42 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • MAY 2014
FEATURE SHIP
Breaking the champagne bottle to offi cial christen the R/V Neil Armstrong.
AGOR 27 Neil Armstrong Main Particulars
Yard ........................... Dakota Creek Industries (DCI),
Designer ................. Guido Perla and Associates, Inc.
Owner .........................................................NAVSEA
Operator .........................................................WHOI
Organizations .. NAVSEA, the Offi ce of Naval Research
(ONR), the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the
University National Oceanographic Laboratory System
(UNOLS), Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI
Class ............................................................... ABS
Main engines .............................................Cummins
Cranes .................................................Allied Marine
Winches ....................................... Markey Machinery
Sonar ........................................ Kongsberg Maritime
Survey ....................................................Sonardyne
Schat Harding ....................Rescue Boat Davit SA135
Schottel ...............Stern Thruster 1x 620kW (830 HP)
White Gill ..............Bow Thrusters 1x 686kW (920 HP)
MTU ..........Emergency Generator 1x 210kW (280 HP)
Propulsion System ........................... Siemens Marine
Over the next two months, Siemens will be installing
their new Blue system. This advanced, multi-drive, low-
voltage system manages the speed of various AC pro-
pulsion motors controlling the propellers, stern thruster
and bow thruster. The system provides enhanced reli-
ability with multiple failsafe features, lower maintenance
costs, increased effi ciency, and increased operational
ease for the crew. Reduced fuel consumption results
in lower greenhouse gas emissions. Siemens is also
supplying the majority of the electrical switchgear, the
ACCU automation, and condition-based monitoring sys-
tem.
Markey
• 2x type CAST6-125 Deep Sea Research Winches with
active motion compensation
• 1x type DETW-9-11 All-Electric Traction Winch System
with two storage drums
• 1x instrumented fl agging block
• 1x ship board wire monitoring system
• 1xtype WES-23 Electric Anchor Windlass with two wild
cats and two warping heads.
Kongsberg
• Deep Water Multibeam Survey System EM-122
• Mid Water Multibeam Survey System EM-710
• Single Beam Survey System EA-600
Allied Systems
• Stern Frame A-30
• Main Crane TK70-70
• Portable Crane TK4-30
• CTD Handling System CTD-Lars
• Starboard Side Handling Device
(Cour
tesy of Guido Perla and Associates)
Portrait of the dignitaries assembled for the christening of the R/V Neil Armstrong. Guests from the US Navy, NOAA,
NASA, Woods Hole, Dakota Creek Industries and Guido Perla Associates were on the dais along with members of the
Armstrong family.
Left: Carol Armstrong,
wife of the ship’s name-
sake, astronaut Neil
Armstrong, addressed
the crowd of visitors at
the christening event at
Dakota Creek Industries
in Anacortes, Washington.
Right: Kali Armstrong
watches her grandfather’s
namesake ship pulling
away from the pier.
(Cour
tesy of Karla DeCamp, Dakota Cr
eek Industries)
(Cour
tesy of Karla DeCamp, Dakota Cr
eek Industries)
MR #5 (42-49).indd 42 4/30/2014 3:55:50 PM
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