43 HYDEOGRAPHIC MANUAL PaGE 330 



This type of boat is built as a sporting craft, but it can be used to advantage by 

 topographic, triangulation, and signal-building units in protected waters for fast trans- 

 portation to and from the working ground, where parties are based ashore. 



43. EQUIPMENT AND INSTRUMENTS 



A survey vessel must be specially equipped and carry instruments on board, in 

 addition to those ordinarily required for navigation, with which to perform any survey 

 duty likely to be assigned. As the type of project assigned will vary due to the nature 

 and broad scope of hydrographic surveying, much equipment and many instruments 

 must either be carried on board the vessel ready for immediate use, or be available at 

 the Washington Office for use when needed. A sufficient stock of instruments must 

 also be available for the use of shore, launch, or detached parties that may be put in 

 the field. 



The Chief of Party must be certain that the necessary equipment and mstrumeiits 

 are available prior to the beginning of an assignment. This is particularly important 

 when a vessel is assigned a project in a locality such as Alaska or the Hawaiian Islands, 

 at a considerable distance from Washington, D. C. 



Although survey vessels normally are adequately equipped and supplied with all 

 instruments necessary for routine work, a vigilant check must be kept on their condition, 

 utility, and adequacy. Instruments are continually being redesigned, improved, and 

 provided with new attachments, and entirely new instruments are frequently designed. 

 Officers who are continually using survey instruments should be alert to the possibility 

 of improvement and are encouraged to submit recommendations for the redesign of 

 existing instruments and the construction of new ones. 



In general, the standard nontransferable navigation and survey instruments 

 installed in place on board vessels or launches are classed as equipment. Most of such 

 equipment is located in the pilothouse or in the immediate vicinity thereto. Vessels 

 constructed especially for this Bureau will be completely outfitted at the time of com- 

 missioning; others which may be purchased or received by transfer will probably 

 require the installation of considerable equipment, especially the special equipment used 

 in hydrographic surveying. 



In general, portable instruments are classed as mstruments; they are not considered 

 an integral part of the vessel but are necessary auxiliaries; they are transferable. A 

 vessel's allowance of instruments varies with the size of the vessel and the project 

 assigned. Instruments shall be kept clean, in adjustment, and in good order at all 

 times. They shall be stowed away in designated places when not in use. They shall 

 be handled carefully at all times, and some of them, like chronometers, require special 

 attention. In survey operations, the Bureau numbers of all instruments used shall 

 be entered daily in the record volume for each particular class of work. 



431. Care of Equipment and Instruments 



The Regulations of the Coast and Geodetic Survey assign to the navigating officer 

 the responsibility for the proper care and maintenance of the navigation equipment 

 and instruments. The responsibility for the proper care and maintenance of the sur- 

 vey equipment and instruments should similarly be delegated to one of the officers. 

 He should make certain that instruments of all types needed are available and in good 

 condition. He should supervise the proper cleaning and drying of all instruments 



