78 OCEAN SCIENCES AND NATIONAL SECURITY 



and preferably at sea state 6. It is, therefore, obvious that in order to attain 

 the degree of seakeeping ability required by the oceanographer, it will be nec- 

 essary not oil y to make a judicious choice of dimensions and hull form, but also 

 to provide additional means of controlling ship motions within the limits acceptable 

 tor satisfactory performance of work. The consensus of oceanographers on this 

 ma1;ter is that even a 5 percent loss of space, a comparable loss of deadwei-^ht 

 and an increased cost in the same magnitude are a reasonal)le price to pav^for 

 increasing the ship's seakeeping ability sufhcientlv to permit operation in the 

 next higher sea state. - i- t- 



High degrees of maneuverability and directional stability, i.e., course keeping 

 ability, are also essential requirements of an oceanographic research ship The 

 nature of oceanographic research makes it necessary that for certain observations 

 and measurements the sliip be brought on an exact heading and be maintained 

 at such heading, frequently at zero speed. This is definitely a difficult maneuver 

 "l,.*/-^.'^?'^^^ sea states contemplated by the oceanographers. Directional sta- 

 bility is important not only in holding the desired heading once it is attained but 

 also in maintaining course while proceeding from station to station, especiallv 

 HI relatively severe weather and on headings adversely affected by wind direction 



ADUity to heave to and to maintain position during heavy weather in the 

 general neighborhood of the observation area is also essential for a research ship 

 ihis ability IS of great value because it saves the time which would otherwise 

 be required to regain position at the end of bad weather, and it affords rest and 

 comfort to the personnel during the period of idleness enforced by bad weather 



Reliability of a higher degree than for normal ship practice is another basic 

 requirement which must be attained in research ships. They sail the loneliest 

 and least traveled reaches of the ocean and, of necessity, are often remote from 

 any port for long periods. Therefore, for efliciency of scientific effort, it is of 

 utmost importance that breakdowns in machinerv and equipment be avoided to 

 the maximum extent possible, and, in case of breakdown, that the ship have the 

 ability to make port on her own resources. 



In addition to the foregoing basic requirements a successful oceanographic 

 research ship must have adequate range at reasonable speeds to reach the remotest 

 n^^tlfH ?\ °''^^'?'. ^^''^ ^^ ,t^'^ *° '*^y ^^'^^^ a suflicient time to perform her 

 fnnn ,^-1 17 iu^ generally requires a range at cruising speed of well over 



b,UUU miles. Furthermore, the oceanographic research ship must have ample 

 ITn.Zl/u^''''' % '■'''^'^'® fuel capacity to operate effectively in the sea states 

 required by modern oceanographic research. 



Since sound is rapidly becoming one of the principal tools used in oceanography, 

 quietness and effective noise control are basic requirements of research vessels. 

 i.^,..f r" ^^^^ °^'' -^'^ ""'^-^^^^ radiates a minimum of noise into the water 

 mienJL L^^'''P^^'''^''• devices operating over a very wide range of fre- 

 ionuSUl. "^"^'^o^^ly employed on research ships. Therefore, to obtain an 



fs nnf^nilfhi f *°7 '^^'''^^' '* '' °f "*''"«^t importance to eliminate or, if that 

 IS not possible, to quiet every potential source of noise.s^ 



It is thus apparent that the hull form, mechanical plant, and systems 

 ot ship control should provide a stable platform in the worst kind of 

 weatner. Oceanographers claim that these objectives cannot be met 

 with converted ships whose hull design might well reflect other 

 demands originally for bulk cargo, high speed, or for weapons. 



rerhaps another criterion of the eft'ectiveness or lack thereof of 

 particular ships to fulfill their intended function for research is the 

 ratio between the number of crew to the number in the scientific party 

 (^uite obviously, the smaller is this number the lower is the operating 

 cost and the higher is the proportion of space on board devoted to 

 laboratory and research functions, rather than to servicing of the 

 vehicle Itself wliich should be incidental to every extent possible to 

 the tasks at hand. 



An optimum ratio of 1 to 1 has been cited as a criterion for desio-n 

 Most ot the existing ships have a ratio of crew to scientists of 3 to 1 

 up to 10 to 1. The consequences of this excessive size of required crew' 

 are readily apparent. 



SociPtv^nf N-t^i!? ^{^^.'^^l'^ Oceanographic Research Ships." by Lester Rosenblatt, paper presented to The 

 bociety of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, May 2&-28, 1960, pp. 4-5. pri^eiicea lo i ne 



