Friede Goldman Halter, Inc. announced that its Halter marine segment received an outstanding rating for the completion of the USNS Mary Sears sea trials.
Rear Adm. William Schmidt of Insurv and U.S.
Navy captain Philip Johnson of Supships Pascagoula participated in the trials along with personnel from the U.S. Coast Guard, Navy Insurv Board, Naval Sea Systems command, Military Sea Lift Command, Pascagoula Supervisor of Shipbuilding and the Naval Oceanographic Office.
The USNS Mary Sears is the sixth Pathfinder T-AGS 60 class built for the Navy by Halter Marine. The vessel is a multi-mission oceanographic survey ship capable of surveying in either coastal or deep-ocean waters, and always forward deployed- having no stateside homeport.
USNS Mary Sears is the first oceanographic ship officially christened with a woman’s name. World War II wave, Mary Sears, was legendary for her intelligence reports predicting the presence of thermoclines- areas of rapid water temperature change- under which a submarine could hide to escape enemy detection.
The T-AGS 60 class is designed with a common bus diesel electric propulsion system consisting of twin screw propellers driven through Z-drives. The Z-drives, which have been installed on several new and converted oceanographic ships, include gear reduction and 360 degree thrust direction control in a compact unit. The elimination of conventional reduction gears and long propeller shafts, frees up space for other oceanographic uses. Dynamic positioning controls thrust direction and provide unparalleled ship control and maneuverability to permit precise position keeping and track line following. Continuous variable control of ships speed can be maintained from three knots up to maximum speed.