R/V Melville (AGOR 14) on 9 July 1969.
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Class: MELVILLE (AGOR 14)
Design: SCB Project No. 710.66
Displacement (tons): 1,520 light, 1,915 standard, 2,080 full
Dimensions (feet): 244.8' oa, 220' wl/pp x 46.3' e/wl x 15' max nav
Armament: none
Accommodations: 9 officers, 16 unlicensed, 25 scientists
Speed (kts.): 12 sustained
Propulsion (HP): 2,500
Machinery: Diesel, 2 cycloidal propellers
Construction:
| AGOR | Name | Ord | Builder | Keel | Launch | Svc |
| 14 | MELVILLE | 30 Sep 1966 | Defoe | 12 Jul 1967 | 10 Jul 1968 | 27 Aug 1969 |
| 15 | KNORR | 30 Sep 1966 | Defoe | 9 Aug 1967 | 21 Aug 1968 | 14 Jan 1970 |
| 19 | unnamed | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 20 | unnamed | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Disposition:
| AGOR | Name | T | Inact | Strike | Disposal | Fate | MA Sale |
| 14 | MELVILLE | ca 2014 | 24 Oct 2014 | 12 Jan 2016 | Trf | -- | |
| 15 | KNORR | ca 2014 | 31 Dec 2014 | 12 Nov 2015 | Trf | -- | |
| 19 | unnamed | -- | -- | 24 Feb 1969 | Canc | -- | |
| 20 | unnamed | -- | -- | 24 Feb 1969 | Canc | -- |
Class Notes:
On 5 May 1964 the Navy's Oceanographic Policy and Programs Board, chaired by the Oceanographer of the Navy and including representatives from the Office of Naval Research, BUSHIPS, and other interested commands, initiated an effort to redesign the Navy's small AGORs (SCB 185 type). A review by the Board's working group of the successive SCB 185 designs showed that the initial 1957 version (AGOR 3-5) had limited stability, which it maintained through the use of a compensating system in its fuel tanks that kept all tanks full at all times with either fuel or sea water. This limited the ability of oceanographers to move scientific loads around the ship because the ship had almost no ballasting tanks to offset the resulting list of the ship. The SCB 185 design was then updated for AGOR 6/10 with a two foot increase in the beam, which helped with the stability problem but also pushed the ship near some critical design limits, indicating that it would not permit much additional weight to be added topside. New oceanographic research technology, however, required the addition of significant new weights above the waterline, including a 15-ton deep research vehicle (DRV) like Woods Hole's ALVIN on deck aft, an enclosed crows nest at the masthead for tracking current drogues and searching for previously anchored oceanographic buoys, a working platform on the mast for new types of instruments, new types of radars on the mast, and newly-developed satellite communication antennas, also high on the mast. Oceanographic buoys were also increasing in size and would need to be tended by AGORs. Future AGORs, in addition to handling these new weights, would also need to have a significant reserve for future growth. The working group concluded that every effort should be made to accomplish the redesign before any more SCB 185 ships were built, although if this could not be accomplished before the FY 1965 ships were to be let out for bid they should be retained in the FY 1965 program and let out for bid at the earliest opportunity. On 7 and 15 May 1964, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the Woods Hold Oceanographic Institution submitted their recommendations for a future AGOR, and Scripps also submitted a design which was endorsed by Woods Hole. On 30 June 1964 ONR asked BUSHIPS to proceed with a design study based on the Scripps proposal in advance of official action by CNO. BUSHIPS replied on 10 July 1964 with an analysis of the Scripps proposal that concluded that the Scripps ship was too small (with dimensions of 175' oa x 38' it was even smaller than the SCB 185 ship). Action on the Scripps concept appears to have ended at this point, and CNO on 21 August 1964 authorized a list of improvements to be incorporated in the FY 1965 ships (see T-AGOR 12-13), which would be built as variants of the SCB 185A design.
On 12 January 1965 the Ship Characteristics Board distributed preliminary characteristics for two T-AGORs in the FY 1966 building program. (The characteristics of 24 February 1964 (SCB 710.65) remained effective for the FY 1965 ships and those of 7 August 1962 remained effective for the FY 1962 and 1963 ships.) The dimensions proposed for the FY 1966 ships (200' oa, 181' pp x 44' and 1,750 tons) matched those of a sketch (PD 5796) of a T-AGOR, SCB Project 710.66, probably produced at around the same time. This showed cycloidal propellers in response to a strong interest in ONR in making a major step forward in maneuverability for vessels operated by the laboratories that it funded. The two ships were to be assigned to private and university research laboratories for operation. The preliminary characteristics had been coordinated informally with representatives of NAVOCEANO, Texas A&M, Scripps, Oregon State, University of Washington, Woods Hold, Lamont, and Miami, and BUSHIPS stated that they were considered feasible. After discussion the SCB on 16 February 1965 distributed proposed characteristics for the FY 1966 T-AGORs to be considered by the full Board on 16 March 1965. The ship was described as a repeat of the AGOR in the FY 1965 building program "with a few small but significant changes." It was to be capable of being fitted to handle and service small and intermediate size (to 20 tons) deep research vehicles (DRVs) and to tow and service manned deep sea bouy stations (SPAR and FLIP) and large DRVs. The design was also to allow for the provision as desired by the designated operators of a stern ramp with a grating at the main deck for retrieving and launching large equipment, an internal well for shallow drilling and handling large transducers, a removable hydraulically operated A-frame of 50,000 pound capacity able to lift a 6,000 pound load out of the water onto the main deck, and one medium (24,000 pound rating) and one small articulated hydraulic crane. (Both Woods Hole and Scripps opted for all four of these items.) Accommodations were provided for 9 officers, 16 men, and 25 scientific personnel. The dimensions still matched those of the 9 December 1964 PD sketch.
Approved characteristics for an Oceanographic Research Ship (T-AGOR), SCB Project No. 710.66, were promulgated on 2 April 1965. The main change between the approved characteristics and those proposed on 16 February 1965 appears to have been in the size and layout of the hull. The dimensions of the ship increased in February 1965 to 210' oa, 192' pp x 44' and 1,800 tons and grew further by August 1965 to 239' oa, 220' pp x 46' and 1,966 tons. The original layout of the ship first appeared in a feasibility study describing a 181' ship with split levels and a flush deck. For reasons of space, arrangement, seakeeping, and hydrodynamic performance, the ship by mid 1965 had a forecastle deck with a conventional relationship of internal decks and platforms. During oceanographic operations the ship was designed to work to starboard and aft. In particular the bridge was placed well aft to provide ship control a full view of operations. The pilot and ship control station on the bridge was located to starboard for the same reason. An intensive effort was made to provide a large open working area aft and on the starboard side to be available for scientific purposes. The internal well was located adjacent to the open areas and was readily observable during use from ship control. The ship was propelled by two Voith-Schneider cycloidal propellers, one under the stern capable of developing 2,500 SHP at 12 knots and one under the bow rated at 1,125 SHP at 10 knots and used mainly for station keeping. Both cycloidal propellers were powered by a slow speed diesel engine rated at 2,500 BHP at 400 RPM. During the contract design phase this design was further refined by M. Rosenblatt & Son, Inc. as design agent. Their drawing of T-AGOR 14 dated 10 January 1966 and a similar model essentially show the ships as built. They included the tower and crow's nest from the previous design but the stack was partly integrated into it (this integration was completed in the ships as built). It was planned that up to ten of these ships would be built over the following eight years, with the first two to be operated by Woods Hole and Scripps and the next two to be funded in FY 1968.
The Navy's publicity pamphlet for the FY 1966 program, dated 15 June 1965, stated that the two FY 1966 ships were redesigned ships from those approved and programmed in FY 1965 and previously. The redesign had become necessary because the techniques, instruments and ancillary tools used in oceanographic research had changed. Research tools such as the Floating Instrument Platform (FLIP) and Deep Research Vehicles were becoming available and the ships had to be able to handle these new tools. As parts of the national academic research fleet, MELVILLE and KNORR were commonly referred to as research vessels (R/V), not U.S. Naval Ships (USNS). As of November 1966 the Navy's request for FY 1968 contained 92 ships including two T-AGOR's (19-20) that together cost $14.0 million. They were listed as SCB 710.68 in the FY 1968 program pamphlet but may later have become 732.68. They survived a proposed cut to 40 ships but the expenditure on them was reduced to $12 million and ultimately they were not built.
Approaching the end of an expected useful life of 30 years, KNORR and MELVILLE underwent a service life extension conversion (KNORR in 1989-1991 and MELVILLE in 1992) to give them 15 additional years of service. In addition, according to Woods Hole, "the KNORR/MELVILLE conversions were prompted by poor reliability of the ships due to propulsion plant design. Both were experiencing ten months mean time between drydockings. In addition, they were too noisy for acoustic operations, an essential element of oceanographic research, and too small and lacked the seakeeping qualities to accommodate large science parties for long periods to carry out the global scale programs then being contemplated." Both were converted at the McDermott Shipyard, Amelia, Louisiana, where they were cut in half, and ten meters of bottom, topside, decks, and houses were inserted. The hulls were lengthened from 246 feet to 279 feet, increasing the displacement to 2,670 tons (full load). They were also converted from direct-drive cycloidal to quieter, more reliable diesel electric engines with two azimuthing Z-drive stern thrusters and a retractable bow thruster.
KNORR was joined at Woods Hole in 1997 by the new R/V ATLANTIS (AGOR 25). She was replaced in 2015 at Woods Hole by the new R/V NEIL ARMSTRONG (AGOR 27) and was transferred to Mexico. MELVILLE was joined at Scripps in 1996 by the new R/V ROGER REVELLE (AGOR 24). In September 2014 MELVILLE reached the end of her life cycle extension, and after 45 years of service the White House confirmed on 17 November 2015 that MELVILLE and USCGC BOUTWELL (WHEC-719) would be transferred to the Philippine Navy as Excess Defense Articles (EDAs). On 29 April 2016 at a ceremony held in San Diego, California, MELVILLE was formally turned over to and commissioned in the Philippine Navy as GREGORIO VELASQUEZ (AGR 702), its first oceanographic research vessel. She was replaced at Scripps in 2016 by the new R/V SALLY RIDE (AGOR 28).
Ship Notes:
| AGOR | Name | MA | Notes |
| 14 | MELVILLE | FY 1966. Loaned to Scripps Institute of Oceanography for ONR projects. To Philippines 2016 as GREGORIO VELASQUEZ (AGR 702). In service 2022. | |
| 15 | KNORR | FY 1966. Loaned to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute for ONR projects. To Mexico 2015 as RÍO TECOLUTLA (BI 08). Renamed MAZUNTE 16 Nov 2022. | |
| 19 | unnamed | FY 1968. | |
| 20 | unnamed | FY 1968. |
Page Notes:
Compiled: 19 Oct 2021
© Stephen S. Roberts, 2021
Special sources: NARA: RG 19 Entry P 26 Boxes 11, 13, 14.