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NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC PROGRAM LEGISLATION 



Dr. T. Robert Kendall, an oceanographer from the University of Hawaii, was 

 aboard the tender vessel Privateet^ during the run to observe the capabilities of 

 the Aluminaut for oceanographic research. Dr. Kendall, an underwater pho- 

 tographer of some reknown, took pictures of the Aluminaut at a depth of 150 feet 

 as she was submerging. 



Crew members for the Straits of Florida trip included four from Reynolds 

 Sub-Marine Services and one from the Electric Boat Division of General Dynam- 

 ics Corp., who built the craft. Crew captain was Robert E. Serf ass of Reynolds. 



In addition to Captain Serfass who comes from San Diego, Calif., crewmen 

 were Robert H. Canary, Groton, Conn., Alfred L. Rutherford, Montville, Conn., 

 James J. Cooney, of Philadelphia, and Horace D. Barnett, an Electric Boat 

 employee from Groton. 



Of note during the underwater maneuvers — a British warship in the Bahamas 

 vicinity was invited to detect Aluminaut by sonar. The destroyer attempted to 

 acquire the Aluminaut on her sonar, but it was not clear that detection was 

 made of the aluminium hull of the craft at deep points. A U.S. Navy patrol 

 aircraft also attempted to detect Aluminaut using other than sonic means but 

 was evidently unsuccessful. Communications with the British destroyer were by 

 underwater telephone. 



Sea trials in mid-July demonstrated the feasibility of controlled drift for sci- 

 entific observations when the Aluminaut took a 25-mile "free ride" in the Gulf 

 Stream at depths in excess of 1,000 feet and currents up to 3i/^ knots velocity. 



Reynolds Sub-Maeine Services Corp. 

 "Aluminaut" log 'brief 



Pertinent data on dive 



Ampere hours expended — battery 540 



Ampere hours left — ^battery 110 



Total available 650 



Maximum H 2 percent . 08 



Maximum CO 2 percent .8 



Minimum O2 percent 18.0 



Time submerged' (hours) 33.0 



Time underway (hours) 31.5 



Mileage, transit (nautical miles) 25 



Mileague, total (nautical miles) 63 



Average speed in transit (knots) 2.4 



Current at 1,200 feet in Gulf Stream 1.8 knots at 005° T. 



