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UNOLS Discovers Rapp Hydema:
Stewart Lamerdin leads with order of Rapp Oceanographic Winch- For Moss Landing Marine Laboratories
Moss Landing, CA)—Capping four years of steadily increasing contact, a UNOLS organization has—for the first time—ordered a new winch from Rapp Hydema. Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, a member of UNOLS (the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System) needed an oceanographic trawl winch to replace an aging National Line aboard the R/V Point Sur. Rapp is also supplying its legendary PTS Pentagon system, which provides auto-tensioning and varied other control features for the winch.
The F/V Starbound in its classic December habitat—tied up along the Seattle Ship Canal near the Ballard Locks—and close to Rapp Hydema
In 2002, Matt Hawkins—then Marine Superintendent with the University of Delaware—visited the F/V Starbound en route to a Dakota Creek Shipyard visit. Matt at the time was intrigued by the fishing industry’s use of “auto-render/recover” and he felt that review of Rapp’s equipment provided valuable information for the UNOLS Load Handling System Workshop that was being held at the time.
Rapp’s next interaction with UNOLS was some time later. The University of Washington’s Richard O’Connell hired Rapp for crane repairs for the R/V Tommy Thompson; the University of Hawaii followed suit with some filters and other parts ordered that year; then in 2009, the University of WA returned as a customer for some deck repairs on the Thompson. Lamont-Doherty (Columbia University) and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute also joined the 2009 roster of Rapp UNOLS clients, placing small parts and service work orders.
Stewart Lamerdin, Marine Superintendent for Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, had learned of Rapp during a UNOLS conference in the spring of 2009 at Port Aransas, TX. During the November 2009 UNOLS technical meeting in Seattle, and following in the footsteps of Matt Hawkins, Stewart was invited to tour the F/V Starbound. The Starbound is equipped entirely with Rapp deck machinery, and, some 20 years after its installation, Rapp winches and other equipment here are still critical to successful trawling operations, undertaken in one of the world’s most harsh operating environments—the Bering Sea. For this reason, Captain Carl readily agreed to provide the tour again. Representatives of the University of Alaska-Fairbanks vessel operations were also in attendance. And shortly afterward, Stewart visited Rapp’s booth at the Pacific Maritime Expo. The proverbial stage, as they say, was set.
The R/V Point Sur (photo courtesy of Moss Landing Marine Laboratories)
“Rapp Hydema has an impressive record in the Alaskan fishing industry, which is a big selling point,” Stewart noted. “Researchers, too, have a keen interest in state-of-the-art equipment that precludes downtime. And just as for super trawler captains, careers of academic researchers too can rise or fall over the success—or failure—of at-sea operations. And while we are very familiar with Markey and Dynacon on the UNOLS fleet, Rapp’s record with the NOAA FRVs (fishery survey vessels) won our immediate attention.”
The Moss Landing order marks a significant milestone in new market development for Rapp. And Stewart’s leadership role has strong echoes to Rapp’s past successful entry into deepwater and ROV (remotely-operated vehicle) winch subsectors in 2005-2006. Under very similar circumstances, Oceaneering’s new thinker Mike Ellis was tasked with setting up Rapp as a new supplier back in 2005. Mike’s initial order was thereafter followed by very considerable follow-on business for Rapp—in both Houston and Northern Europe…
Rapp U.S. President Johann Sigurjonsson visited Stewart in Moss Landing to finalize the contract just before the New Orleans workboat show. “We are honored to have been selected by Stewart for this first UNOLS new build. Stewart’s order culminates a journey that began long ago. So we are understandably excited about the opportunity to get exposure in this promising new market for us,” notes Sigurjonsson. And so, Rapp’s ongoing diversification—into Workboat, Offshore Energy, and now UNOLS—continues. Rapp will be delivering the winch in April, 2010.
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