UH TO HOLD BLESSING CEREMONY FOR THE R/V KILO MOANA

WHAT: A blessing ceremony will be held for the University of Hawai‘i’s newest oceanographic research vessel, the Kilo Moana, which will be operated by the UH Mānoa School of Ocean & Earth Science & Technology (SOEST).

WHEN: Tuesday, September 10, 2002

11 a.m.

WHERE: Aloha Tower, Pier 9 (in front of Gordon Biersch)

PROGRAM: The program will begin with the presentation of colors by the Naval Station Pearl Harbor Color Guard and the playing of the national anthem and Hawai‘i Pono‘ī by the Pacific Fleet Harbor Brass.

C. Barry Raleigh, Dean of the School of Ocean & Earth Science & Technology, at UH Mānoa will preside over the ceremony, and UH President Evan S. Dobelle will offer welcoming remarks.

Also scheduled to speak are James Snyder, Project Manager of Special Mission Ships for Expeditionary Warfare; Frank Herr, Acting Head of the Ocean, Atmosphere & Space Department of the Office of Naval Research; Dale P. Bennett, Vice President and General Manager of NE&SS-Marine Systems, Lockheed Martin; Jennifer Sabas, Chief of Staff for U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye; and the Honorable Benjamin J. Cayetano, Governor of the state of Hawai‘i.

Following their remarks, UH Mānoa Kamakakuokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies Director Lilikala Kame‘eleihiwa will perform the blessing and the participants will then join her for the ceremonial untying of the maile lei.

A luncheon for invited guests will follow at Gordon Biersch.

Media coverage is invited and encouraged.

NOTE TO MEDIA: Tours of the research vessel for media covering the ceremony will be available immediately after the conclusion of the ceremony.

BACKGROUND:

The R/V Kilo Moana is the newest U.S. oceanographic research vessel. The small waterplane area, twin hull (SWATH) form is designed to provide a comfortable, stable platform allowing general purpose oceanographic research in coastal and deep ocean areas, even in high sea conditions. The ship has the speed (15 kts max; 12 kts survey), endurance (50 days), mission payload (100 LT) and range (10,000 nm) to operate throughout the Pacific and indeed globally. Dynamic positioning (with twin screws and bow-thruster), (differential) GPS, an inertial reference unit, and an integrated bridge and power control system, permit accurate surveying and station keeping. Accommodations for 18 crew and 30 scientists complement the generous lab spaces (nearly 3,000 sq ft) outfitted to support oceanographic and meteorological research.

R/V Kilo Moana was built under a NAVSEA prime contract to Lockheed Martin Corp. at the Atlantic Marine Inc. shipyard in Jacksonville, Florida. The design agent was Guido Perla and Associates and the propulsion system integrator was Electronic Design Inc. The ship was launched on November 17, 2001, and delivered to the Navy on June 24, 2002. The R/V Kilo Moana is operated by the University of Hawai‘i, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST), under a Charter Party agreement with the Office of Naval Research.

For more information including specifications, photos, floor plans, and more, visit the Web site for the Kilo Moana at http://imina.soest.hawaii.edu/KiloMoana/.

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