120 OCEANOGRAPHY IN THE UNITED STATES 



[From the Commercial Fisheries Review, U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and 

 Wildlife Service, Separate No. 200] 



THE ''ALBATROSS III" 

 (By William F. Royce^) 



The only ocean fisheries research vessel of the U.S. Government, Albatross III, 

 was dedicated on March 19, 1948, at the Boston Fish Pier, Boston, Mass. Federal 

 and State officials and leading members of the fishing industry took part in the 

 ceremonies. 



The Secretary of the Interior, J. A. Krug, speaking from the quarterdeck of the 

 converted trawler to more than 300 people, stated : 



"The dedication of the Albatross III for fishery research in the North Atlantic 

 is an event which justifies widespread consideration of the important problem 

 of fishery conservation in the North Atlantic area. 



"While the commissioning of the Albatross III is a start toward nationwide 

 conservation and development of marine resources, we need similar facilities 

 for the great Pacific coast fisheries, the central Pacific, for the unexplored areas 

 of the Gulf of Mexico, and for the enclosed domestic waters of the Great Lakes." 



The vessel has been named Albatross III to carry on the traditional name of 

 the major fishery research vessel of the United States. Albatross I was a 234- 

 foot twin-screw, iron steamer. She was commissioned in 1882 and decommis- 

 sioned in 1921. During her 39 years of fishery and oceanographic research, 

 she visited both coasts of the United States, Alaska, South America, Central 

 America, the Galapagos Islands, the Hawaiian Islands, Japan, the tropical 

 Pacific islands and the Philippine Islands. Many distinguished scientists sailed 

 with her and their scientific work vastly increased our knowledge of the oceans. 

 Her not-so-glorious successor, the Albatr-oss II, was a 148-foot ex-Navy tug. 

 She operated from 1926 to 1932 and during this time was engaged in research 

 on the mackerel fishery, explorations of the haddock fishery grounds, and pre- 

 liminary experiments with savings gear. 



Acquisition of Albatross III has occupied about 14 years. In 1934, Presi- 

 dent Roosevelt authorized a fishery research vessel for the North Atlantic, but 

 no funds were made available. Five years later, the Harvard, a steam-driven 

 trawler, was given to the Bureau of Fisheries by the General Seafoods Corp. 

 for the sum of $1. In late 1941, after about 2 years of planning the conver- 

 sion to research and obtaining necessary funds, the Harvard entered a ship- 

 yard and reconstruction began. War broke out and the Navy requisitioned 

 her. She was transferred to the Coast Guard, named the C.O.G. Bellefonte 

 and completely rebuilt as an Atlantic patrol vessel. She was reconstructed 

 from keel to masthead and put in top condition. Plates and frames were re- 

 placed and excellent machinery installed. This conversion was completed in 

 1944, but as the urgent need for an Atlantic patrol vessel had passed, she was 

 returned to the Fish and Wildlife Service. She was laid up at Woods Hole, 

 Mass., in a semioperating condition until the summer of 1947. During this 

 time, the plans were redrawn to fit the changes made by the Coast Guard and 

 funds for her reconversion to a research vessel again obtained. Last July, 

 she entered the yards of a shipbuilding corporation and reconversion got 

 underway. 



The basic lines of the Albatross III are very similar to those of the large 

 Boston otter trawlers. She has a high head with a Maierform bow, a clear 

 main deck about midships for the handling of fishing gear and a deckhouse 

 from midships aft, housing the laboratories and officers' staterooms. 



Her length overall is about 179 feet. She has a bean of about 24 feet and a 

 draft of 12 feet. Her displacement is about 525 tons. She will be able to 

 cruise about 4,.500 miles without refueling. 



She is of welded steel construction throughout. The main deck is covered 

 with planking set in mastic. The outside bulkheads are all insulated with 

 fiberglass. She is heated by an oil-burning furnace niid a circulating hot water 

 system. All quarters, laboratories, etc., are provided with forced-air ventila- 

 tion systems. 



The Albatross III is powered by a 7-cylinder. 805-horsepower diesel engine. 

 A temporary 4-blade propeller is installed pending delivery of an adjustable 

 pitch propeller. With this temporary propeller she cruises at about 11 knots. 



1 Chief, Now England Fishing Banks Investigations, Division of Fishery Biology, Woods 

 Hole. Mass. 



