94 OCEANOGRAPHY IN THE UNITED STATES 



Mr. Oliver. You are going to be able to carry on as much work as 

 you have hist year, for example ? 



Mr. McKernan. Yes, 



Mr. Oliver. What about this business of offshore dragging for 

 lobsters? Has your Bureau been in that picture at all? 



Mr. McKerxan. Yes, I think we have. In fact, the Delawnre has 

 been doing that particular worl<:. We wall anticipate tliat she will 

 cany on those very important offshore exploratory efforts during the 

 coming year. 



I do not mean to imply that I think that more should not be done 

 because this is not the case, and I furthermore do not, on the other 

 hand, wish to imply that we do not have funds to do important work 

 which we feel will contribute directly to the benefit of the New Eng- 

 land fisheries and of other coastal fisheries of the United States, be- 

 cause I do not feel that way. In other words, I do not feel that we 

 are so stifled that our efforts are ineffective. I certainly do not feel 

 that. 



I feel that our efforts are very effective and that we will, during 

 1960, be able to carry out effective and essential parts of this program. 



Mr. Olia'er. May I ask you this : With regard to the budgetary al- 

 lotments for the Albatross specifically, is it your statement that the 

 Albatross has been operated within its budgetary allotments up to 

 now? 



Mr. McKernan. The Albatross was operating on a deficit when 

 we closed her down. In other words, had w-e continued operation for 

 the rest of the year as it was planned witli no increase, we would 

 have had a deficit in her operating budget which would have had to 

 have been made up out of our research budget. 



Mr. Oliver. I have some information, and I do not know whether 

 it is correct or not, whicli indicates that the last balance sheet, dated 

 January 31, 1959, showed that the Albatross was well within her 

 maintenance work and average repair budget for fiscal 1959. 



Mr. McKernan. That information is incorrect. 



Mr. Oliver. That is incorrect ? 



Mr. McKernan. Yes. 



Mr. Oliver. What has been the repair expense on the Albatross 

 during the years 1957, 1958, and 1959? Have you those figures avail- 

 able? 



Mr. McKernan. Yes ; I do. 



Shipyard repairs were $25,000 in 1956, $51,000 in 195T, and $24,000 

 in 1958^, and $24,500 so far in 1959. 



Does that give you the information? Those were shipyard repairs. 



Mr. Oli\t:r. If my arithmetic is correct, that means an average an- 

 nual expense of $38,000. 



Mr. McKernan. Yes. 



Mr. Olt\tj{. Is that comparable to some degree perhaps with the 

 operation of a comparable sized boat or vessel in the private industry, 

 we might say? 



Mr. McKernan. I tliink it is higher. 



Mr. Olfveh. You think it is higher? 



Mr. McKernan. Yes. 



Mr. Or.ivER. I have information which indicates that the average 

 annual overhaul costs for a 100-foot towboat, for example, run between 

 $30,000 and $40,000. 



