Figure 14. Pre'-Mission Sites 



OFFLOADING AND EMPLACEMENT 



The U.S.S. PLYMOUTH ROCK, a U.S. Navy Landing Ship Dock (LSD), arrived 

 off Lameshur Bay on the morning of March 7 and after ballasting down, 

 commenced offloading. Another landing craft operated by the National 

 Park Service served in a standby capacity. 



The habitat, with six attached salvage pontoons providing additional 

 buoyancy, was floated out of the LSD well deck and towed to its holding 

 site (Figure 15). Two married causeway sections, loaded with vans, 

 trailers , and vehicles , were then towed into the head of the bay to f oinn 

 a pier. One end was beached and ramped while the seaward end was moored 

 to pre-positioned concrete clumps. (Note: After the causeway sections 

 were unloaded, the shoreward end was pulled higher on the beach and lines 

 extended out from each corner to two deadmen located behind the berm.) 

 Additional barges, containing ballast, xmibilicals and ancillary equipment 

 were offloaded and moored at locations designated in Figure 14. As sub- 

 sequent barges were being offloaded and positioned, a D-6 Caterpillar 

 tractor, furnished by the Virgin Islands Department of Public Works, be- 

 gan the staging and distribution of the vans and trailers to designated 

 sites. The only incident during the other^Jise routine operation occurred 

 when the tractor, with the heavily loaded utilities trailer in tow, was 

 unable to overcome the steep grade leading to the surface support center. 



11-20 



