EFFECTIVENESS OF THE COMMITTEE ON OCEANOGRAPHY 107 

 Comparison of new construction, oceanographic research and survey ships 



Ship type 



AG OR 500-ton 



AG0R(SCB#1S5) 

 1,200-ton 



AGS 2,000-ton 



CHARACTERISTICS 



Length 



Beam 



Displacement (full load, tons) 



Endurance... -.. 



Provisions (days) 



Number of crew 



Number of scientists 



Bow propeller 



Antirolling tank 



Construction cost (millions) 



Annual operating and maintenance cost 

 (5-year average). 



152 feet... 



28 feet 



500 



14,500 at 12 

 \4,000 at 12 



30 



17 or 15 ».. 



5 



No (yes) i 



Yes 



$3.2 



$488,000... 



204 feet.... 



37 feet 



1,370 



[l2,000 at 12 



60 



22 



15 



Yes 



Yes 



$4.9 



$560,000... 



250 feet. 

 43 feet. 

 2,000. 



12,000 at 15. 



60. 

 32. 



18. 



Yes. 



Yes. 



$9.7. 



$684,000. 



1 Indicates reductions if bow propeller is included. 



Mr. Dingell. Now, are you indicating to the committee today 

 that the most efficient type of vessel for oceanographic research is 

 the AGOB, type which you have mentioned? 



Commander Alexander. No, sir, we have several different types. 

 I am more familiar with the AGOR which is a Navy ship, but the 

 Coast Survey has a very remarkable ship under construction, and has 

 a whole series in future years. The National Science Foundation 

 also is providing funds for a ship to be built by Woods Hole. 



Mr. Dingell. That is the next point I wanted to treat. Has there 

 been any effort to standardize the vessels for oceanographic purposes 

 by the Government agencies which are constructing these vessels? 



Commander Alexander. We haven't been able to come up with 

 firm standardization, for instance, we will have a certain class of 

 ships. But just by mutual exchange of information, the Navy has 

 a — I will call it a medium-sized ship — 1,375 tons; the Coast Survey 

 is 1,200 tons. The Coast Survey has a ship between 3,300 and 3,800 

 tons for world ocean survey. The Navy ship is approximately 2,600 

 tons. 



Mr. Dingell. Then we have two different classes for medium 

 vessels and for world oceanographic surveys. 



Commander Alexander. Yes, sir, but they are so close in charac- 

 teristics and capabilities that for all intents and purposes, they are 

 standardized. The prices are almost alike. 



Mr. Dingell. They are standardized between the two ships, or 

 between the ships in the same class? 



Commander Alexander. Well, there is standardization between 

 ships in the same class. 



Mr. Dingell. But there is no standardization between the two 

 competing types which we have established, am I correct? 



Commander Alexander. You mean between Coast Survey and 

 the Navy? 



Mr. Dingell. Coast Survey and the Navy, and also as between 

 the Navy and the Coast Survey in Woods Hole, or the National 

 Science Foundation. Am I correct on this point? 



Commander Alexander. Well, we have three basic classes of ships, 

 Mr. Chairman. We have a small class, which would be between 500 

 and 800 tons. We have a medium class, which is now between 1,000 

 and 1,375 tons, and we have what we would call a large class ship 



