MARITIME PROGRAM

Objectives

The Atoll Institute's Maritime Program will involve the acquisition and operation of a fleet of vessels required to support atoll reclamation through sustainable dredging and filling. Moreover, the government of the Republic of Kiribati wishes to facilitate the establishment of a commercial fishing fleet on Kiritimati (Christmas) Atoll, 1,200 nm south of Hawaii, but this is not yet feasible due to inadequate shipping and air services.  A longstanding government objective has been domestic training of merchant mariners, as is development of its ocean resources, like deep seabed mining.  And other forms of economic development, including tourism, will be required for the resettlement of its citizens as an element in its efforts to adapt to sea level rise.  Accordingly, the establishment of reliable and economical maritime logistics will be the foundation upon which all of Kiribati's adaptation and related activities will be based, and therefore the Atoll Institute intends to help facilitate all these objectives.

Current Maritime Operations in the Northern Line Chain

The inhabited Northern Line Chain of the Republic of Kiribati comprises Kiritimati (Christmas), Tabuaeran (Fanning), and Teraina (Washington) atolls, roughly 1,000 nm south of Hawaii, but these atolls have no adequately scheduled ship or air services.  A small government vessel makes general cargo shipments to Kiritimati, Tabuaeran and Teraina from Tarawa, the capital, roughly 2,000 miles to the west, while tramp freighters also occasionally call at those atolls. Fuel oil deliveries by transiting tankers are occasionally made to a government fuel storage facility on Kiritimati, and fuel is sometimes shipped from Kiritimati to Tabuaeran and Teraina. Accordingly, the planned Atoll Institute operations on Tabuaeran will require the provision of passenger, cargo and fuel shipments from Hawaii, and related interisland logistical support.

The Atoll Institute's Phased Vessel Acquisition Program

The Atoll Institute intends to implement a phased vessel acquisition program to support its planned Phase I field station operations at the Cable Station on Tabuaeran, and incrementally increase its fleet operations to support a pilot atoll reclamation program on Tabuaeran and the planned Phase II operations at the proposed Empyrean Village Inn & Conference Centre.  Thereafter, it will expand its fleet operations in support of economic development objectives for Kiritimati, such as commercial fishing fleet operations, and perhaps deep seabed mining.  Also, subject to cruise market conditions, the fleet will be expanded as soon as possible to include a small cruise ship which will be used solely for atoll eco-cultural tourism voyages to the inhabited and uninhabited atolls of Kiribati and its neighbors, departing from Hawaii.   The following is a brief description of the type of vessels to be acquired and operated:

• Research and Cargo Tender (WLB) - the first vessel to be acquired will have to serve as a research and cargo tender to transport Atoll Institute personnel (volunteers, employees, scientists and engineers) from Hawaii to Tabuaeran, Kiritimati and Teraina.   Therefore on July 3, 2008, the Atoll Institute accepted the donation a decommissioned United States Coast Guard (USCG) 180 foot long buoy tender (USCG designation WLB).  This vessel will be capable of carrying at least eight 20' containers, plus other cargo, and adequate fuel to sail from Hawaii to all of the Northern Line Chain, and then return.  It will also serve as a research vessel in support of scientific and engineering studies to be conducted at Tabuaeran regarding the planned pilot atoll reclamation project, which will also involve a small salvage operation to remove a sunken tug and barge.  And it would be available to the government for fishing and maritime surveillance, as well as for firefighting duties, maintenance of aids to navigation, and pollution control. Finally, it could be used for barge towing operations in the open ocean, and also being used as an interisland platform to provide medical and dental services to the islanders.

• Large Ocean Tug (YTB) - the second vessel to be acquired will be an oceangoing tug.  The Atoll Institute is therefore actively seeking the acquisition of a decommissioned United States Navy (USN) 106 foot long district harbor tug (USN designation YTB).  This vessel will be capable of towing medium to large oceangoing barges from Hawaii to the Northern Line Chain atolls, and interisland, as well as within the interior lagoons.

• Maritime Research Ship (T-AGOS) - the third vessel to be acquired will be a maritime research vessel equipped with a drum and cable capable of deep seabed operations.  The Atoll Institute is therefore actively seeking the acquisition of a decommissioned United States Navy (USN) 224 foot ocean surveillance ship (USN designation AGOS).  It too would be available to the government for fishing and maritime surveillance, and could serve as an interisland platform for medical and dental services to the islanders.

• Utility Landing Craft (LCU) - the fourth vessel to be acquired will have to serve as a combined research and marine engineering vessel, as well as a container lighter.  The Atoll Institute is therefore actively seeking the acquisition of a decommissioned United States Army (USA) 119 foot long utility landing craft (USA designation LCU).  This vessel will be capable of carrying at least nine 20' containers, or other vehicles, and adequate fuel to sail non-stop from Hawaii to any of the Northern Line Chain atolls.  It will also serve as a research vessel in support of scientific and engineering studies to be conducted at Tabuaeran regarding the planned pilot atoll reclamation project, and could be used for salvage and light dredging operations by carrying a mobile crane.  Plus, it could be used to lighter containers ashore from transiting container ships.  Finally, it could be used for light barge towing operations in the interisland waters.

• Barge & Crane Bucket Dredger - the fifth vessel to be acquired will be a large barge, which will be equipped with a mobile crane and outfitted with spud legs for dredging.  This vessel will be used primarily to prepare anchorages and channels on Tabuaeran, and for the engineering studies on minimizing the environmental impact of dredging.

• Clamshell Bucket Dredger - the sixth vessel to be acquired will be a clamshell bucket dredger that will be built specifically for continuous commercial dredging operations, and have a bucket capacity of at least 12 cubic metres.  This dredger would be capable of dredging enough sand and other deposits on Tabuaeran to raise all of the islets (about 13 square miles) by a height of about 10 feet in a period of eight to ten years.

• Small Feeder Container Ship - the seventh vessel to be acquired will be a small feeder container ship suited for regular sailings to/from Hawaii and the Northern Line Chain atolls and carrying roughly eighty 20 foot containers or other vehicles and equipment; it will be approximately 250 feet in length and have a capacity of about 1,500 net tons.

• Atoll Eco-Culture Cruise Ship - as soon as cruise market conditions permit, the Atoll Institute intends to acquire or otherwise operate a small cruise ship solely for use by adventurers wishing to experience atoll environments and the atoll islanders' culture.  Voyages from Hawaii to the Northern and Southern Line Chains, Phoenix Chain, Gilbert Chain, Tuvalu, and neighboring atolls will provide opportunities for our passengers to experience sailing on traditional outrigger canoes, diving in pristine atoll lagoons, learning from naturalists about the atoll environment, and savoring the atoll lifestyle.  The cruise ship will be about 300 feet in length and carry about 300 passengers.

• U.S. surplus materiel donations - all manner of surplus materiel is available courtesy of the United States government and will be secured and utilized to support the fleet operations, as well as the planned field stations on Tabuaeran, Teraina, and Kiritimati.

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