Christening of USC&GS Fairweather and Rainier in 1967
Rainier was delivered to the Coast and Geodetic Survey in April 1968, and commissioned on 2 October 1968 as USC&GS Rainier (MSS 21) in a joint ceremony with her sister ship USC&GS Fairweather at the Pacific Marine Center in Seattle, Washington. The principal speaker at the ceremony was Senator Warren G. Magnuson.[4] When NOAA was formed on 3 October 1970[5] and took over the Coast and Geodetic Survey's assets, she became a part of the NOAA fleet as NOAAS Rainier (S 221).
Rainier's hull is constructed of welded steel plates. She is 231 feet (70m) long, with a beam of 42 feet (13m), and a draft of 14.3 feet (4.4m) She displaces 1,800 tons. Her registered tonnage is 1,591 gross and 578 net. Her construction complies with the standards of the American Bureau of Shipping.[6]
Rainier can cruise at 12 knots. She is propelled by two three-bladed controllable-pitch propellers which are 8.5 feet (2.6m) in diameter. These are driven by two diesel engines. The two main propulsion engines are General Motors EMDLR-12-567-C, each of which produces 1,200 shaft horsepower.[6][2] Electric power on board is provided by two diesel generators, each of which is capable of producing 300kW. The generators are powered by MTU/Detroit Diesel 12V2000P82 engines. She also has a 75kW emergency generator. The ship has a 200 horsepower bow thruster for improved maneuverability.[7][2]
The ship's tanks hold 107,000 US gallons (410,000L) for diesel fuel, giving Rainier an unrefueled range of 5,898 nautical miles.[2]
Rainier has 14 single-person staterooms, 13 double staterooms, and 6 four-person bunk rooms, giving her a total berthing capacity of 64.[8] The ship is equipped with an officers' wardroom, officer's mess, technician's mess, crew mess, galley, gym, laundry facilities, and an infirmary.[9]Rainier has a laboratory of 240 square feet (22m2) to support oceanographic observations and diving operations.[2]
The deck equipment features a large crane aft and two bow-mounted fixed cranes. This equipment gives Rainier a lifting capacity of up to 5,000 pounds (2,300kg). She originally had an A-frame aft, but it was removed during a major refit in 2010 in favor of a Rolls-Royce Group ODIM Brooke Ocean MVP200 Moving Vessel Profiler for underway sound velocity determination during mapping missions.[10]
She carries a Kongsberg EM710 multibeam sonar,[10] and a variety of other conductivity, temperature, and water and bottom sampling instruments to map and characterize the ocean.[8]
The ship carries four survey launches for shallow water work. They were built by All American Marine at its Bellingham, Washington shipyard. They are constructed of welded aluminum. The launches are 28 feet (8.5m) long. They can cruise at 24 knots driven by a single propeller powered by a Cummins QSC 8.3 liter 490-hp Diesel engine.[11] Each of these survey launches is equipped with a Kongsberg EM2040 multibeam sonar for mapping purposes. Rainier also carries four other smaller boats to support dive operations and shore operations.[12][8]
Rainier's crew varies with her mission, but her maximum complement is 13 NOAA Corps commissioned officers/mates, 4 United States Coast Guard licensed engineers, 6 unlicensed engineers, 16 deckhands, 10 survey crew, 4 stewards, 1 electronics technician, and 1 maintenance person, plus up to 8 scientists.[8]
Rainier's career began somewhat inauspiciously. While she was delivered to USC&GS in April 1968, she was not placed into commission until October because Congress had failed to appropriate funds to operate the ship.[7] Since that time, however, she has been at sea almost every year. The table below, while incomplete, gives a sense of her work.
NOAAS Rainier with her namesake, Mount Rainier, in the background.
The ship underwent a service-life extension renovation during 2010. This work took place at the Vigor Marine shipyard in Portland, Oregon, under a $13.1 million contract. Among the work performed was the installation of the Kongsburg multibeam sonar system and the MVP200 Moving Vessel Profiler, replacement of davits and other deck machinery, refitting of living and berthing spaces, and upgrades to machinery control systems, power generation machinery, and the ship’s steering system.[35]Rainier was originally expected to be retired in 2015,[36] but with the additional investment in extending her life, she is now expected to serve until 2028, when she will be 60 years old.[37]
During the summer surveying season in 2018, while Rainier was off the Southern California coast, the United States Coast Guard requested that she assist a disabled sailboat. Rainier successfully towed the boat to calm waters.[27]
On March 22, 2018, NOAA hosted a ceremony in Newport, Oregon, to celebrate 'Rainier′s and her sister shipFairweather′s 50 years of service.[13]
On September 5, 2023, Rainier experienced a fire on board during operations off American Samoa with 41 people on board. The fire is believed to have started in the exhaust stacks and affected machinery spaces, the ship's machine shop, and a computer lab. The ship was left without propulsion and electrical power for about 23 hours before returning to Pago Pago, American Samoa under reduced power. There were no reported injuries.[39]
NOAA sponsors a Teacher at Sea program in its fleet, where primary and secondary school teachers go aboard to participate in the science undertaken by the ships. The intent of the program is to spread awareness of NOAA and ocean sciences generally to teachers who can use this knowledge in their classrooms. Rainier has had a Teacher at Sea participant aboard since 2011,[40] 2013,[41] 2014,[42] 2016,[43] 2018,[44] and 2019.[45]
↑ Administration, United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric (1978). NOAA. U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Office of Public Affairs.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps, known informally as the NOAA Corps, is one of eight federal uniformed services of the United States, and operates under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a scientific agency overseen by the Department of Commerce. The NOAA Corps is made up of scientifically and technically trained officers. The NOAA Corps and the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps are the only U.S. uniformed services that consist only of commissioned officers, with no enlisted or warrant officer ranks. The NOAA Corps' primary mission is to monitor oceanic conditions, support major waterways, and monitor atmospheric conditions.
The Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO) is a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) which operates a wide variety of specialized ships and aircraft to carry out the environmental and scientific missions of NOAA.
NOAAS Rude was an American Rude-class hydrographic survey ship that was in commission in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) from 1970 to 2008. Prior to its NOAA career, it was in commission in the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey from 1967 to 1970 as USC&GS Rude. It was named for Gilbert T. Rude, former Chief of the Division of Coastal Surveys of the Coast and Geodetic Survey.
NOAAS Oceanographer, originally USC&GS Oceanographer, was an American Oceanographer-class oceanographic research vessel in service in the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey from 1966 to 1970 and in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) from 1970 to 1996. She served as flagship of both the Coast and Geodetic Survey and NOAA fleets.
NOAA Ship Fairweather, originally operated by the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey as USC&GS Fairweather, is an oceanographic research ship operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Fairweather primarily conducts hydrographic surveys in Alaskan waters, but is considered a multi-mission-capable vessel and has conducted fisheries research cruises. She is the sister ship of the NOAAS Rainier and of the retired NOAAS Mount Mitchell.
NOAAS Thomas Jefferson is a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) hydrographic survey vessel in service since 2003. The ship was built for the United States Navy as USNS Littlehales (T-AGS-52) serving as one of two new coastal hydrographic survey vessels from 1992 until transfer to NOAA in 2003 when it was named after Founding Father and third U.S. president, Thomas Jefferson.
NOAAS Mount Mitchell was an American survey vessel in commission in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration from 1970 to 1995. Prior to her NOAA career, she was in commission in the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey as USC&GS Mount Mitchell from 1968 to 1970. In 2003, she returned to service as the private research ship R/V Mt. Mitchell.
NOAA Ship Surveyor was an oceanographic survey ship in commission in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) from 1970 until 1995. Prior to her NOAA career, she was in commission in the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey from 1960 to 1970 as USC&GS Surveyor. She was the second and last Coast and Geodetic Survey ship named Surveyor and has been the only NOAA ship thus far to bear the name.
NOAAS Heck was a Rude-class hydrographic survey ship in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) from 1970 to 1995. Prior to her NOAA service, she was in commission from 1967 to 1970 in the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey as USC&GS Heck.
NOAAS Davidson was a survey ship in commission in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) from 1970 to 1989. Prior to her NOAA service, she was in commission in the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey from 1967 to 1970 as USC&GS Davidson, the second Coast and Geodetic Survey ship of the name. She was the only sister ship of NOAAS McArthur(S 330).
The first USC&GSS Pathfinder, also noted in some NOAA histories as "old Pathfinder", was a United States Coast and Geodetic Survey ship in service from 1899 to 1941, when she was beached in sinking condition on January 30, 1942, after 40 years service in the Philippines.
The second USC&GS Explorer was a survey ship that served in the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey from 1940 to 1968. She operated in the Pacific Ocean from 1940 to 1960, seeing service there during World War II, and in the Atlantic Ocean from 1960 to 1968.
NOAAS David Starr Jordan (R444)) was an American fisheries research vessel in commission in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) from 1970 to 2010. She previously was in the United States Fish and Wildlife Service's Bureau of Commercial Fisheries fleet from 1966 to 1970 as US FWS David Starr Jordan.
NOAAS Oscar Dyson is an American fisheries and oceanographic research vessel in commission in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) fleet since 2005.
NOAAS Oregon, previously NOAAS Oregon, was an American fisheries research vessel in commission in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) fleet from 1970 to 1980. Prior to her NOAA career, she operated under the United States Fish and Wildlife Service from 1949 to 1970 as US FWS Oregon.
NOAAS George B. Kelez, previously NOAAS George B. Kelez, was an American research vessel in commission in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) fleet from 1972 to 1980. Prior to her NOAA career, she operated under the United States Fish and Wildlife Service′s Bureau of Commercial Fisheries from 1962 to 1970 as US FWS George B. Kelez and the National Marine Fisheries Service from 1970 to 1972 as NOAAS George B. Kelez.
NOAAS Murre II, previously NOAAS Murre II, was an American research vessel in commission in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) fleet from 1970 to 1989. Prior to her NOAA career, she operated under the United States Department of the Interior′s Fish and Wildlife Service from 1949 to 1956 and under the United States Fish and Wildlife Service′s Bureau of Commercial Fisheries from 1956 to 1970 as US FWS Murre II.
US FWS Pribilof was an American refrigerated cargo ship in commission in the fleet of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) from 1964 to 1970 and, as NOAAS Pribilof, in the fleet of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration′s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) from 1970 to 1975. She ran a cargo service between Seattle, Washington, and the Pribilof Islands – the last of the United States Government "Pribilof tenders" to carry out this function – and also made USFWS and NMFS research cruises in the Pribilofs.
MV Brown Bear was an American research vessel in commission in the fleet of the United States Department of Agriculture′s Bureau of Biological Survey and Alaska Game Commission from 1934 to 1940 and in the fleet of the United States Department of the Interior′s Fish and Wildlife Service from 1940 to 1942 and from 1946 to 1951, under the control of the University of Washington from 1952 to 1965, and in commission in the fleet of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service from 1965 to 1970 and of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration′s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) from 1970 to 1972.
USFS Pelican was an American fisheries science research ship and fishery patrol vessel that operated along the United States East Coast and the United States Gulf Coast and in the waters of the Territory of Alaska. She was part of the United States Bureau of Fisheries (BOF) fleet from 1930 to 1940. She then served as US FWS Pelican in the fleet of the Fish and Wildlife Service – which in 1956 became the United States Fish and Wildlife Service – from 1940 to 1958. She served as a fishery patrol vessel while on loan to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife from 1958 to 1970, then briefly returned to the Fish and Wildlife Service's successor agency, the National Marine Fisheries Service. Her United States Government service ended when she was sold into private hands in 1972, and she remained extant as of 2018.
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United States Coast and Geodetic Survey
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NOAA Unit Citation Award, 1977
