U.S. Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, WASC, Acquisition Management Division, Contracts Branch B WC32, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Bin 15700, Seattle, WA 98115-0070

20 -- ROV OR SUBMERSIBLE, & SUPPORT VESSEL NEEDED FOR MONITORING STUDY IN OLYMPIC COAST NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY SOL 52ABNC-0-00061 DUE 062200 POC Linda Shaw (206)526-6461. This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Supart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included inthis notice. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY SOLICITATION; PROPOSALS ARE BEING REQUESTED AND A WRITTEN SOLICITATION WILL NOT BE ISSUED. Solicitation number 52ABNC000061 is issued as a request for proposals (RFP). The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 97-17. This procurment action is full and open. The associated standard of industria classification code is 8999. The small business size standard for this requirement is $5 million. A. Introduction The Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary (OCNMS) authorized a special use permit allowing Pacific Crossing to install 2 fiber optic cables (PC-1) through 30 nm of the OCNMS. OCNMS will be monitoring benthic recovery from the cable laying. The 2 segments of this cable system land in Mukilteo, Washington ~30 miles north of Seattle. These segments proceed west through the Strait of Juan de Fuca into the Pacific Ocean, where the north segment continues to Japan, and the east segment to California. These segments generally parallel each other, separated by several hundred meters. This scope of work (SOW) addresses a cruise for OCNMS to conduct investigations within the Sanctuary aboard a contracted vessel in support of the PC-1 monitoring activities. The contractor responsibilities are listed below. B. Project Area The cruise will concentrate on 2 types of areas: the cable route & control sites. Although primary operations are in the areas described they are not limited to these areas. 1. The cable route in OCNMS is ~30 nm. The primary operation will be along the eastern cable between 124o40'W to 125o10'W and 48o 20'N to 48o 30'N. 2. The other areas to be searched for & monitored will be control sites, which have yet to be determined. The general areas for the control sites will be adjacent tothe cable or between 124o50'W to 125o00'W and between 48o00N to 48o20N. C. Time Frame The cruise will be between 8 and 16 continuous days of operation in the OCNMS. Operations will be conducted 24 hours per day, with Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) or submersible activities during 12 hr/day (daylight) & shipboard sampling during night operations. The cruise shall be completed no later than October 15, 2000. The length of the cruise will be set at the time the contract is awarded. Loading of contractor equipment at location of contractors choice; however, contractor shall plan for OCNMS staging in either Port Angeles or Neah Bay, WA. D. Services to be provided by the contractor 1. Vessel The contractor shall supply a vessel, with crew, of sufficient size/tonnage to operate 24 hours per day, for 8 to 16 days, up to 50 nm off the Washington Coast. The vessel must have appropriate deck equipment (winches, A-frames, davits, etc.) & operators to deploy the equipment & support the operations below. Thevessel must also accommodate 4 OCNMS staff or contracted personnel with berthing, shower & head. Separate quarters shall be provided for men & women. The vessel shall provide 3 nutritious meals & 1 snack during each 24 hr period. The vessel shall be equipped with a differential global positioning system (DGPS) & if contractor proposes an ROV then vessel must have a dynamic ship positioning system or equivalent. The vessel shall provide ~32 ft2, near the A-Frame or davit for OCNMS for handling sediment samples & gear. A low pressure (15-30 psi) salt-water hose for use at this deck location is also required. The vessel shall allow for ~3 ft3 of refrigerator space and ~64 ft2 of deck space for storing samples. The contractor must also supply counter space to set up a computer inside the vessel but within 15 m of the winch, to run cable. The vessel must be equipped with a winch or suitable device to launch & recover a submersible or ROV. The vessel must be equipped with a winch & A-Frame or davit capable of deploying & retrieving up to 200 pds of oceanographic equipment, such as a sediment grab sampler, & a CTD rosette to a depth of 350m. The CTD rosette has an auto fire module & does not require a conducting cable on the winch. Fresh water on deck shall be provided for instrument wash down. 2. Submersible or ROV The contractor shall provide an ROV or submersible, operator(s), & externally mounted camera gear capable of taking both vertical & oblique color video & still photography of high resolution as to be able to identify sediment type & benthic organisms. Real time shipboard viewing of ROV results or internal viewing in a submersible of the video shall be provided. The contractor will also provide appropriate lighting for both still & video photography. The submersible or ROV shall be capable of 8-10 hr dive time/day (12 hr operations), operating in contact with or near the seafloor over potentially rugged substrate. If a submersible is used, it shall be able to accommodate at a minimum, 1 contractor-supplied operator and 1 OCNMS scientist, with viewing ports accessible to the scientist at all times during the dive. The video shall have mounted lasers emitting parallel beams to allow quantitative analysis from video footage or equivalent. The viewing angle of the video camera shall be adjustable from horizontal to vertical. All recorded video shall be tagged with date, time, & position of the ROV or submersible as computed in an integrated Navigation System (INS) using DGPS & a Track Point II or similar system to be provided by the contractor. Geographic positions shall be in NAD83/WGS84 coordinates. Film will be supplied by OCNMS upon consultation with contractor. The 35 mm film camera shall be capable of taking automated vertical shots of sufficient resolution to be able to identify sediment type & benthic organisms. A system (e.g., mounted quadrant) for determining the area covered by the photograph shall be provided by the contractor. A mechanism for maintaining position or course over the buried fiber optics cable must be provided (e.g., magnetometer or via tone sensor) on the ROV or submersible to ensure the proper study area is evaluated. The ROV or submersible shall be outfitted with a contractor- supplied conductivity, temperature, depth & oxygen-sensing array that is linked to an operational data logging system. 3. Sediment/Benthic Sampling Two methods of sediment sampling are required, both to yield samples to be processed by OCNMS for grain size & benthic taxonomy, at a minimum. The sample collection is part of this SOW (e.g., contractor-supplied winch operator working with OCNMS staff), but the sample processing is not. The two methods for sediment collection are 1) a method of quantitatively collecting & holding 4 or 5 approximate 15cm3 sediment samples/dive on an ROV or submersible; & 2) a winch & davit or A-Frame plus operator to help conduct shipboard sediment sampling. OCNMS shall provide the sediment sampler for method 2. The sediment sampler for method 1 is to be provided by the contractor after approval by OCNMS. Samples may be conducted in depths from 20-350m. The majority require the use of method 1 & shall be collected at depths from 150-350m. 4. Reports & Documentation -- Marine Operations Abstract (MOA) -- The contractor shall record & maintain an MOA throughout the cruise. The MOA is a form for recording operational milestones along with date, time, & position. The MOA shall be logged at every significant operational event & every 30 minutes during the cruise. OCNMS will provide the MOA forms. All times shall be recorded in Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Other forms required by OCNMS will be integrated into the MOA. A copy of the completed MOA shall be provided to ONCNMS upon completion of the cruise. The contractor shall record digitally the geographic position of the vessel throughout the cruise with positions logged every minute. Geographic positions shall be in NAD83/WGS84coordinates & recorded to accuracy equivalent to the 5th decimal place using decimal degrees. A digital track line file in ASCII format shall be provided to OCNMS at the completion of the project. 5. Communications Because the scientific staff may need to communicate with other research vessels, commercial vessels, & shore based facilities, the Chief Scientist or designee shall have access to use of radio transceivers & other available communication equipment 6. Mechanical Breakdown -- The contractor is responsible for maintaining all contractor provided equipment & vessels in a safe operating condition during the contract performance. If a mechanical breakdown occurs of the vessel or ROV or submersible that is >12 hrs, the vessel & ROV/submersible shall be considered to be off charter for the purposes of billing. The contractor shall make every reasonable effort to solve any problem causing a vessel and/or ROV/submersible and/or equipment to be out of service, & bring it backinto service as quickly as possible to continue contract performance. 7. Fuel & Water -- The contractor is responsible for providing all fuel needed to perform the contract. Any breaks from contract work to take fuel or water will be considered time off charter, for billing purposes. E. Selection The selection of a contractor will be on the basis of price & technical ability. Technical ability includes past performance & ability to meet the intent of OCNMS researchers. The technical evaluation & price evaluation are equal in importance. The price evaluation will include the price of all option days. F. Proposal Requirements -- Responses to this solicitation shall: a. Describe video & still camera equipment, the lasers & lighting b. Describe sediment sampling device for sediment sampling method 1, including sample size, containment & number achievable/dive. c. Demonstrate the ROV or submersible operator(s) ability to conduct 12 hr/day operations, & the ability of contractors staff to ensure proper camera operation including a method to ensure filming occurs successfully. d. Explain how buried fiber optic cable will be detected & station & course will be maintained directly over cable. e. Include a current ABS (American Bureau of Shippers) or recognized equivalent certification documents (e.g. Lloyds, Det Norsk Veritas) for a submersible. f. Evidence that the crew is comprised of competent operators for all shipboard, submersible, ROV, & scientific equipment. g. Include drawing of the vessel's deck configuration h. Include dates available to perform this contract i. List previous contracts for similar performance, with names & telephone numbers of contact points. j. Describe submersibles ability to accommodate a minimum of one contractor-supplied operator & one OCNMS scientist, with viewing ports accessible to the scientist at all times during the dive. k. Describe the launch & recovery system. l. Describe of Beaufort sea state conditions that the contractor has operated under for similar programs & the sea state limitations for each: launch, operation & recovery. m. Describe experience working at 300m or more depths using the equipment required for this solicitation n. Describe technical aspects of tracking subsurface fiber optics cables & experience o. Describe ROV/Sub remote positioning system p. Describe weather & equipment contingencies q. Describe capabilities of the underwater communications systems & safety features of submersible r. Provide any other drawings, pictures, or written information needed to demonstrate the offers compliance with the SOW s. Describe fuel and water capacity for the charter, and any breaks needed from charter for fuel and/or water t. Offer a firm-fixed price for mobilization & demobilization, a firm-fixed price for a base performance period of 8 days, & a daily firm-fixed price for 8 additional option days. Posted 06/13/00 (W-SN464421). (0165)

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