NOAAS ''Ferrel'' (S 492) was an American hydrographic survey ship that was in commission in the

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (abbreviated as NOAA ) is an United States scientific and regulatory agency within the United States Department of Commerce that forecasts weather, monitors oceanic and atmospheric conditio ...

(NOAA) from 1970 to 2002. Prior to her NOAA career, she was in commission in the

United States Coast and Geodetic Survey The United States Coast and Geodetic Survey (abbreviated USC&GS), known from 1807 to 1836 as the Survey of the Coast and from 1836 until 1878 as the United States Coast Survey, was the first scientific agency of the United States Government. It ...

from 1968 to 1970 as USC&GS ''Ferrel'' (ASV 92).

Construction and commissioning

''Ferrel'' was built as an "auxiliary survey vessel" (ASV) for the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey at Zigler Shipyards in

Jennings Jennings is a surname of early medieval English origin (also the Anglicised version of the Irish surnames Mac Sheóinín or MacJonin). Notable people with the surname include: *Jennings (Swedish noble family) A–G *Adam Jennings (born 1982), A ...

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

.NOAA History: Coast & Geodetic Survey Ships: FERREL
/ref> She was completed in 1968 and commissioned in a ceremony at Zigler Shipyards on 4 June 1968 into Coast and Geodetic Survey service as USC&GS ''Ferrel'' (ASV 92),Polmar, Norman, ''The Naval Institute Guide to the Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet, Seventeenth Edition'', Naval Institute Press: Annapolis, Maryland, 2001
, p. 610. sponsored by Mrs. Marion L. Land. When the Coast and Geodetic Survey merged with other

United States Government The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States, a federal republic located primarily in North America, composed of 50 states, a city within a feder ...

organizations to form NOAA on 3 October 1970, she became a part of the NOAA fleet as NOAAS ''Ferrel'' (S 492).

Design and capabilities

''Ferrel'' was modified from the basic design for an

offshore oil rig An oil platform (or oil rig, offshore platform, oil production platform, and similar terms) is a large structure with facilities to extract and process petroleum and natural gas that lie in rock formations beneath the seabed. Many oil platfor ...

supply boat and was equipped specifically for

oceanographic Oceanography (), also known as oceanology and ocean science, is the scientific study of the oceans. It is an Earth science, which covers a wide range of topics, including ecosystem dynamics; ocean currents, waves, and geophysical fluid dynamic ...

studies of coastal and inshore waters. She had a large open

fantail Fantails are small insectivorous songbirds of the genus ''Rhipidura'' in the family Rhipiduridae, native to Australasia, Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Most of the species are about long, specialist aerial feeders, and named as " ...

for the handling of equipment, a crane aft, a

trawl Trawling is a method of fishing that involves pulling a fishing net through the water behind one or more boats. The net used for trawling is called a trawl. This principle requires netting bags which are towed through water to catch different speci ...

winch A winch is a mechanical device that is used to pull in (wind up) or let out (wind out) or otherwise adjust the tension of a rope or wire rope (also called "cable" or "wire cable"). In its simplest form, it consists of a spool (or drum) attach ...

, an oceanographic winch located amidships, and an

A-frame An A-frame is a basic structure designed to bear a load in a lightweight economical manner. The simplest form of an A-frame is two similarly sized beams, arranged in an angle of 45 degrees or less, attached at the top, like an uppercase lette ...

.NOAA Ship ''Ferrel''
/ref>

Service history

The Coast and Geodetic Survey intended ''Ferrel'' to replace the survey ship USC&GS ''Marmer'' and conduct

current Currents, Current or The Current may refer to: Science and technology * Current (fluid), the flow of a liquid or a gas ** Air current, a flow of air ** Ocean current, a current in the ocean *** Rip current, a kind of water current ** Current (stre ...

surveys in various harbors and waterways along the

United States East Coast The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, the Atlantic Coast, and the Atlantic Seaboard, is the coastline along which the Eastern United States meets the North Atlantic Ocean. The eastern seaboard contains the coa ...

and

United States Gulf Coast The Gulf Coast of the United States, also known as the Gulf South, is the coastline along the Southern United States where they meet the Gulf of Mexico. The coastal states that have a shoreline on the Gulf of Mexico are Texas, Louisiana, Missis ...

. During the 1970s, however, she became the primary platform for the NOAA Status and Trends Program and other environmental monitoring programs. Her home port was Charleston,

South Carolina )'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

. In recognition of unusual competence in an emergency, excellent judgment, and superb seamanship, four members of ''Ferrel''s crew – Commander John K. Callahan, Jr.,

NOAA Corps The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps, known informally as the NOAA Corps, is one of eight federal uniformed services of the United States, and operates under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administ ...

;

Lieutenant Commander Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding ran ...

Richard P. Floyd, NOAA Corps; Chief Boatswain's Mate David L. Brannon; and Surveyor Seaman Gordon R. Pringle – received the

Department of Commerce Silver Medal The Department of Commerce Silver Medal is the second highest of three honor awards of the United States Department of Commerce. Since 1949, the Silver Medal is presented by the Secretary of Commerce for exceptional service. The award may be prese ...

in 1981 for effecting the rapid rescue of a passenger who fell overboard from a sightseeing vessel in New York Harbor.NOAA History: Hall of Honor: Commerce Medals Presented For Lifesaving and the Protection of Property 1955-2000
/ref> As ''Ferrel'' was docking at the

Port of Corpus Christi The Port of Corpus Christi is the largest port in the United States in total revenue tonnage, third largest in total waterway tonnage, and is the largest crude oil export gateway in the nation. The Port of Corpus Christi is located on Corpus Christ ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

on 17 September 1986, Evelyn Langanke fell from a bridge abutment near the ship into a 35-foot- (10.7-meter-) deep ship channel. ''Ferrel''s executive officer, Lieutenant Commander Ted I. Lillestolen, NOAA Corps, noted that Langanke was in trouble, ran from the ship, entered the water, and swam to the woman, who was thrashing feebly when he reached her. He made a proper

lifesaving Lifesaving is the act involving rescue, resuscitation and first aid. It often refers to water safety and aquatic rescue; however, it could include ice rescue, flood and river rescue, swimming pool rescue and other emergency medical services. ...

approach and towed the unconscious woman to shore. Commander Robert E. Hunt, NOAA Corps, and

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

Paul E. Pegnato, NOAA Corps, both also of ''Ferrel'', came to Langankes medical assistance, with Hunt using

cardiopulmonary resuscitation Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency procedure consisting of chest compressions often combined with artificial ventilation in an effort to manually preserve intact brain function until further measures are taken to restore spon ...

to revive her and Pegnato administering

oxygen Oxygen is the chemical element with the symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group in the periodic table, a highly reactive nonmetal, and an oxidizing agent that readily forms oxides with most elements as ...

and

first aid First aid is the first and immediate assistance given to any person with either a minor or serious illness or injury, with care provided to preserve life, prevent the condition from worsening, or to promote recovery. It includes initial in ...

to stabilize her condition. Langanke had suffered a partially collapsed lung, and their rescue and medical actions were crucial in saving her life. For saving and assisting Langanke, the three men received the Department of Commerce Gold Medal in 1987. ''Ferrel'' received the Department of Commerce Silver Medal in 1995 for coming to the aid of the

sailboat A sailboat or sailing boat is a boat propelled partly or entirely by sails and is smaller than a sailing ship. Distinctions in what constitutes a sailing boat and ship vary by region and maritime culture. Types Although sailboat terminolo ...

''Suncatcher'', which was manned by three exhausted sailors, low on fuel, and unable to reach her destination in the midst of worsening weather. After locating ''Suncatcher'', ''Ferrel'' rigged a float with a tow line, secured it to ''Suncatcher'', and towed her to safety. ''Ferrel'' was decommissioned on 21 November 2002 and replaced by the

research vessel A research vessel (RV or R/V) is a ship or boat designed, modified, or equipped to carry out research at sea. Research vessels carry out a number of roles. Some of these roles can be combined into a single vessel but others require a dedicated ...

NOAAS ''Nancy Foster'' (R 352). Following its decommissioning, ''Ferrel'' was sold to Reservoir Marine LLC, an oil exploration company based in

Sugar Land, Texas Sugar Land is the largest city in Fort Bend County, Texas, United States, located in the southwestern part of the metropolitan area. Located about southwest of downtown Houston, Sugar Land is a populous suburban municipality centered around ...

. On 20 September 2017, while crewed by a family of two adults and two children, ''Ferrel'' issued a distress call at 2:30 AM after becoming caught in

Hurricane Maria Hurricane Maria was a deadly Category 5 hurricane that devastated the northeastern Caribbean in September 2017, particularly Dominica, Saint Croix, and Puerto Rico. It is regarded as the worst natural disaster in recorded history to affect ...

. The vessel capsized and was beached on

Vieques Island Vieques (; ), officially Isla de Vieques, is an island and municipality of Puerto Rico, in the northeastern Caribbean, part of an island grouping sometimes known as the Spanish Virgin Islands. Vieques is part of the Commonwealth of Puerto Ric ...

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...

. One member of the crew, a British man, was killed, while the woman and two children were rescued.

Awards

US Department of Commerce Silver Medal ribbon

In a ceremony on 11 October 1995 in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, ''Ferrel'' received the

for coming to the assistance of ''Suncatcher''.Program of Forty-Seventh Annual Honor Awards, United States Department of Commerce, October 11, 1995: Silver Medal Recipients: NOAA Ship Ferrel, R-492, Office of NOAA Corps Operations, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
/ref> The program for the ceremony cited her achievements as follows:

The officers and crew of the NOAA Ship FERREL are recognized for rescuing the sailing vessel SUNCATCHER, saving the lives of three exhausted sailors. The SUNCATCHER, low on fuel and in the midst of worsening weather, was unable to reach her destination. The FERREL, after locating the sailing vessel, rigged a float with a tow line, secured it to the SUNCATCHER, and towed it to safety.

References

External links