USS Salvor (ARS-52)
Encyclopedia
USS Salvor (ARS-52) is a , the second United States Navy
ship of that name.
Salvor was laid down on 16 September 1983 by Peterson Builders, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
; launched
on 28 July 1984; and commissioned
on 14 June 1986.
Salvor is the third ship of the auxiliary rescue and salvage class of vessel constructed for the US Navy. The rugged construction of this steel-hulled vessel, combined with her speed and endurance, make Salvor well-suited for rescue and salvage operations throughout the world. The hull below the waterline is ice-strengthened. Her propulsion plant can develop 4200 shaft horsepower with four Caterpillar
399 diesel engine
s coupled in pairs to two shafts. She is fitted with a Controllable Reversible Pitch (CRP) propeller
within a Kort nozzle
on each shaft. The CRP propeller/Kort nozzle combination produces greater thrust and more maneuverability control than conventional propellers. Salvor is also configured with a bow thruster
which provides athwartship thrust for additional control of the bow
when the ship's speed is less than five knots (9 km/h).
In 1995 and again in 2000, Salvor was the United States Pacific Fleet
's winner of the Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Fund Award
for most battle-ready ship of her type.
USS Salvor was decommissioned and transferred to the Military Sealift Command in January 2007. Salvor was redesignated as USNS Salvor (T-ARS 52). The ship has undergone modifications for civilian crewing as well as automation and control system upgrades at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard
.
In addition to the standard legs of beach gear, Salvor carries 4 spring buoys. The spring buoys are carried beneath the port and starboard bridge wings and are painted bright orange. Each spring buoy weighs approximately 3100 pounds (1,406.1 kg), is 10 feet (3 m) long and 6 feet (1.8 m) in diameter, provides a net buoyancy of 7½ tons, and can withstand 125 tons of pull-through force. The spring buoys are used with beach gear legs rigged from a stranded vessel when deep water is found seaward of the stranded vessel.
Salvor propulsion machinery provides a bollard pull
(towing force at zero speed and full power) of 68 tons.
The centerpiece of Salvor towing capability is an Almon A. Johnson Series 322 double-drum automatic towing machine. Each drum carries 3000 feet (914.4 m) of 2+1/4 in drawn galvanized, 6X37 right-hand lay, wire-rope towing hawsers, with closed zinc-poured sockets on the bitter end. The towing machine uses a system to automatically pay-in and pay-out the towing howser to maintain a constant strain.
The automatic towing machine also includes a Series 400 traction winch that can be used with synthetic line towing hawsers up to 14 inches in circumference. The winch has automatic payout but only manual recovery.
The Salvor caprail is curved to fairlead and prevent chaffing of the towing hawser. It includes two vertical stern rollers to tend the towing hawser directly aft and two Norman pin rollers to prevent the towing hawser from sweeping forward of the beam at the point of tow. The stern rollers and Norman pins are raised hydraulically and can withstand a lateral force of 50000 pounds (22,679.6 kg) at mid barrel.
Two tow bows provide a safe working area on the fantail during towing operations.
The diving locker is equipped with a double-lock hyperbaric chamber that can be used for recompression after deep dives or for the treatment of divers suffering from decompression sickness
.
The MK21 MOD1 diving system supports manned diving to depths of 190 feet (57.9 m) on surfaced-supplied air. A fly-away mixed gas system can be used to enable the support of diving to a maximum depth of 300 feet (91.4 m).
The MK20 MOD0 diving system allows-surface supplied diving to a depth of 60 feet (18.3 m) with lighter equipment.
Salvor carries SCUBA
equipment for dives that require greater mobility than is possible in tethered diving.
s (6000 pounds (2,721.6 kg) Navy standard stockless or 8000 pounds (3,628.7 kg) balanced-fluke anchors) Salvor can use equipment associated with her beach gear to lay a multi-point open water moor to station herself for diving and ROV operations.
A typical four-point-moor consists of an X pattern with four Stato Anchors at the outside corners and Salvor at the center, made fast to a spring buoy for the close end of each mooring leg with synthetic mooring lines. Using her capstans, Salvor can shorten or lengthen the mooring line for each leg and change her position within the moor.
As built Salvor had a 7.5-ton capcacity boom on a forward kingpost, however the kingpost and boom are being replaced by a 10,0000-pound deck crane. She has 40-ton capacity boom on her aft kingpost.
"Salvor" also has two auxiliary bow rollers, which can support of 75 ton lift when used together.
of with Eihme Maru between February and November 2001. Salvor also assisted in the Exxon Houston grounding near Barbers Point, Hawaii, in March 1989, and the Kamalu barge fire in May 1989. On three occasions, Salvor has assisted a ship at sea that has suffered a catastrophic equipment loss: recovering the primary towing pendant of the Ex-/ in January 1995, the anchor chain of the in February 1995, and the towed sonar array of the in June 1996.
During the same time, Salvor participated in seven sea-recoveries of submerged military aircraft, including an A-6E Intruder
(VA-145) in Puget Sound, Washington, a UH-46D Sea Knight from a world-record depth 17251 feet (5,258.1 m) near Wake Island, a SH-60 Seahawk
, an F/A-18C Hornet (VFA-22
) near San Diego,, and two United States Air Force
F-16 Falcons in Korean waters and the Sea of Japan
.
Other salvage operations undertaken by Salvor include repairing the propeller blades of the , repairing the hull of BRP Rajah Humabon
,
recovering a LARC-V
amphibious vehicle, recovering and disposing of a 1000 pounds (453.6 kg) Mark 83 bomb
, pumping out oil leaking from the wreck of , and exploring the wreck of the in the Gulf of Thailand.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
ship of that name.
Salvor was laid down on 16 September 1983 by Peterson Builders, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Sturgeon Bay is a city in and the county seat of Door County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 9,437 at the 2000 census. It is located at the natural end of Sturgeon Bay, although the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal was built across the remainder of the Door Peninsula.-Geography:Sturgeon Bay is...
; launched
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
on 28 July 1984; and commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
on 14 June 1986.
Salvor is the third ship of the auxiliary rescue and salvage class of vessel constructed for the US Navy. The rugged construction of this steel-hulled vessel, combined with her speed and endurance, make Salvor well-suited for rescue and salvage operations throughout the world. The hull below the waterline is ice-strengthened. Her propulsion plant can develop 4200 shaft horsepower with four Caterpillar
Caterpillar Inc.
Caterpillar Inc. , also known as "CAT", designs, manufactures, markets and sells machinery and engines and sells financial products and insurance to customers via a worldwide dealer network. Caterpillar is the world's largest manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas...
399 diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
s coupled in pairs to two shafts. She is fitted with a Controllable Reversible Pitch (CRP) propeller
Controllable pitch propeller
A controllable pitch propeller or variable pitch propeller is a type of propeller with blades that can be rotated around their long axis to change their pitch...
within a Kort nozzle
Kort nozzle
The Kort nozzle is a shrouded, ducted propeller assembly for marine propulsion. The hydrodynamic design of the shroud, which is shaped like a foil, offers advantages for certain conditions over bare propellers....
on each shaft. The CRP propeller/Kort nozzle combination produces greater thrust and more maneuverability control than conventional propellers. Salvor is also configured with a bow thruster
Bow thruster
A bow thruster is a transversal propulsion device built into, or mounted to, the bow of a ship or boat to make it more maneuverable. Bow thrusters make docking easier, since they allow the captain to turn the vessel to port or starboard without using the main propulsion mechanism which requires...
which provides athwartship thrust for additional control of the bow
Bow (ship)
The bow is a nautical term that refers to the forward part of the hull of a ship or boat, the point that is most forward when the vessel is underway. Both of the adjectives fore and forward mean towards the bow...
when the ship's speed is less than five knots (9 km/h).
In 1995 and again in 2000, Salvor was the United States Pacific Fleet
United States Pacific Fleet
The United States Pacific Fleet is a Pacific Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources under the operational control of the United States Pacific Command. Its home port is at Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Hawaii. It is commanded by Admiral Patrick M...
's winner of the Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Fund Award
Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Fund Award
The Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Fund Award is presented annually by the U.S. Navy's Chief of Naval Operations to one ship in the U.S. Atlantic Fleet and one in the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
for most battle-ready ship of her type.
USS Salvor was decommissioned and transferred to the Military Sealift Command in January 2007. Salvor was redesignated as USNS Salvor (T-ARS 52). The ship has undergone modifications for civilian crewing as well as automation and control system upgrades at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility is a United States Navy shipyard covering 179 acres on Puget Sound at Bremerton, Washington...
.
Mission and capabilities
Like all Safeguard class rescue and salvage ships, Salvor serves as an element of the United States Navy's Combat Logistics Support Force and provides rescue and salvage services to the fleet at sea. She also supported the protection of forces ashore through post-assault salvage operations in close proximity to the shore. She is designed to perform combat salvage, lifting, towing, off-ship firefighting, manned diving operations, and emergency repairs to stranded or disabled vessels.Salvage of disabled and stranded vessels
Disabled or stranded ships might require various types of assistance before retraction or towing can be attempted. In her 21000 cubic feet (594.7 m³) salvage holds, Salvor carries transportable cutting and welding equipment, hydraulic and electric power sources, and de-watering gear. Salvor also has salvage and machine shops, and hull repair materials to effect temporary hull repairs on stranded or otherwise damaged ships.Retraction of stranded vessels
Stranded vessels can be retracted from a beach or reef by the use of Salvor towing machine and propulsion. Additional retraction force can be applied to a stranded vessel through the use of up to six legs of beach gear, consisting of 6000 pounds (2,721.6 kg) STATO anchors, wire rope, chain, and salvage buoys. In a typical configuration, two legs of beach gear are rigged on board Salvor, and up to four legs of beach are rigged to the stranded vessel.In addition to the standard legs of beach gear, Salvor carries 4 spring buoys. The spring buoys are carried beneath the port and starboard bridge wings and are painted bright orange. Each spring buoy weighs approximately 3100 pounds (1,406.1 kg), is 10 feet (3 m) long and 6 feet (1.8 m) in diameter, provides a net buoyancy of 7½ tons, and can withstand 125 tons of pull-through force. The spring buoys are used with beach gear legs rigged from a stranded vessel when deep water is found seaward of the stranded vessel.
Towing
| Ocean Towing Operations as USS Salvor | ||
| Vessel | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| AFDB 1B, AFDB 2E (floating dry docks) | Subic Bay, Philippines to Pearl Harbor Hawaii (ADFB 1B) passed to | November- December 1987. |
| Ex- | Pearl Harbor operating areas (synthetic line experiment) | May 1989. |
| Pearl Harbor, Hawaii to Kwajelein to Subic Bay, Philippines | September-October 1987. | |
| Ex-, , Ex-, Ex- – | Charleston, South Carolina (YTB-817 only) to Beaumont, Texas (All) to Panama Canal to San Diego, California to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii | August-November 1986 |
| Ex- | Pearl Harbor Hawaii to SINKEX | April 1990. |
| AFDL 40 (floating dry dock) | Pearl Harbor, Hawaii to Kwajelein to Guam to Subic Bay, Philippines | June 1991. |
| Ex- | Yokosuka, Japan to Midway to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii | June 1991. |
| Ex- | San Diego, CA to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii | April 1992. |
| Ex- | Pearl Harbor, Hawaii to Bremerton Washington | September 1992. |
| Hawaii operating areas to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii | March 1993. | |
| Ex- | Pearl Harbor, Hawaii to Bremerton Washington | May 1993. |
| Ex- | Rodman, Panama to Bremerton, Washington | August 1993. |
| Ex- | San Diego, California to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii | 1994 |
| Ex- | San Diego, California to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii | 1994 |
| Ex- | Rodman, Panama to San Diego to Bremerton, Washington | September 1994. |
| Ex- | San Francisco, California to Bremerton, Washington | October 1994. |
| Ex- | Pearl Harbor, Hawaii to Bremerton Washington | June 1995. |
| Ex- | Pearl Harbor, Hawaii to SINKEX | August 1997. |
| Ex- | Pearl Harbor, Hawaii to San Francisco, California | March 1999. |
| Decommissioned Submarine | Pearl Harbor, Hawaii to San Francisco, California | July, 2000. |
| Ex- | Bremerton Washington to San Francisco, California | August 2000. |
| Ex- | San Francisco California to Bremerton, Washington | August 2000. |
| Ex- | Pearl Harbor, Hawaii to San Francisco, California | March 2001. |
| YDT 253 barge crane | San Diego, California to Bremerton, Washington | August 2003. |
| Ex- | San Francisco, California to Pearl Harbor Hawaii | September 2003. |
| Ex- | Pearl Harbor, Hawaii to SINKEX | February 2006. |
| (ex-) | Pearl Harbor, Hawaii to Guam | October 2006. |
Bollard pull
Bollard pull is a value that allows the comparison of the pulling force of watercraft, particularly tugboats. A mooring bollard may be used as a point of attachment for measuring the force, or pull of the craft.-Background:...
(towing force at zero speed and full power) of 68 tons.
The centerpiece of Salvor towing capability is an Almon A. Johnson Series 322 double-drum automatic towing machine. Each drum carries 3000 feet (914.4 m) of 2+1/4 in drawn galvanized, 6X37 right-hand lay, wire-rope towing hawsers, with closed zinc-poured sockets on the bitter end. The towing machine uses a system to automatically pay-in and pay-out the towing howser to maintain a constant strain.
The automatic towing machine also includes a Series 400 traction winch that can be used with synthetic line towing hawsers up to 14 inches in circumference. The winch has automatic payout but only manual recovery.
The Salvor caprail is curved to fairlead and prevent chaffing of the towing hawser. It includes two vertical stern rollers to tend the towing hawser directly aft and two Norman pin rollers to prevent the towing hawser from sweeping forward of the beam at the point of tow. The stern rollers and Norman pins are raised hydraulically and can withstand a lateral force of 50000 pounds (22,679.6 kg) at mid barrel.
Two tow bows provide a safe working area on the fantail during towing operations.
Manned diving operations
Salvor has a several diving systems to support different types of operations. Divers descend to diving depth on a diving stage that is lowered by one of two powered davits.The diving locker is equipped with a double-lock hyperbaric chamber that can be used for recompression after deep dives or for the treatment of divers suffering from decompression sickness
Decompression sickness
Decompression sickness describes a condition arising from dissolved gases coming out of solution into bubbles inside the body on depressurization...
.
The MK21 MOD1 diving system supports manned diving to depths of 190 feet (57.9 m) on surfaced-supplied air. A fly-away mixed gas system can be used to enable the support of diving to a maximum depth of 300 feet (91.4 m).
The MK20 MOD0 diving system allows-surface supplied diving to a depth of 60 feet (18.3 m) with lighter equipment.
Salvor carries SCUBA
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
equipment for dives that require greater mobility than is possible in tethered diving.
Recovery of submerged objects
In addition to her two main ground tackle anchorAnchor
An anchor is a device, normally made of metal, that is used to connect a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the vessel from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ancora, which itself comes from the Greek ἄγκυρα .Anchors can either be temporary or permanent...
s (6000 pounds (2,721.6 kg) Navy standard stockless or 8000 pounds (3,628.7 kg) balanced-fluke anchors) Salvor can use equipment associated with her beach gear to lay a multi-point open water moor to station herself for diving and ROV operations.
A typical four-point-moor consists of an X pattern with four Stato Anchors at the outside corners and Salvor at the center, made fast to a spring buoy for the close end of each mooring leg with synthetic mooring lines. Using her capstans, Salvor can shorten or lengthen the mooring line for each leg and change her position within the moor.
As built Salvor had a 7.5-ton capcacity boom on a forward kingpost, however the kingpost and boom are being replaced by a 10,0000-pound deck crane. She has 40-ton capacity boom on her aft kingpost.
Heavy Lift
Salvor has heavy lift system that consists of large bow and stern rollers, deck machinery, and tackle. The rollers serve as low-friction fairlead for the wire rope or chain used for the lift. The tackle and deck machinery provide up to 75 tons of hauling for each lift. The two bow rollers can be used together with linear hydraulic pullers to achieve a dynamic lift of 150 tons. The stern rollers can be used with the automatic towing machine to provide a dynamic lift of 150 tons. All four rollers can be used together for a dynamic lift of 300 tons or a static tidal lift of 350 tons."Salvor" also has two auxiliary bow rollers, which can support of 75 ton lift when used together.
Off-ship fire-fighting
Salvor Has three manually-operated fire monitors, one on the forward signal bridge, one on on the aft signal bridge, and one on the forecastle, that can deliver up to 1000 gallons per minute of seawater or aqueous film forming foam (AFFF). When originally built, Salvor had a fourth remotely controlled fire monitor mounted on her forward kingpost, but this was later removed. Salvor has a 3600 gallon foam tank.Emergency ship salvage material
In addition to the equipment carried by Salvor, the US Navy Supervisor of Salvage maintains a stock of additional emergency fly-away salvage equipment that can be deployed aboard the salvage ships to support a wide variety of rescue and salvage operations.Operational accomplishments
Between 1987 and 2001, Salvor has provided rescue or assistance to ships at sea in seven instances. Two cases involved collisions near Hawaii: the boat accident in August 1987, and the CollisionEhime Maru and USS Greeneville collision
The Ehime Maru and USS Greeneville collision was a ship collision between the United States Navy submarine USS Greeneville and the Japanese fishery high school training ship Ehime Maru on 9 February 2001, about off the south coast of Oahu, Hawaii, United States...
of with Eihme Maru between February and November 2001. Salvor also assisted in the Exxon Houston grounding near Barbers Point, Hawaii, in March 1989, and the Kamalu barge fire in May 1989. On three occasions, Salvor has assisted a ship at sea that has suffered a catastrophic equipment loss: recovering the primary towing pendant of the Ex-/ in January 1995, the anchor chain of the in February 1995, and the towed sonar array of the in June 1996.
During the same time, Salvor participated in seven sea-recoveries of submerged military aircraft, including an A-6E Intruder
A-6 Intruder
The Grumman A-6 Intruder was an American, twin jet-engine, mid-wing attack aircraft built by Grumman Aerospace. In service with the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps between 1963 and 1997, the Intruder was designed as an all-weather medium attack aircraft to replace the piston-engined A-1 Skyraider...
(VA-145) in Puget Sound, Washington, a UH-46D Sea Knight from a world-record depth 17251 feet (5,258.1 m) near Wake Island, a SH-60 Seahawk
SH-60 Seahawk
The Sikorsky SH-60/MH-60 Seahawk is a twin turboshaft engine, multi-mission United States Navy helicopter based on the United States Army UH-60 Black Hawk and a member of the Sikorsky S-70 family. The most significant airframe modification is a hinged tail to reduce its footprint aboard ships.The...
, an F/A-18C Hornet (VFA-22
VFA-22
VFA-22, Strike Fighter Squadron 22, also known as the "Fighting Redcocks", are a United States Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter squadron stationed at Naval Air Station Lemoore...
) near San Diego,, and two United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
F-16 Falcons in Korean waters and the Sea of Japan
Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland, the Japanese archipelago and Sakhalin. It is bordered by Japan, North Korea, Russia and South Korea. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it has almost no tides due to its nearly complete enclosure from the Pacific...
.
Other salvage operations undertaken by Salvor include repairing the propeller blades of the , repairing the hull of BRP Rajah Humabon
BRP Rajah Humabon (PF-11)
The BRP Rajah Humabon is a frigate of the Philippine Navy, and is the last World War II-era destroyer escort/frigate active in its fleet and is one of the oldest active warships in the world...
,
recovering a LARC-V
LARC-V
LARC-V , is an aluminium-hulled amphibious cargo vehicle capable of transporting 5 tons. It was developed in the United States during the 1950s, and is used in a variety of auxiliary roles to this day....
amphibious vehicle, recovering and disposing of a 1000 pounds (453.6 kg) Mark 83 bomb
Mark 83 bomb
The Mark 83 is part of the Mark 80 series of low-drag general-purpose bombs in United States service.-Development & deployment:The nominal weight of the bomb is 1,000 lb , although its actual weight varies between 985 lb and 1,030 lb , depending on fuze options, and fin configuration...
, pumping out oil leaking from the wreck of , and exploring the wreck of the in the Gulf of Thailand.
External links
- USS Salvor official website
- nvr.navy.mil: USNS Salvor
- navsource.org: USNS Salvor
- navysite.de: USNS Salvor
- USNS Salvor (T-ARS-52) command histories – Naval History & Heritage Command