Rates for SIO Ship Use and Technical Services

16 April 2005
 
To: Distribution
From: Robert A. Knox
Subject: Rates for SIO Ship Use and Technical Services
 
SIO Ship Rates:
 
In keeping with standard UNOLS practice, ship use is charged by the "operating day," which is any day or fractional day at sea or away from home port. Note that normal arrival and departure times in ports other than San Diego are 0800 and 1600 local respectively, to make full use of the workday in port. For San Diego the norm is 1600 arrival and 0800 departure. An exception to the rule is R/V R.G. Sproul, for which the charge is on a 24-hour day basis with a one-day minimum. Reasonable mobilization and demobilization is not charged if carried out in San Diego. For more details regarding cruise planning please refer to our Chief Scientist Manual located at:
http://shipsked.ucsd.edu/sub_dir/cs/chief_scientist/table.html
 
We are required by federal regulations to charge all federal users at the same rate for the same service, and this rate cannot exceed the rate charged to other users for the same service. For most federal users our rate is not finalized until after the close of the operating year (which is the calendar year). The actual operating costs of the year just completed are divided by the number of operating days to give the final rate, and the pertinent federal funds are debited or credited accordingly. In advance of this finalization we charge in real time using a provisional rate - a projection.
 
For a user, federal or otherwise, who does not want to wait for the finalization of rates a slight premium can be added over the current provisional rate thereby fixing the rate and allowing the transaction to be completed - a different service than the later
finalization. Please call the Ship Scheduling Office for details.
 
Technical support rate:
 
This rate covers standard, general-purpose technical support services of the kinds described under the NSF Technical Services Program, and applies to all users. These support services are provided by Shipboard Technical Support (STS), and include actual technician effort at sea, as well as pre- and postcruise effort ashore and the supporting STS infrastructure. These services assist science parties in their research, but do not provide all the technical effort or personnel needed by the typical project at sea.
 
The Resident Marine Technicians (ResTechs) of STS are knowledgeable guides who dive, rig, operate geological sampling gear, net tows, and trawls, and perform a wide variety of other tasks on Scripps vessels. They also handle logistics for expeditions, and receive and store scientific equipment for future cruises. They are primary operational liaisons between the user scientist and the ship during the cruise and for precruise preparations. They are generally the best source of expertise for difficult overside operations and deployments or recoveries of equipment.
 
The Shipboard Computer Group (SCG) of STS provides extensive computing facilities and services on the two larger ships, R/Vs Melville and Roger Revelle. Limited data acquisition facilities are also supported on R/Vs New Horizon and Sproul. The group performs system administration, software and hardware maintenance, repair and calibration on the permanently installed SUN and PC computer systems on the four ships and on the peripheral equipment attached to the computers. Networking, interfacing user devices to shipboard systems, and assistance/instruction for scientists in use of shipboard digital systems are areas of SCG capability.
 
A ResTech is typically aboard each of the four SIO ships on every cruise. The at-sea STS support on the two larger ships typically has a SCG technician joining the ResTech. This standard staffing may be modified to meet the particular needs of particular cruises. Since the technical support fee covers expenses beyond the salary of the sea-going personnel (e.g. cruise supplies, equipment maintenance and repair), ship users are required to pay the standard daily technical support fee regardless of the complement of technicians who actually sail on the cruise. The 2005 rates are listed below.
 
The provisional rates for ship use 2005/2006, fixed rate for technician use in 2005 and projected technician rate for 2006 are as follows:

*Due to the current escalating fuel prices, it is difficult to project a ship rate beyond 2005. Please call Joan Durkin at (858) 534-4121 or the Ship Scheduling Office at (858) 534-2841 for up-to-date information.

All of the above rates are direct cost. An indirect cost of 16% will be added to the ship and technician charge.
 
A detailed list of rates for other technician services and equipment rentals is issued separately by STS, and should be consulted for any items not listed above.
 
For convenience, total daily rates including ship, standard technical support and indirect cost are:

For any questions please call the SIO Ship Scheduling Office (858) 534-2841.
 
 


_______________________
Robert A. Knox
Associate Director, SIO
 


_______________________
Nancy A. F. Wilson
Manager, Office of
Contract and Grant Admin., SIO