a 46 ft x 40 ft clear deck aft and 32 ft x 30 ft on the forecastle deck in addition to enclosed work rooms. An 11 ton and 2 ton knuckle boom hydraulic self-contained Appleton pedestal mount crane, 10 T Fritz-Culver heavy-lift capstan aft and 10 T anchor windlass were fitted. Four point mooring was provided by four single drum 10 ton pull Fritz Culver traction winches with two 3,700 lb Navy style anchors forward and two 5,000 lb Navy anchors aft allowing the vessel to moor in water depths from 30 – 2,400 ft. Tank capacities included 68,000 gal fuel oil, 15,000 gal potable water, augmented by a 5,000 gal/day water maker, and 102,000 gal ballast water.

Cape Flattery was capable of operating for 42 days at sea with a range of about 4,000 nautical miles at an average operating speed of about 9 to 11 knots.

The vessel, already renamed Seafreeze America, is being converted by U.S. Seafoods to fulfill a new role as a catcher/processor joining its fleet of four catcher-processors and two catcher vessels presently working in the Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands and the Gulf of Alaska. A 60 ft mid-body section is being added which will increase overall length to approximately 246 ft.

Marcon International Inc. has brokered 28 sales and charters to-date this year and expects to be able to report on several additional sales and charters within the next two weeks.