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23 October 2003
R/V JW Powell, former
drug runner, now champions Homeland Defense
Fresh out of the shipyard and enroute to Trinidad for a surface
geochemical exploration and heat flow consortium program,
the R/V JW Powell was
diverted to St Petersburg Florida to conduct a 8 day R&D
effort directed at enhancing homeland security. John
Kloske (University of South Florida, College of Marine Science
Center for Ocean Technology, marops@seas.marine.usf.edu) has
been funded by the Office of Naval Research since August 2002
on four research projects totalling nearly $2 million for
development, testing and evaluation of an Autonomous Unmanned
Vehicle (AUV) and Mobile Inspection Platform with specific
applications to Homeland Defense in securing the nation’s
ports and harbors. Development of these and similar
tools are one of the key elements critical to implementation
of the new Maritime Security Laws and Regulations (for example,
see http://www.unitel.com/solas.htm).
The work opportunity for the Powell came suddenly, when one
of the USF vessels previously used on the project became unavailable.
TDI-Brooks International responded to the very short fused
RFP (7 days from announcement to bid opening), delaying the
exploration consortium program slightly to fit the priority
project in. Not only was the Powell found to be the
best suited vessel to respond to the RFP, but the Powell was
the most attractive in price, even when mobilized from Freeport
Texas.
Features which made the Powell ideal for Kloske’s cruise
included:
- an onboard A/C powered control
van for piloting the AUV and remote platform,
- twin moon pools located midship
at the point of minimal motion for installation of
the ORE Trackpoint II,
- centerline mounted HIAB knuckle
boom crane with sufficient reach and lift to handle
both the AUV and service tender (Jet boat) from either
side of the vessel,
- adequate deck space to allow
simultaneous AUV, ROV, and support boat operations,
- and the “can do”
attitude of the Powell’s crew.
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AUV
Deployment |
ROV Deployment |
Despite the diversity and range of Kloske’s requirements,
the Powell remained fully rigged and equipped for the
dual objective exploratory cruise which followed in
Trinidad.
The cruise plan called for anchoring at the St. Pete
Beach Artificial reef site (comprised of 10 sunk army
battle tanks) while the AUV and ROV was deployed to
find, identify and characterize features which would
be considered a threat to shipping and national security.
Eight days were spent on site, with near perfect weather.
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This is not the first time the R/V JW Powell has had a high
profile role involving security of the country. The JW Powell’s
(under a different name, and for sure under different ownership!)
first claim to fame came in the late 1970’s when the
vessel was seized by the US Coast Guard under machine gun
fire on a night time high seas chase that resulted in the
largest (as of that date) drug bust in US history. USGS
subsequently acquired the vessel for use in their research
programs. USGS significantly improved and modified the
Powell’s original configuration and facilities, and then
made the vessel available to a number of charterers including
The Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, and Texas A&M
University.
In 1989 the Powell was featured in the James Bond spy
thriller “License to Kill” (http://www.klast.net/bond/ltk.html),
which starred Timothy Dalton, Carey Lowell, and Wayne Newton.
Extreme cinematographic liberty was taken in depicting the
interior accommodations of the vessel, but the Powell is clearly
recognizable in outboard profile and scenes shot in the bridge.
TDI-Brooks acquired the JW Powell as it’s second research
vessel in June 2000, and operates it primarily in Africa,
the Caribbean, South America and the Gulf of Mexico.
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