M/V Legend - R/V Langseth Conversion History

R/V Langseth Begins Science Cruises Feb 2008

27 January - 5 February 2008:   MGL0802 - Seismic source calibration - part II

3 - 24 January 2008:   MGL0801 - Seismic Shakedown - part II

17 - 21 December 2007:   MGL0707 - Seismic source calibration - part I

21 November - 6 December 2007:   MGL0706 - Seismic Shakedown - part I

12 November:   Dockside dedication by Lillian Langseth

9 November - Jamestown Marine - NSF inspection passsed

21 -26 October 2007 Multibeam calibration and evaluation cruise

12 October 2007 - US Coast Guard issues Certificate of Inspection

1 June 2007:

Final conversion and science outfitting work began in March, continues, and is nearly complete.

14 March 2007:

Langseth has berthed at the 14th St Pier, Galveston, TX.  EROCC and MLSOC meetings are scheduled there for 19 - 20 March.

4 March 2007:

Langseth departed Shelburne, NS for transit to Galveston, TX, where science outfitting will take place. 

27 Feb - 3 March 2006:

Vessel departed Quonset Point, Rhode Island on 22 February and arrived
Saturday morning February 25th. Crew securing vessel for lay-up, while Yard
day lost to extended Canadian Customs and Immigration inspections. On Sunday
job inspections by Yard supervisors and shop foremen. Also began pumping out
fuel to shore side storage. Through the week finished fuel, lube and slop
de-bunkering and finished about half the tank cleaning. We received gas free
certification for entire vessel except tanks and engine room. Remaining crew
moved from ship after vessel custody handed over to yard. Much of the week's
effort was in de-storing and clearing decks of owner furnished equipment.
Structural removals began on the OBS deck forward, OBS deck stern notch,
Vane Deck Stern Notch, Side shell aft of Frame 30, and the Life Boat recess
aft of Frame 60. The main engine head tank and stern tube head tanks were
removed to the main deck level. The Halon system has been removed with only
inserts remaining. Piping removals have begun around engine room bulkhead
and for the Starboard side cut-out. Insulation removals have begun on the
bridge, in A-deck staterooms and Galley, in the engine room and in the
seismic lab. Planning and material ordering continued throughout the week.

25 February, 2006 - Langseth arrives at Irving Shipbuilders, Shelburne, N.S.

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R/V Langseth Town Hall Meeting  - AGU, 2005

To update the community about progress on several fronts, the second R/V Langseth Town Hall Meeting was held at the AGU meeting in San Francisco

6pm-7:30pm   Thursday, 8 Dec

Marriott Hotel, Golden Gate ,A3

Agenda:

      Introduction and Welcome - Mike Purdy, L-DEO

      Langseth conversion progress report -  John Diebold, L-DEO OMO

             Shipyard bid package preparation, distribution, timing of bid process,

              new conversion items

      EROCC report – James Cochran, L-dEO

           The Ewing Replacement Conversion Oversight Committee continues its

            regular meetings, and will soon help to finalize shipyard conversion priorities.

      MLSOC announcement - Marcia McNutt - MBARI

             The Marcus Langseth Science Oversight Committee was voted into existance

             during the October UNOLS meetings

      3D Symposium followup – John Mutter, L-DEO, CEI

              During the very successful 3D Symposium, held at L-DEO during September,

              several interesting topics and questions were raised and remain unresolved.

      General discussion, Q&A

M/V Legend - R/V Langseth Conversion - Status

2 November, 2005 -

With NSF  approval, the Lamont Office of Marine Operations sent the Langsethconversion specification package to eleven
 US and international shipyards, and published a public notice of the bidding process.

 Key dates will be-

 8, 9 November- Ship check at Senesco Marine, Rhode Island.

23 November- All bids to be recieved

16 December- Target date for award of contract.

We are anticipating a mid-January, 2006 delivery of the ship to  the yard.

In early December 2004, Columbia University Lee Bollinger approved of the renaming of the Legend as the Marcus G Langseth. 

Marcus Langseth joined Lamont in the summer of 1953 and died of cancer at the age of 64 in 1997. In the late 1950's and early 1960's he developed one of the first instruments to measure the heat flux between the interior of the earth into the deep ocean basins. He used these results to compile the first global heat flow map that was instrumental in establishing the emerging paradigms of plate tectonics and sea floor spreading. He earned his PhD from Columbia University in 1964 and from 1966 to 1975 led NASA's lunar heat flow experiment. On the Apollo 17 mission his successful measurements showed that the moon had lost much of its internal heat long ago, and that the moon lacked the dynamic Earth's mechanisms for creating new heat . In recognition of this work, he received NASA's special achievement award. Marcus actively served on the UNOLS Fleet Improvement Committee (formally Fleet Replacement Committee) from 1985 to 1994 and was the Chair from 1990 through 1994. This was a very busy time for the committee and many of their efforts can be credited to shaping the capable UNOLS Fleet as we now know it. In the 1990's he was the leader that enabled the first unclassified scientific missions aboard the US Navy nuclear-powered submarines operating beneath the Arctic ice cap. The resulting data have revolutionized our understanding of the Arctic Ocean . He also played a key leadership role in the International Ocean Drilling Program. .

For an informal and informative biography, see:

http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/langseth.html

The Legend/Langseth is currently berthed at Senesco shipyard, Quonset Point, RI.

2004 AGU Town Hall Meeting:

Multibeam Order:

The purchase order for a Simrad EM 120 1x1 degree multibeam system has been issued and recieved by Kongsberg Simrad. This system will be upgraded to an EM 122 when the upgrade is available. In addition, provision for integration of a Simrad SBP 120 subbottom profiler will be included.