VESSEL CHARTER FOR VARIOUS PROJECTS INCLUDING TRAWL AND OCEANOGRAPHIC SURVEYS IN ALASKAN MARINE WATERS

The Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) conducts scientific research on fish stocks, fish habitats, and the chemistry of marine environments throughout Alaskan Marine Waters. Information from this research is widely used by commercial interests such as fishing industries, and governmental agencies involved in managing natural resources. This research relies upon marine survey data on commercially marketable species such as rockfish, sablefish, forage fish, and salmon which is then turned into information products essential to fishing industries, state and federal regulators. The goal of these survey efforts is to address the objectives within NOAA's mission scope by providing information on how species distribution and marine food webs are altered by changes in the environment throughout Alaskan marine waters.The AFSC has a requirement for a contractor to provide charter operations from about late July to early October (five months) during the base period in 2018 and from June to

October of each of four option periods immediately following the base period. The base period time and location will be dependent on surveys chosen for each contract period. Work will typically occur out of ports like Dutch Harbor, Nome, Juneau, and Sitka but maybe as far north as Barrow Alaska. Length of sea legs will vary depending on work and location and associated research projects and will be determined by the field party chief in conjunction with the contractor. Operations will include fisheries and oceanographic research, involving multiple nets and gear types being deployed off the contract vessel.The Contractor will be expected to furnish the necessary vessels, personnel, equipment, and services to perform the statement of work/specifications. Vessel requirements include, but are not limited to:• Minimum overall length (LOA) of 35.1 m (115 ft.) and the vessel shall have been actively used for commercial trawling or research where trawl gear was used in the past 12 months;• Minimum engine power of 1200HP;• Completely rigged for trawling including 1) a stern ramp and gallows or gantry, 2) ability to two either two standard survey trawls, a Nordic 264 rope trawl fished with 3-meter steel alloy doors and a set of two 70-m (230') long bridles for each door, and associated gear hardware and headrope floats, and a Cantrawl model 400/601 hexagonal mesh trawl fished with 5-meter steel alloy doors and a set of three 60-m long bridles for each door, and associated gear hardware and headrope floats: either at a continuous speed of 4 - 5 kts under weather conditions considered safe and typical for survey sampling, 3) a net reel with capacity for one of the nets described above, 4) split trawl winches with a minimum of 1,000 m (547 fm) of 1.58 cm (5/8 in) diameter wire or steel core trawl cable in good condition on each drum and the ability to retrieve the research trawl at the minimum rate of 61 m (200 ft.) per minute, 5) an auto-trawl system with the capability of adjustable winch brakes and a third wire net mensuration system. This auto-trawl system must be annually certified by factory inspectors to be operating as designed and maintained in usable condition throughout the duration of each survey. The third wire mensuration system shall not be substituted with another system and 6) trawl cable must lead directly from the winches to the gallows trawl blocks;• Ability to maintain a minimum cruising speed of 16.67 km/hr. (9 nm/hr.) in low sea states;• Operating endurance of 30 days of continuous fishing operations (fuel, water, provisions);• Crane capable of lifting 5 mt (5.5 t) for handling catches and fishing and sampling gear and rigid hull skiffs up to 22 ft. in length;• A minimum of 2.8 m3 (100 cu ft.) of freezer storage exclusive of space for ship's stores for stowing scientific samples and supplies;• Potable fresh water supply adequate for vessel and personal use (including showers and laundry) for at least 30 days;• A minimum of one head and one shower, available for the scientific party;• One washer and dryer for personal laundry;• Ballasted to maintain sea-kindliness;• Safe and stable portable gangway for use in boarding and debarking vessel;• Two single side-band and VHF radio transmitter(s) and receiver(s);• Two fully functional radar systems, with a minimum range of 60 miles;• Emergency source of electrical power, independent of the main source of power;• Equipped with STRATOS/INMARSAT Standard C satellite communication or an equivalent. Vessel must have a functioning electronic mail system (email) available for use for the duration of the charter;• The vessel must have at least two hydroacoustic frequencies (38 khz and 120 khz), and required transducers and wiring accessible by scientific personnel from the bridge; and• Permission for the Government to install a flow-through thermosalinograph (TSG) to measure near-surface ocean temperature and salinity from the vessel while underway and on station.A comprehensive list of actual requirements will be included in the Statement of Work within the solicitation package document.The proposed contract action is set aside 100% for small business concerns. The NAICS code for this procurement is 483114 and the business size standard for this requirement is 500 employees. It is highly encouraged that any small businesses meeting this size standard and desiring to be considered for award be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) using this NAICS code or a NAICS code with an equivalent size standard. For additional information and to register in SAM, please access the following web site: www.sam.gov. In order to register with the SAM, all offerors must also have a Dun & Bradstreet Number. A Dun & Bradstreet number may be acquired free of charge by contacting Dun & Bradstreet on-line at https://iupdate.dnb.com/iUpdate/viewiUpdateHome.htm or by phone at (866) 969-8491. It is also preferred that offerors to complete the electronic representations and certifications at the SAM website.Solicitation documents will be made available for download on or about April 17, 2018 at http://www.fbo.gov/. Paper copies of this solicitation will not be issued. Interested parties should use the FedBizOpps [Add to Watchlist] and [Add Me to Interested Vendors] features which provide a notification when the Request for Quotes (RFQ) becomes available for download as well as all postings of information associated with this solicitation thereafter. Each potential offeror is responsible for checking the FedBizOpps website to gain all current information related to the solicitation. The solicitation and any further announcements regarding the solicitation will be posted only at http://www.fbo.gov/. The date offers are due will be stated within the solicitation documents and will be adjusted based upon the actual release date of the solicitation. All questions of any nature regarding this procurement should be sent in writing to the Contracting Officer, Crystina Jubie at Crystina.R.Jubie@noaa.gov or via fax at (206)527-3916.