SHIP DONATION INSPECTION PROGRAM:
PROCESS, PROCEDURES, TRENDS, AND STATUS
LT Robert A. Green, USNR
SEA 03D (NR NAVSEA 1910)
CDR Francis Chan, USNR
SEA 04X (NR NAVSEA 901)
List of Figures
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
CDR Bruce Dinsmore, USNR
SEA 03D (NR NAVSEA Det 1910)
Naval Sea Systems Command
6.
7.
USS Intrepid in action.
Locations of donated ships
Ship Donation Program Organization
Ship Donation Inspection Program Process and
Information Flow
Assignment of Inspection Activity and Reporting
Process
Inspection Review Process
Ship Inspection and Report Submission for 1998
Tables
Approved for Public Release
Distribution Unlimited
1.
2.
The views expressed herein are the personal views of the
authors and are not necessarily the official views of the
Department of Defense nor the Naval Sea Systems
Command.
Abstract
The mission of the NAVSEA PMS 334 Ship Donation
Program Office is to promote the public interest in the
defense of the nation and to commemorate historic deeds
performed with, by, or against such ships and material.
There are currently 45 museum and memorial ships
donated by the Navy to nonprofit, not-for-profit, city, and
state organizations located throughout the United States.
The donated ships are required to be inspected yearly to
ensure they are in a satisfactory material condition, safe
for the public to visit and that the appearance of these
ships portrays a positive image of the United States Navy.
Due to the downsizing of active duty Navy field
organizations and the resulting reduction of resources to
perform inspections of donated ships, Naval Sea Systems
Command initiated a pilot program in 1996 to use Naval
Reserve Engineering Duty officers to fulfill this mission.
The success of the pilot program has accelerated the
transition of inspection work to the Naval Reserve
Engineering Duty Officer Community.
FY 1999 Donated Ships, Locations, and Units
Responsible for Inspection
Technical Assistance Provided to Inspecting Units
Abbreviations
HNSA – Historic Naval Ships Association
NR – Naval Reserve
NRED – Naval Reserve Engineering Duty Officer
NSTM – Naval Ships’ Technical Manual
SDP – Ship Donation Program
SDIP – Ship Donation Inspection Program
Introduction
The purpose of the Navy Donation Program is to promote
the public interest in the defense of the Nation and to
commemorate historic deeds performed with, by, or
against such ships and material.
One method of
accomplishing this purpose is to donate historic ships to
local and state governments and nonprofit and not-forprofit organizations (hereafter referred to as nonprofit or
donation organizations) for display. Figure 1 depicts one
of the ships in the Ship Donation Program. Known as the
“Fighting I” during World War II, USS Intrepid took part
in the Battle for Leyte Gulf and survived the many
hazards of that war including suicide plane “kamikaze”
attacks. The USS Intrepid then went on to serve three
tours in Vietnam, and to serve as the prime recovery ship
for the manned space program. Decommissioned in 1974,
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36 Annual Technical Symposium – 23 April 1999
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Figure 1. USS Intrepid in action. Donated Memorial Ships: The Living Museums Preserving
Naval History
the ex-Intrepid was converted to a museum in 1982 and
continues to serve her country as a Donated Ship. i
Public law, Title 10 Section 7306 provides authority for
the Secretary of the Navy to transfer any vessel stricken
from the Naval Vessel Register or any captured vessel to
States, Commonwealths, or possessions of the United
States, as well as to any nonprofit or not-for-profit
organization..
The Program Executive Office for
Expeditionary Warfare (PEO EXW) manages the Ship
Donation Program within the Naval Sea Systems
Command (NAVSEA). This responsibility specifically
resides with the Ship Donation Program Office, PMS 334
and technical authority is coordinated through the
Engineering Directorate, NAVSEA 03. Inspections are
planned, scheduled, and managed through the Logistics,
Maintenance and Industrial Operations Directorate, SEA
04 and its field activities, the Naval Shipyards and
Supervisors of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair
(SUPSHIPs).
Each ship donation is implemented via a donation
contract with the Navy. This donation contract requires
that the ship donations be maintained in a condition
"satisfactory" to the Navy. To ensure that the ships are
kept in a condition satisfactory to the Secretary, the
contract also provides for periodic inspections. These
periodic inspections are conducted in accordance with
NAVSEA Instruction 4520.1.
The intent of the
inspections is as follows:
To determine the overall material condition
and appearance of the ship, to include its
general preservation, safety and historical
trends, which could indicate the need for
more detailed tests and inspections. The
inspections are to assist the donation ship
organization to maintain and display the ship
in a "fair and safe condition" reflecting
favorably on the U.S. Navy.
Prior to 1996, Naval Shipyards and SUPSHIP personnel
were required to perform annual inspections of donated
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36 Annual Technical Symposium – 23 April 1999
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COBIA, Manitowoc, WI
SILVERSIDES, Muskegon,
MI
YP 673, Southfield, MI
COD, Cleveland,
OH
BECUNA, Philadelphia, PA
OLYMPIA, Philadelphia, PA
REQUIN, Pittsburgh, PA
MARLIN, Omaha, NE
U-505, Chicago, IL
YP 671, Chicago, IL
TURNER JOY, Bremerton,
WA
ALBACORE Portsmouth, NH
CASSIN YOUNG, Boston MA
J.P. KENNEDY JR.Fall River, MA
LIONFISH, Fall River, MA
MASSACHUSETTS, Fall River, MA
SALEM, Quincy, MA
BLUEBACK, Portland OR
EDSON, New York, NY
GROWLER, New York, NY
INTREPID, New York, NY
CROAKER, Buffalo, NY
LITTLE ROCK, Buffalo, NY
PATROL CRAFT, Buffalo, NY
SULLIVANS, Buffalo, NY
LING, Hackensack,
NJ
CONSTELLATION, Baltimore, MD
TORSK, Baltimore, MD
HORNET, Alameda, CA
PAMPANITO, San Francisco,
CA
NORTH CAROLINA, Wilmington, NC
ALABAMA, Mobile, AL
DRUM, Mobile, AL
KIDD, Baton Rouge,
LA
BOWFIN, Honolulu, HI
MISSOURI, Honolulu, HI
BATFISH, Muskogee,
OK
CLAMAGORE, Mt. Pleasant,
SC
LAFFEY, Mt. Pleasant,
YORKTOWN, Mt. Pleasant,
SC
SC
LEXINGTON, Corpus Christi, TX
MINE SWEEPER, Forth Worth,
STEWART, Galveston,
TX
TX
CAVALLA, Galveston TX
TEXAS, La Porte, TX
Figure 2. Locations of donated ships.
ships in their local areas. There are currently 45 ships in
the Ship Donation Program located in 21 states around the
country as depicted in Figure 2 below.
Downsizing and base closures magnified the burden of
the expenditures of personnel and travel funds to inspect
the donated ships. The teaming effort between NAVSEA
and Naval Reserve Engineering Duty (NRED) units to
support these inspections was devised as a solution. This
program has been well received by the donation ship
organizations, the program sponsors (NAVSEA PMS 334,
NAVSEA 03D, and NAVSEA 04X) and the NREDs who
perform the deck plate inspections. The Naval Shipyards
and SUPSHIPs can now optimize the use of personnel
resources by delegating inspections to Naval Reserve
(NR) detachments in the local area of the donated ships.
The majority of the Naval Shipyards and SUPSHIPs have
now delegated this requirement to the NREDs through
SEA 04X4 assignment.
These inspections provide
NREDs the opportunity to utilize their technical skills and
to train junior officers for mobilization by performing
ship condition surveys.
Furthermore, donated ship
organizations benefit by having uniformed military
personnel conducting the inspections onboard the ships.
This paper presents an overview of the Ship Donation
Program, (SDP), and provides a perspective of the entire
process including ship assignment scheduling, resource
3
allocation, inspection performance, inspection attributes,
report routing, and technical review. Specific training
issues such as inspection techniques, proper completion of
required inspection forms, and the technical review are
also addressed. Significant trends in the inspection data
and lessons learned are discussed as well.
Ship Donation Program
The Ship Donation Program (SDP) is implemented via a
partnership among PMS 334, NAVSEA 03D and
NAVSEA 04X. PMS 334 is the Program Manager for the
Ship Donation Program and the primary point of contact
between the Navy and the donated ship organizations.
NAVSEA 03D provides technical authority for the SDP
and technical management for the Ship Donation
Inspection Program (SDIP). NAVSEA 04X as the
resource manager provides the inspection resources
through its field activities-- Naval Shipyards, SUPSHIPs
and other NRED detachments. Figure 3 shows the
program’s organization under PMS 334.
Ship Donation Inspection Process
The ship donation inspection process is set up to facilitate
the planning, execution and reporting necessary to
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36 Annual Technical Symposium – 23 April 1999
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Ship Donation Program
Ship Donation,
Materiel
Ship Donation
Inspection Program
Ship Donation,
Proposals
SEA 03D5
Inspection Review
SEA 04X4
Inspection Coordination
NAVSEA Det 1910
NAVSEA Det 901
Units Performing Inspections
(NAVSEA, S/Y, SUPSHIPs)
Figure 3. Ship Donation Program Organization
accomplish one of the missions of the Ship Donation
Program. Figure 4 is a process flow diagram depicting
the ship donation inspection and information flow.
When a donation decision is made by the Secretary of the
Navy, title is transferred and the donated ship enters the
Ship Donation Program. PMS 334 notifies SEA 03D5
and SEA 04X4 of the recipient organization and site
location. SEA 04X4 identifies a field activity close to the
donated ship. SEA 04X4 then notifies PMS 334 and SEA
03D5 of the inspection activity assignment.
after the first year of operation at the donated site. The
inspecting activity (typically a Naval Reserve Unit)
designated by NAVSEA notifies the donation ship
organization in writing, requesting permission to conduct
a ship inspection at least 30 days in advance of the
proposed dates. After an inspection is completed, the
results are prepared and a report is forwarded to
NAVSEA 03D5 within 14 days. NAVSEA 03D5 reviews
the inspection report within 45 days. The donation ship
organization is notified of the final inspection results via a
letter signed by PMS 334 within 60 days of the
inspection.
Training Opportunities
Reservists
for
Naval
The Ship Donation Inspection Program enables Naval
Reservists to perform a core mission for NAVSEA, and it
saves naval field activities significant funds. The Naval
Reserve Engineering Duty officers have used these
inspections to improve shipboard proficiencies that are
needed to accomplish their mobilization missions. The
shipboard training benefits to direct commissioned
officers, particularly those junior officers with little to no
shipboard experience, have been tremendous. Hands-on
training is accomplished at “no additional cost” to the
An initial inspection of the donated ship is performed
PMS 334
Provide Ship
with 30 days
Advanc e
Notice of
Inspection
Process
Start
Report Sent
to SEA 03D5
Report Sent to
NASVSEA Det
1910
SEA 04X4
Assigns Ship to
Inspection Activity
SEA 03D5
Reviews Edits
& Forwards
Letter
PMS 334
Signs Letter
Perform
andComplete
Inspection.
NAVSEA Det 901
Assigns Ship to
Reserve Unit
Debrief to
Ship
Schedule Ships for
1st, 2nd, or 3rd
Quarter Inspections
Ship
Receives
Letter
YES
Det 1910 to
Notify Reserve
Unit of Receipt
of Report and
then Perform
Analysis of
Inspection
Letter of Inspection
Drafted by Det 1910
NO
Review &
Comment
PMS 334
sends copies
of letter to:
SEA 04X4
SEA 03D5
NAVSEA Det
1910
Inspecting Unit
Generate Baseline
for Next Cycle
Det 1910
Updates
Database
Figure 4. Ship Donation Inspection Program Process and Information Flow
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36 Annual Technical Symposium – 23 April 1999
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Navy with no materials or supplies provided by the Navy,
while simultaneously accomplishing a mandated
NAVSEA requirement.
The seamless integration of the Naval Reserve personnel
into the Ship Donation Inspection Program has resulted in
a total force effort and serves as a model for future
partnering. NREDs fulfill a mission requirement in direct
support of NAVSEA, freeing field activities’ resources
for other tasks. The program also provides an effective
vehicle to highlight the presence of the Navy in local
communities, as well as providing training opportunities
for junior NRED officers. A great sense of mission for
the entire Naval Reserve Engineering Duty Officer
community is achieved in the process.
Technical Administration
In support of NAVSEA 03D5’s role as the technical
authority for the Ship Donation Inspection Program,
reservists from NR NAVSEA DET 1910 provide
technical resources to review inspection reports, analyze
trends and provide technical assistance to units
performing these inspections.
Their duties and
responsibilities are as follows:
(a) Coordinate ship inspection training (when
requested by performing units);
(b) Track submission of inspection reports;
(c) Analyze the inspection process and inspection
results for administrative improvement and
material condition trends;
(d) Review inspection reports and prepare forwarding
letters.
Ship Inspection Training
A significant number of Naval Reserve Engineering Duty
officers have fleet experience, advanced degrees and work
experience in technical fields. NREDs have a unique
blend of knowledge, skills and abilities that enable them
to readily perform donated ship inspections. Despite their
credentials, it is necessary to provide specific training for
the personnel conducting these inspections, because of the
non-operational nature of the donated ships. These
inspections provide valuable hands-on experience
inspecting ships that are often in need maintenance and
repair as well as in assessing the material condition of the
5
ships. These types of inspections and assessments are
related to those that may be performed during
mobilization when Naval Reserve Engineering Duty
Officers may be called on to perform battle damage
assessments and recommend repair options.
Prior to actually conducting an inspection, each Naval
Reserve inspection team completes training on the basics
of conducting an inspection of a donated ship. This
training allows inspectors to be made aware of how an
inspection is to be conducted and what specific items are
being inspected. This training is normally conducted at
an annual meeting of Naval Reserve Engineering Duty
officers and efforts in progress to develop training
materials that can be used at Reserve Centers across the
nation. During the training, inspectors are informed that
the purpose of the inspection is to determine if the
donated ship is maintained in a condition “satisfactory” to
the Navy and safe for the general public to visit. The
Navy is interested in having the ship maintained in a
condition that presents a favorable image of the Navy.
Donated ship inspections are primarily visual in nature
and based on maintaining watertight/weather-tight
integrity. Tanks and voids are not entered unless properly
certified and the appropriate equipment for conducting an
inspection of those spaces is provided. Masts are not
climbed unless they are properly staged and appropriate
safety equipment is provided.
The ship donation
organizations are required to provide any needed
equipment to conduct inspections and must therefore be
given adequate notice of an inspection. Safety is a
prominent consideration and point of emphasis in the
inspection process.
The manager of the Ship Donation Program (PMS 334) is
promoting the use of information technology to improve
the inspection process. For example, submission of
inspection reports via an on-line process will enable the
sharing of data, trend analysis, and pinpointing problem
areas. Training and inspection tips via the World Wide
Web will be included on the Ship Donation Program webpage
which
can
be
found
at
http://www.navsea.navy.mil/ndp/. A training video is
also being planned that will allow off-site training to be
conducted.
Inspection Administration
In support of the NAVSEA 04X4’s role as resource
manager, NR NAVSEA 901 serves as the point of contact
for coordinating the resources of the required annual
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36 Annual Technical Symposium – 23 April 1999
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inspections on the donated ships. The duties and
responsibilities of the Resource Manager, shown in Figure
5, are as follows:
(a) Coordinate the assignment of qualified NREDs
to perform required inspections;
(b) Collect and process information on the
scheduling and performance of donated ship
inspections.
P MS 334
Notified
SEA 03D5
Reviews Report
and Drafts Letter
SEA 04X4 request
assignment of Inspecting
Activity
Submit Report for
Review
NAVSEA DET 901
assigns Inspecting
Activity
NO
Complete
Inspection Report
Inspecting Unit
ACCEP TS?
Debrief Donated
Ship Organization
on P reliminary
Findings
YES
Request Visit to Ship
Conduct Ship
Inspection
Establish Inspection
Schedule
Figure 5. Assignment of Ins pection Acti vity and
Reporting Process
Naval Reserve Support to the Ship
Donation Inspection Program
Twenty seven (27) Naval Reserve units with over 200
reservists are assigned to inspect 45 donated ships in 21
states. Table 1 tabulates the ship names, locations and
assigned Naval Reserve units.
Each unit plans the inspection in accordance with
NAVSEA INSTRUCTION 4520.1 in coordination with
the donated ship organization. The inspection activity
provides qualified personnel and conducts the inspection
in accordance with specified guidelines. In addition to
using members assigned to these units, they are
encouraged to recruit qualified Naval Reservists to
augment their inspection force for larger ships. The
donated ship organizations work with the inspecting
activity to arrange a mutually agreeable inspection date,
and they also provide necessary resources to ensure a safe
inspection of the ship.
Inspection Procedures
To assist personnel in inspections, an Inspection Guide
has been developed and distributed to the inspectors. The
Ship Donation Inspection Program Guide is a five-page
document consisting of eight sections, which provides
general guidance to the inspectors. Specific inspection
procedures are detailed in NAVSEA INSTRUCTION
4520.1. Donated ship inspection requirements are derived
from Naval Ships’ Technical Manual (NSTM) Chapter
050, “Inactivation and Maintenance of Ships and Craft”,
with applicable sections highlighted for the donated ships.
NSTM 050 is used for guidance only in conducting and
maintaining ship donations; the Navy neither requires nor
expects the donation organizations to maintain their
vessels at the level required for the Inactive Fleet.
Three types of inspections are listed in section 4 of the
Inspection Program Guide. The first type is the annual
Material Condition Inspection which is conducted by the
inspection
activity.
The
second
is
an
Overview/Organization (walk through) Management
Control Review, normally conducted separately by
NAVSEA HQ personnel. The third type of inspection is a
Follow-up /Technical Assist, which is performed at the
request of PMS 334 and focuses on specific issues of
concern identified in a previous Material Condition
Inspection.
NREDs conduct the annual Material Condition
Inspections. These inspections are closely coordinated
with the donated ship organizations and are often
conducted during periods of regular maintenance. This
permits easier access to certain spaces and minimizes
disruptions to the ship’s staff and normal operations. The
Material Condition Inspection consists of a visual
inspection of the entire donation ship, including spaces
designated by:

Category A: external and general areas;

Category B: internal compartments and
passageways open to the public;
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36 Annual Technical Symposium – 23 April 1999
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Ship
Unit
Location
Ship
Unit
Location
Alabama
M obile, AL
NAVSEA 1910
Cavalla
Galveston, TX
PHD NSWC 510
Drum
M obile, AL
NAVSEA 1910
Turner Joy
Bremerton, WA
NSY Puget HQ 222
U-505
Chicago. IL
NWS York 1013
Cobia
M antiowoc, WI
NAVSEA 1602
YP 671
Chicago, IL
NWS York 1013
Pampanito
San Francisco, CA
SUPSHIP 920
Kidd
Baton Rouge, LA
SUPSHIP 110
Requin
Pittsburgh, PA
NSY NORVA 405
J.P. Kennedy Jr.
Fall River, M A
SUPSHIP 401
Bowfin
Honolulu, HI
NSY PHARB 320
Lionfish
Fall River, M A
SUPSHIP 401
Cassin Young
Boston, MA
NSY PORTS NH 201
M assachusetts
Fall River, M A
NSY Ports 201
YP-673
Southfield, M I
SUPSHIP 1013
Salem
Quincy, M A
NSY Ports 101
North Carolina
Wilmington, NC
NSY PORTS NH 507
Constellation
Baltimore, M D
NSY NORVA 206
Ling
Hackensack, NJ
SUPSHIP 502
Torsk
Baltimore, M D
SUPSHIP 306
Edson
New York, NY
SUPSHIP 502
Silversides
M uskegon, M I
SUPSHIP 1013
Growler
New York, NY
SUPSHIP 502
M arlin
Omaha, NE
NSY PHarb 116
Cod
Cleveland, OH
SUPSHIP 1013
Albacore
Portsmouth, NH
NAVSEA 901
Batfish
M uskogee, OK
NAVSEA DET 811
Croacker
Buffalo, NY
NSY NORVA 405
Clamagore
Mt. Pleasant, SC
NSY NORVA 507
Intrepid
New York, NY
PM S Wash 302
Laffey
Mt. Pleasant, SC
NSY NORVA 507
Little Rock
Buffalo, NY
NSY Ports 602
Yorktown
Mt. Pleasant, SC
NSY NORVA 507
Patrol Craft
Buffalo, NY
NSY Ports 602
Lexington
Corpus Christi, TX
NAVSEADET 811
Sullivans
Buffalo, NY
NSY NORVA 405
M ine Sweeper
Fort Worth, TX
NAVSEADET 811
Blueback
Portland, OR
NSY Puget 222
Stewart
Galveston, TX
NAVSEADET 811
Becuna
Philadelphia, PA
NAVSEA 304
Texas
La Porte, TX
NAVSEADET 811
Olympia
Philadelphia, PA
NAVSEA 1404
M issouri
Honolulu, HI
To Be Determined
Hornet
Alameda, CA
To Be Determined
Table 1. FY 1999Donated Shi ps, Locations, and Units Responsi ble for Inspections.

Category C: internal compartments and
passageways not open to the public.
General areas of inspection are as follows:

Administration &
Security

Access

Engineering

Fire & Safety

Hull

Preservation &
Cleanliness

Tour Routes

Health &
Sanitation
Each area has a list of specific attributes.
7
Actual inspection sheets are available on the Ship
Donation Program office web site on the NAVSEA web
page at http://www.navsea.navy.mil/ndp/.
Once the inspection has been completed, the inspecting
activity forwards the inspection results as outlined in
section 7 of the Guide to SEA 03D.
Electronic
submissions are encouraged.
Technical Review of the Inspection
Once the inspection report is received by SEA 03D, a
technical review is conducted as depicted in Figure 6.
The inspection report is reviewed for completeness,
technical and safety concerns, and trends in preservation
and material condition. The inspecting unit may be
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36 Annual Technical Symposium – 23 April 1999
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contacted by NR NAVSEA Det 1910 for clarification of
any questions or issues associated with the inspection.
extracted as needed. This database also provides baseline
data for future inspections.
The current inspection report is compared to the previous
year’s reports and conditions that do not meet the
inspection criteria are noted. These problems conditions
are coded Red, Yellow or Green:
Resource Management Review of the
Inspection Results

Red indicates a condition that demands
immediate attention such as a safety hazard or a
maintenance concern such as a hole in the hull.

Yellow indicates a condition that needs to be
addressed such as pitting of the hull because of
lack of preservation or cathodic protection.

Green indicates a condition that should be
addressed such as lighting in off tour route areas.
A letter is drafted for PMS 334 signature and issued to the
donated ship organization. Using this information
NAVSEA Det 1910 enters the inspection data into a
database from which trends and other information can be
The ship inspection assignment and scheduling processes
are coordinated to ensure timely and complete execution
of the required tasks. Inspections are scheduled on a fiscal
year basis. This ties in well with PMS 334’s reporting to
the Historic Naval Ship Association (HNSA) on the status
of the program. HNSA has its annual conference in
October at which time PMS 334 provides the status of
completed inspections. HNSA also has an executive
board meeting in March when PMS 334 reports on the
status of inspection reviews. An analysis of the schedule
performance for FY98 indicates that inspection dates
should be moved forward to the second and third quarters
of the fiscal year. Figure 7 shows ship inspections and
report submission performance for FY98. The cumulative
report submission lags the inspection by about a month
until September, and the time lag increases from that
point on.
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36 Annual Technical Symposium – 23 April 1999
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8
45
40
# inspected (I)
# reported (R)
cumulative (I)
cumulative (R)
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
Nov-98
Oct-98
Sep-98
Aug-98
Jul-98
Jun-98
May-98
Apr-98
Mar-98
Feb-98
Jan-98
Dec-97
Nov-97
Oct-97
Sep-97
0
Figure 7. Ship Inspection and Report Submi ssi on for FY 1998
The primary reason for the increase in time lag is the
periodic transfer of key personnel in the Reserve Units.
Naval Reserve Officers receive orders for new unit
assignments on 01 October. This often results in a 30 50% turnover of personnel in a unit. Units that perform
inspections late in the fourth quarter increase the risk of
the inspection report not being completed on time because
of the loss of key personnel on the inspection team. To
address this issue, NAVSEA 04X4 plans to move the
August and September inspection dates forward by one
month to minimize the number of late reports. Another
initiative in scheduling is to level the workload over a 12month period. This will reduce the technical review
backlog at NAVSEA 03D5 and allows better technical
support of inspecting units.
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Technical Review of Inspection Results
Technical deficiencies found during the inspections are
being analyzed and reviewed for trends. NAVSEA 03D5
(supported by NR NAVSEA 1910) also analyzes ship
conditions based on the inspection reports. Every
inspection attribute is tabulated and compared with
previous results to spot trends such that follow-up
inspections/technical assistance may be targeted to solve
high priority problems. Since most ships have been
inspected twice since the start of the revitalized program,
some trends are evident. Two common trends are
inadequate maintenance plans and the lack of a sounding
and security plan.
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36 Annual Technical Symposium – 23 April 1999
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While donated ship organizations are performing some
maintenance on a regular basis, many lack formal
maintenance plans which address long-term maintenance
items such as hull preservation. Since many of the
donation ship organizations rely on donations and visitor
fees for maintenance funding, adequate planning must be
conducted to set aside funds needed for high-cost
maintenance items. Donation ship organizations use
Navy ship inspection reports to help prepare maintenance
packages for their ships.
Sounding and Security plans for spaces inside the ships
typically below the waterline have been found lacking on
several ships. These plans are needed to allow for early
detection of leaks in the hull and tanks. At one extreme,
this can cause a stability problem for the ship should
flooding be excessive. A good plan will allow relatively
minor leaks to be detected early and repaired before they
become major leaks. Donated ship organizations are
informed of the frequency that various soundings and
checks should be made when the final report is submitted
to them.
The inspectors, the donated ship organizations, and other
entities such as the Historic Naval Ships Association
(HNSA) provide regular feedback on the inspection
program throughout the year. This valuable input is
incorporated into revised inspection sheets and guides.
Deficiencies
Holes in the
hull
Pitting in the
hull
Electrical
Safety
Cathodic
Protection
System
Lifelines




















Lessons learned during inspections are also shared with
all inspectors through inspection document revisions and
through training sessions. As a result, the Ship Donation
Inspection Program is evolving through a process of
continuous improvement.
One of the most important functions of NAVSEA 03D’s
responsibilities as technical authority for the Ship
Donation Program is the evaluation and resolution of
technical issues raised by the inspection teams in the field
and the program office. Some typical deficiencies and
associated technical recommendations are summarized in
Table 2.
Conclusions
The Ship Donation Inspection Program is a “WIN-WIN”
partnership between U.S. Navy active forces and its
Naval Reserve components for completion of required
annual inspections of donated ships. What began as a
pilot program with initial emphasis on mobilization
training of Reserve Forces has evolved into a program
whereby Reserve Forces are providing direct support to
NAVSEA in accomplishing its Secretary of the Navy
assigned mission.
The downsizing of the active duty field activities caused a
Technical Solutions
Temporary patches
Clad weld
Doubler plates if not strength member.
Replace with “like” and “in kind” material
Clear and preserve
Cathodic Protection System
Filling co mpounds such as Chockfast, Belzona if less
than 25 % o f thickness.
Clad weld
Doubler plates if not strength member
IEEE code for marine application
Ground strap
Maintain hull zincs
Ground strap
Portable impressed current cathodic protective system
Permanent ICCP system
Original Design
General Specificat ions for Ships
OSHA
CFR
Local Code

Comments
Filling co mpounds such
as Chockfast, Belzona are
only for temporary repairs

Corrosion accelerates as
preservative covering fails
and pitting increases

Rubber mating in front of
energized switchboards
Non-functioning unit will
not protect fully
Mis-functioning unit will
pull metal off the hull
Fence off areas with
Yellow safety line and
signs



Table 2. Technical assi stance provided to donated ships
Association of Scientists and Engineers
36 Annual Technical Symposium – 23 April 1999
th
10
shortage of personnel, and many found that they did not
have the resources to continue annual inspections in the
manner in which they should be conducted. To continue
performing inspections would have required significant
travel costs and additional workload burdens on
NAVSEA’s active duty Field Activities. The NREDs
have responded by taking an increasingly active role in
the performance of the required inspections and technical
analysis of the results, in direct support of the Naval Sea
Systems Command (NAVSEA) mission.
The Ship Donation Inspection Program evolved to rely
heavily on the technical and engineering expertise of
Naval Reserve Engineering Duty (NRED) Officers.
Reservists located near these donated ships have
demonstrated that they can inspect them at no cost to
Naval Sea Systems Command, while gaining useful
mobilization training in assessing the material condition
of the ships. The improved analysis of results, including
detailed trending and compiling of information in a
central database, has significantly upgraded the technical
aspects of this program. These changes have resulted in
better training for Reservists, more responsive support to
donated ship organizations, and significant cost savings of
approximately $2.43 million per year to the Navy.
Annual inspections help ensure that donated ships are
properly maintained by the nonprofit organizations, that
they are safe for the visiting public and reflect positively
on the history and heritage of the United States Navy.
This program is a WIN-WIN-WIN-WIN. A WIN for the
Navy as a good promotional and heritage program. A
WIN for PMS 334, the Program Manager, who does not
possess the resources to conduct the inspections and
develop the resulting reports. A WIN for the Naval
Reserve in that mobilization training is provided. And
finally, a WIN for the nation and local communities in
which the ships are located.
i
Historic Naval Ships, Naval Action Series. Spring 1998.
Challenge Publications, Inc. Canoga Park, CA. p. 61.
11
Association of Scientists and Engineers
36 Annual Technical Symposium – 23 April 1999
th