Contracting Office (fp), U.S. Coast Guard Academy, 15 Mohegan Avenue, New London, CT 06320-4195

A -- WOODEN VESSEL EVALUATION TECHNIQUES SOL DTCG39-96-R-E00332 DUE 100896 POC Contact Caroline Bennington, Contracting Officer, 860-444-8665, FAX 860-444-8299 The U.S. Coast Guard Research and Development Center is interested in evaluating equipment and techniques which can be utilized to evaluate wooden vessels. specifically, a non-destructive method to assess the condition of the fasteners and the wood immediately surrounding them is needed. Depending upon the type of vessel, the fasteners may be screws, nails, or bolts and could be fabricated from bronze, galvanized steel or stainless steel. The wood may include but not be limited to plywood, fir, pine, cedar and oak. In standard wooden boat construction, the fasteners are normally covered by wooden plugs and paint coatings. The fasteners of pri mary interest are those used to attach the outer planks to the frames. Other fasteners are larger bolts which may fasten keels or connect other internal structural members. The technique must be portable and robust for field use. It must be able to detect broken, bent or partially corroded fasteners. A separate method may be used to evaluate the surrounding wood. Normal Coast Guard inspection is performed with the vessel pulled out of the water for 1-2 days to expose the area below the waterline. Respondents are asked to send: 1) name, address and point of contact for company; 2) description of equipment/technique; 3) documentation of previous/current uses including conference or journal papers or reports; 4) modifications which may be required for Coast Guard use. No solicitation is available since this is not a request for proposals, nor does the government intend to pay for any information submitted. Responses to this notice should be submitted within fifteen (15) days from the date of this announcement. Technical questions should be directed to Mr. Kurt Hansen at (860)441-2865.* (0226)

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