Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Systems Acquisition Office (SAO), SSMC3, Room 10350, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910-3282

19 -- VESSEL CHARTER-BACK POC POC/Contracting Officer, R. N. Bennett, (301) 713-1341 The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is investigating various alternatives, including disposal and other uses, for inactive ships in its current fleet. One alternative might be a charter-back arrangement, under which ownership of an inactive vessel would be transferred to a contractor who would modernize and charter the ship back to NOAA under a long-term contract. As currently envisioned, the contractor would be responsible for modernization of the ship and four survey launches. The contractor would conduct all necessary modernization to obtain appropriate ABS classification and USCG certificate of inspection, to meet current U.S. environmental standards, and to outfit the ship and launches with a designated suite of hydrographic equipment. The contractor would operate and maintain the ship and launches, with a NOAA hydrographic party on board to collect the data. The contract for the charter may contain an initial charter period of 5 years, with two 5-year options. Funding would be provided on an annual basis. It is NOAA's intent that any charter-back that might be arranged would not replace any of the three hydrographic ships currently owned and operated by NOAA and would require additional funding above current Congressionally approved level. NOAA ship FAIRWEATHER, currently located at the NOAA Pacific Marine Center, Seattle, WA, has been identified as a possible candidate for a charter-back arrangement. The FAIRWEATHER and representative survey launches will be available for inspection for a thirty day period from February 20, 1996 to March 20, 1996. Firms which may be interested in providing practical information to enable NOAA to better assess the feasibility of a charter-back arrangement are encouraged to contact Mr. Robert Wilmot of the NOAA Pacific Marine Center at (206) 553-4484 no later than February 16, 1996 to schedule an inspection visit. Technical information on the FAIRWEATHER will also be available for review at the Pacific Marine Center, although in some cases it is incomplete or out of date. Following ship inspection, interested firms may submit written expressions of interest to NOAA Systems Acquisition Office, Attn: Mr. R. N. Bennett, 1315 East West Highway, Room 10350, Silver Spring, MD, 20910. Expressions of interest should be received by April 19, 1996, and should include (1) estimated annual charter rates for the modernized vessel with crew, (2) an estimated termination liability schedule for the initial 5 year charter period, (3) the estimated duration of the ship modernization/overhaul period, (4) a description of any previous experience with a modernization and charter-back arrangement, and (5) any recommended alternatives to the charter concept described above. The estimated charter rates and termination liability amounts will be protected as proprietary information, will be utilized only to determine the feasibility of the charter-back approach, and will not bind the submitter or the Government. For further information please contact Mr. R. N. Bennett at (301) 713-1341. This is not a request for proposals. (0033)

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