NOAA SHIP NANCY FOSTER STABILITY TEST AND PROPELLER STUDY SUPPORT

NOAA SHIP NANCY FOSTER in Drydock at Detyens Shipyards, Inc

The NOAA Ship Nancy Foster (R 352) is a research vessel operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). She was originally built as a Navy yard torpedo test craft at McDermott Shipyards in Amelia, Louisiana and launched in 1990. In 2001, the US Navy transferred the ship to NOAA.

The ship is named for Dr. Nancy Foster, who was the director of the National Marine Fisheries Service’s Office of Protected Resources for several years. The ship is 186 feet long with a beam of 40 feet. She has a total of 39 bunk spaces.

The NANCY FOSTER underway (stock photo).

During the Winter of 2018, CMC was contracted by Detyens Shipyards, Inc. to perform several tasks during a 90 day availability, which included: performing a Deadweight Survey, Stability Test (Inclining Experiment), updating the ship’s Fire Plan, designing an Anchor Stop Device, and providing as-built drawings for a new Kongsberg Sonar System. CMC also supported Bristol Harbor Group in helping to assess upgrading the ship’s propeller.

Deadweight Survey and Stability Test

Prior to the Stability Test, CMC was also tasked with performing the necessary calculations to removed ballast lead from one side of the ship in order to remove a list of approximately 0.5 degrees. The Deadweight Survey was conducted over a period of a few weeks while the ship was in drydock.

A GHS hydrostatic model used for the original Trim and Stability Booklet was provided by the NOAA Naval Architect, and this was helpful. CMC’s in-house stability software is MAXSURF, and fortunately, the GHS model file can be easily imported into MAXSURF showing all of the hull, tank, and compartment geometry with a high degree of accuracy to ensure excellent correlation and results.

MAXSURF is a powerful alternative to GHS for Stability Analysis.  Contact Charleston Marine Consulting for more information.
GHS Model imported into MAXSURF
MAXSURF is a powerful alternative to GHS for Stability Analysis.  Contact Charleston Marine Consulting for more information.
This is the GHS Screen showing the NANCY FOSTER Tank Configuration
MAXSURF is a powerful alternative to GHS for Stability Analysis.  Contact Charleston Marine Consulting for more information.
Rendered view of NANCY FOSTER hull geometry with the numerous tanks shown

CMC developed the shipyard’s procedure for conducting the stability test using available test weights at the shipyard. The test was performed inside of the shipyard’s graving dock after conducting the Deadweight Survey with the ABS Surveyors. Before conducting the test however, several tons of ballast lead was removed from one side of the ship in order to “zero in” the list condition. CMC made extensive use of the powerful capabilities of MAXSURF Stability for making all of the required calculations for the removal of lead and shifting of test weights for the stability test.

MAXSURF is a powerful alternative to GHS for Stability Analysis.  Contact Charleston Marine Consulting for more information.
MAXSURF screen shot of NANCY FOSTER hull geometry and tanks used for Docking Calculations and Stability Test Analysis
MAXSURF is a powerful alternative to GHS for Stability Analysis.  Contact Charleston Marine Consulting for more information.
MAXSURF screen shot of NANCY FOSTER hull geometry and tanks used for Docking Calculations and Stability Test Analysis

CMC also used MAXSURF Resistance in order to make hull resistance and powering calculations which were utilized by Bristol Harbor Group to perform a propeller upgrade study for NOAA.

MAXSURF is a powerful alternative to GHS for Stability Analysis.  Contact Charleston Marine Consulting for more information.
Screen shot of NANCY FOSTER underway using MAXSURF Resistance software for powering estimates and surface wave pattern predictions.

If you would like to view an INTRODUCTORY YouTube video presentation of using MAXSURF with GHS Geometry Files, click this link.
If you would like to view an IN DEPTH YouTube video presentation of using MAXSURF Stability with GHS Geometry Files, click this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxAmeFJ9m-Y

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