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Cruise Instructions Template

All field projects aboard a NOAA ship are defined by formal cruise instructions which cover the operational and administrative details of the project. Certain additional forms and procedures are also a necessary part of project preparation and execution. The Chief Scientist/Principal Investigator retains primary responsibility for preparing and submitting the cruise instructions and related material. Execution of the project as described is the joint responsibility of the Chief Scientist/PI and Commanding Officer.

Please use the following outline as a template for writing your cruise instructions. Please send your cruise instruction in Microsoft Word. Section and subsections with an arrow symbol « are required in the instructions; other sections should be included when applicable. If a section with a « does not apply, include the section but with a "N/A" beside it. Please number each section and subsection (i.e. I., II., III.A., III.A.1.). Some subsections are hyperlinked for standard verbiage; please include the verbiage in your cruise instruction.

• Cruise Information: date of final CI submission, ship, cruise number, cruise title, cruise dates
• Signatures: Chief Scientist/Principle Investigator, Program Director, Lab Director, CO MOC (if specific signature block is N/A, delete it)

1. Overview «
   1. Cruise Period «
   2. Operating Area (include optional map/figure showing op area) «
   3. Summary of Objectives «
   4. Participating Institutions «
   5. Personnel (Science Party) «
   6. Administrative «
      1. Points of Contact « :Chief Scientist/alternate, Ops Officer/alternate, agent if needed/selected (name, address, phone number, and email for all)
      2. Diplomatic Clearances «
      3. Licenses and Permits «
      
      
2. Operations «
   1. Cruise Plan Itinerary «
   2. Staging and destaging «
   3. Operations to be conducted « (Detailed breakdown of each type of proposed operation, i.e., in-situ, station, observing...)
   4. Dive Plan «
   5. Applicable Restrictions «
   
   
3. Equipment «
   1. Equipment and capabilities provided by the ship «
   2. Equipment and capabilities provided by the scientists «
   
   
4. Hazardous Materials «
   1. Policy and Compliance «
   2. Radioactive Isotopes «
   3. Inventory «
   
   
5. Additional Projects «
   1. Supplementary ("Piggyback") Projects
   2. NOAA Fleet Ancillary Projects
   
   
6. Disposition of Data and Reports «
   1. Data Responsilities «
   2. Pre and Post Cruise Meeting «
   3. Ship Operation Evaluation Report «
   
   
7. Miscellaneous «
   1. Meals and Berthing «
   2. Medical Forms and Emergency Contacts «
   3. Shipboard Safety «
   4. Communications «
   5. IT Security «
   6. Foreign National Guests Access to OMAO Facilities and Platforms «
   
   

1. Figures, Maps, Tables, etc.
2. Station/Waypoint List (Coordinates in Latitude, Longitude: degree-minutes

If needed, download PDF reader here .

I. F. 2. Cruise Overview – Diplomatic Clearances

This cruise involves Marine Scientific Research in waters under the jurisdiction of _____. Diplomatic clearance has been requested.

I. F. 3. Cruise Overview – Licenses and Permits

This cruise will be conducted under the Scientific Research Permit (U.S.)/Marine Mammal License (U.S.)/Foreign Fishing Vessel License (Canada)/Species at Risk Act permit (Canada) issued by ___________ (U.S. or foreign agency) on ______ (date) to __________ (license holder--often but not always the Chief Scientist)." There could be multiple permits/licenses. The National Marine Sanctuaries have special permitting processes, too. The Chief Scientist should be responsible for obtaining all permits, not the ship.

IV. A. HAZMAT – Policy and Compliance

The Chief Scientist is responsible for complying with MOCDOC 15, Fleet Environmental Compliance #07, Hazardous Material and Hazardous Waste Management Requirements for Visiting Scientists, released July 2002. Documentation regarding those requirements will be provided by the Chief of Operations, Marine Operations Center, upon request.

By Federal regulations and NOAA Marine and Aviation Operations policy, the ship may not sail without a complete inventory of all hazardous materials by name and the anticipated quantity brought aboard, MSDS and appropriate neutralizing agents, buffers, and/or absorbents in amounts adequate to address spills of a size equal to the amount of chemical brought aboard. The amount of hazardous material arriving and leaving the vessel shall be accounted for by the Chief Scientist.

IV. B. HAZAMAT – Radioactive Isotopes

Each scientist working with these materials will be required to wear a lab coat and disposable booties to reduce the likelihood of tracking the substance out of the specified working area.

It will be the responsibility of the investigator to conduct pre-cruise (for background) and post-cruise wipe tests (regardless of whether a spill occurred or not). Wipe tests should also be conducted in the event of a spill, as well as periodically while underway.

A detailed procedural methodology describing the use of these materials should be provided to the Environmental Compliance Officer (ECO) for review at least one month prior to bringing them aboard. A spill contingency plan should also be provided at the same time. Please note that ship's personnel are not first responders in the event of a spill.

A log detailing the type and amount of materials brought aboard and removed from of the ship shall be maintained, along with a record of any spills that occurred.

All radioisotope work will be conducted by NRC or State licensed investigators only, and copies of these licenses shall be provided to the ECO at least one month prior to bringing any materials on board.

VI. B. Disposition of Data and Reports – Pre and Post Cruise Meeting

Pre-Cruise Meeting: Prior to departure, the Chief Scientist will conduct a meeting of the scientific party to train them in sample collection and inform them of cruise objectives. Some vessel protocols, e.g., meals, watches, etiquette, etc. will be presented by the ship’s Operations Officer.

Post-Cruise Meeting: Upon completion of the cruise, a meeting will normally be held at 0830 (unless prior alternate arrangements are made) and attended by the ship’s officers, the Chief Scientist and members of the scientific party, the Vessel Coordinator and the Port Captain to review the cruise. Concerns regarding safety, efficiency, and suggestions for improvements for future cruises should be discussed. Minutes of the post-cruise meeting will be distributed to all participants by email, and to the Commanding Officer and Chief of Operations, Marine Operations Center.

VI. C. Disposition of Data and Reports – Ship Operation Evaluation Report

Within seven days of the completion of the cruise, a Ship Operation Evaluation form is to be completed by the Chief Scientist. The preferred method of transmittal of this form is via email to OMAO.Customer.Satisfation@noaa.gov. If email is not an option, a hard copy may be forwarded to:

Director, NOAA Marine and Aviation Operations
NOAA Office of Marine and Aviation Operations
8403 Colesville Road, Suite 500
Silver Spring, MD 20910

VII. A. Miscellaneous – Meals and Berthing

Meals and berthing are required for up to __ scientists. Meals will be served 3 times daily beginning one hour before scheduled departure, extending throughout the cruise, and ending two hours after the termination of the cruise. Since the watch schedule is split between day and night, the night watch may often miss daytime meals and will require adequate food and beverages (for example a variety of sandwich items, cheeses, fruit, milk, juices) during what are not typically meal hours. Special dietary requirements for scientific participants will be made available to the ship’s command at least seven days prior to the survey (e.g., Chief Scientist is allergic to fin fish).

Berthing requirements, including number and gender of the scientific party, will be provided to the ship by the Chief Scientist. The Chief Scientist and Commanding Officer will work together on a detailed berthing plan to accommodate the gender mix of the scientific party taking into consideration the current make-up of the ship’s complement. The Chief Scientist is responsible for ensuring the scientific berthing spaces are left in the condition in which they were received; for stripping bedding and linen return; and for the return of any room keys which were issued. The Chief Scientist is also responsible for the cleanliness of the laboratory spaces and the storage areas utilized by the scientific party, both during the cruise and at its conclusion prior to departing the ship.

All NOAA scientists will have proper travel orders when assigned to any NOAA ship. The Chief Scientist will ensure that all non NOAA or non Federal scientists aboard also have proper orders. It is the responsibility of the Chief Scientist to ensure that the entire scientific party has a mechanism in place to provide lodging and food and to be reimbursed for these costs in the event that the ship becomes uninhabitable and/or the galley is closed during any part of the scheduled project.

All persons boarding NOAA vessels give implied consent to comply with all safety and security policies and regulations which are administered by the Commanding Officer. All spaces and equipment on the vessel are subject to inspection or search at any time. All personnel must comply with OMAO's Drug and Alcohol Policy dated May 7, 1999 which forbids the possession and/or use of illegal drugs and alcohol aboard NOAA Vessels.

VII. B. Miscellaneous – Medical Forms and Emergency Contacts

The NOAA Health Services Questionnaire (NHSQ, Revised: 08/08) must be completed in advance by each participating scientist. The NHSQ can be obtained from the Chief Scientist or the NOAA website at NOAA HEALTH SERVICES QUESTIONNAIRE The completed form should be sent to the Regional Director of Health Services at Marine Operations Center . The participant can mail, fax, or scan the form into an email using the contact information below. The NHSQ should reach the Health Services Office no later than 4 weeks prior to the cruise to allow time for the participant to obtain and submit additional information that health services might require before clearance to sail can be granted. Please contact MOC Health Services with any questions regarding eligibility or completion of the NHSQ. Be sure to include proof of tuberculosis (TB) testing, sign and date the form, and indicate the ship or ships the participant will be sailing on. The participant will receive an email notice when medically cleared to sail if a legible email address is provided on the NHSQ.

Contact information:

Prior to departure, the Chief Scientist must provide a listing of emergency contacts to the Executive Officer for all members of the scientific party, with the following information: name, address, relationship to member, and telephone number.

VII. C. Miscellaneous – Shipboard Safety

Wearing open-toed footwear or shoes that do not completely enclose the foot (such as sandals or clogs) outside of private berthing areas is not permitted. Steel-toed shoes are required to participate in any work dealing with suspended loads, including CTD deployments and recovery. The ship does not provide steel-toed boots. Hard hats are also required when working with suspended loads. Work vests are required when working near open railings and during small boat launch and recovery operations. Hard hats and work vests will be provided by the ship when required.

VII. D. Miscellaneous – Communications

A progress report on operations prepared by the Chief Scientist may be relayed to the program office. Sometimes it is necessary for the Chief Scientist to communicate with another vessel, aircraft, or shore facility. Through various modes of communication, the ship is able to maintain contact with the Marine Operations Center on an as needed basis. These methods will be made available to the Chief Scientist upon request, in order to conduct official business. Due to a new directive from Marine Operations Center, the ship must charge the science party for all calls made on the cell or sky-cell telephone. INMARSAT, Sky Cell and cellular communication costs shall be reimbursed to the ship for telephone calls made by all scientific personnel. Currently, Sky Cell and cellular telephone services are about $0.89 per minute and INMARSAT Mini M is around $1.68 per minute for voice. These charges will be assessed against the program after the ship receives the bill. There is generally a three month delay receiving the bill for review. The Chief Scientist will be required to keep a log of all calls made by the science party.

VII. E. Miscellaneous – IT Security

Any computer that will be hooked into the ship's network must comply with the NMAO Fleet IT Security Policy prior to establishing a direct connection to the NOAA WAN. Requirements include, but are not limited to:

1. Installation of the latest virus definition (.DAT) file on all systems and performance of a virus scan on each system.
2. Installation of the latest critical operating system security patches.
3. No external public Internet Service Provider (ISP) connections.

Completion of these requirements prior to boarding the ship is preferable.

Non-NOAA personnel using the ship's computers or connecting their own computers to the ship's network must complete NOAA’s IT Security Awareness Course within 3 days of embarking.

VII. F. Miscellaneous – Foreign National Guests

All foreign national access to the vessel shall be in accordance with NAO 207-12 and RADM De Bow’s March 16, 2006 memo. National Marine Fisheries Service personnel will use the Foreign National Registration System (FRNS) to submit requests for access to NOAA facilities and ships. The Departmental Sponsor/NOAA (DSN) is responsible for obtaining clearances and export licenses and for providing escorts required by the NAO. DSNs should consult with their designated NMFS Deemed Exports point of contact to assist with the process.

The following are basic requirements. Full compliance with NAO 207-12 is required.

Responsibilities of the Chief Scientist:

1. Provide the Commanding Officer with the e-mail generated by the FRNS granting approval for the foreign national guest’s visit. This e-mail will identify the guest’s DSN and will serve as evidence that the requirements of NAO 207-12 have been complied with.
2. Escorts – The Chief Scientist is responsible to provide escorts to comply with NAO 207-12 Section 5.10, or as required by the vessel’s DOC/OSY Regional Security Officer.
3. Ensure all non-foreign national members of the scientific party receive the briefing on Espionage Indicators (NAO 207-12 Appendix A) at least annually or as required by the servicing Regional Security Officer.
4. Export Control - The NEFSC currently neither possesses nor utilizes technologies that are subject to Export Administration Regulations (EAR).

The Commanding Officer and the Chief Scientist will work together to implement any access controls necessary to ensure no unlicensed export occurs of any controlled technology onboard regardless of ownership.

Responsibilities of the Commanding Officer:

1. Ensure only those foreign nationals with DOC/OSY clearance are granted access.
2. Deny access to OMAO platforms and facilities by foreign nationals from countries controlled for anti-terrorism (AT) reasons and individuals from Cuba or Iran without written NMAO approval and compliance with export and sanction regulations.
3. Ensure foreign national access is permitted only if unlicensed deemed export is not likely to occur.
4. Ensure receipt from the Chief Scientist or the DSN of the FRNS e-mail granting approval for the foreign national guest’s visit.
5. Ensure Foreign Port Officials, e.g., Pilots, immigration officials, receive escorted access in accordance with maritime custom to facilitate the vessel’s visit to foreign ports.
6. Export Control - 8 weeks in advance of the cruise, provide the Chief Scientist with a current inventory of OMAO controlled technology onboard the vessel and a copy of the vessel Technology Access Control Plan (TACP). Also notify the Chief Scientist of any OMAO-sponsored foreign nationals that will be onboard while program equipment is aboard so that the Chief Scientist can take steps to prevent unlicensed export of Program controlled technology. The Commanding Officer and the Chief Scientist will work together to implement any access controls necessary to ensure no unlicensed export occurs of any controlled technology onboard regardless of ownership.
7. Ensure all OMAO personnel onboard receive the briefing on Espionage Indicators (NAO 207-12 Appendix A) at least annually or as required by the servicing Regional Security Officer.

Responsibilities of the Foreign National Sponsor:

1. Export Control - The foreign national’s sponsor is responsible for obtaining any required export licenses and complying with any conditions of those licenses prior to the foreign national being provided access to the controlled technology onboard regardless of the technology’s ownership.
2. The DSN of the foreign national shall assign an on-board Program individual, who will be responsible for the foreign national while on board. The identified individual must be a U.S. citizen, NOAA (or DOC) employee. According to DOC/OSY, this requirement cannot be altered.
3. Ensure completion and submission of Appendix C (Certification of Conditions and Responsibilities for a Foreign National Guest) as required by NAO 207-12 Section 5.03.h.

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•  URL: http://www.moc.noaa.gov/all_ships/instruction.htm
•  Updated: September 23, 2009