The "Black Hull" Fleet: Multi-Function Assets for Multi-Mission Duty
Abstract
To fulfill its multi-mission duties, the Coast Guard's black hull fleet or "buoy tenders" don't just tend buoys -- these vessels are routinely employed in all of the Coast Guard's statutory mission areas, and carry specialized equipment to fulfill those functions. For example, as a result of the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989, the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 mandated that they be outfitted with an onboard spilled oil recovery system (SORS) comprised of outriggers, booms, hydraulic skimming equipment, and product storage vessels. In addition to normal operational training, seagoing buoy tender crews participate in annual training and mock exercises with this equipment. While the smaller coastal buoy tenders are not outfitted with SORS equipment, they do conduct annual training and mock exercises using pre-staged vessel of opportunity skimming system gear, and all crews receive hazardous waste operations and emergency response training. Thanks to such training and exercises, these crews quickly integrated into the response to the sinking of the mobile offshore drilling unit Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico. As the response in the Gulf continued beyond projected timelines, senior Coast Guard leaders were concerned that the absence of the buoy tenders would negatively impact the overall aids to navigation (ATON) infrastructure. In the end, however, the nationwide aid availability rate remained nearly constant throughout the deployment, which poses the question: How can this be? Through a series of strategic initiatives and efficiency improvements over the last decade, the ATON program has dramatically improved hardware reliability and reduced the cutter resource hours needed to maintain the system. Other improvements in ATON efficiency and technology are discussed.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2011
- Accession Number
- ADA552651
Entities
People
- Gregory Tlapa