NOAA Ship ''Rainier'' (S 221) is a

survey vessel A survey vessel is any type of ship or boat that is used for underwater surveys, usually to collect data for mapping or planning underwater construction or mineral extraction. It is a type of research vessel, and may be designed for the pu ...

in commission with the

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA ) is an American scientific and regulatory agency charged with Weather forecasting, forecasting weather, monitoring oceanic and atmospheric conditions, Hydrography, charting the seas, ...

(NOAA). Her primary mission is to chart all aspects of the

ocean The ocean is the body of salt water that covers approximately 70.8% of Earth. The ocean is conventionally divided into large bodies of water, which are also referred to as ''oceans'' (the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Indian, Southern Ocean ...

and

sea floor The seabed (also known as the seafloor, sea floor, ocean floor, and ocean bottom) is the bottom of the ocean. All floors of the ocean are known as seabeds. The structure of the seabed of the global ocean is governed by plate tectonics. Most of ...

, primarily in

Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...

and the

Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (PNW; ) is a geographic region in Western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though no official boundary exists, the most common ...

. The ship is home-ported at the NOAA Marine Operations Center–Pacific in Newport,

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

Construction and characteristics

''Rainier'' was designed as a "medium survey ship" (MSS) by the U.S. Maritime Administration. She was built for the

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

at the Aerojet-General Shipyards in

Jacksonville Jacksonville ( ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida, northeastern Florida. It is the county seat of Duval County, Florida, Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonv ...

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

. She was launched on 15 March 1967 along with her

sister ship A sister ship is a ship of the same Ship class, class or of virtually identical design to another ship. Such vessels share a nearly identical hull and superstructure layout, similar size, and roughly comparable features and equipment. They o ...

USC&GS ''Fairweather''. The principal speaker at the ceremony was Dr. J. Herbert Hollomon, acting United States Under Secretary of Commerce. The ship was christened by Mrs. Robert M. White, wife of the administrator of the

Environmental Science Services Administration The Environmental Science Services Administration (ESSA) was a United States federal government, United States Federal executive agency created in 1965 as part of a reorganization of the United States Department of Commerce.

. The ship's original cost was reported to be

US$ The United States dollar (Currency symbol, symbol: Dollar sign, $; ISO 4217, currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and International use of the U.S. dollar, several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introdu ...

4 million. Christening of NOAAS Fairweather and Rainier

''Rainier'' was delivered to the Coast and Geodetic Survey in April 1968, and commissioned on 2 October 1968 as USC&GS ''Rainier'' (MSS 21) in a joint ceremony with her sister ship USC&GS ''Fairweather'' at the Pacific Marine Center in

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

, Washington. The principal speaker at the ceremony was Senator Warren G. Magnuson. When NOAA was formed on 3 October 1970 and took over the Coast and Geodetic Surveys assets, she became a part of the NOAA fleet as NOAAS ''Rainier'' (S 221). ''Rainier''s hull is constructed of welded steel plates. She is long, with a beam of , and a draft of She displaces 1,800 tons. Her registered tonnage is 1,591 gross and 578 net. Her construction complies with the standards of the

American Bureau of Shipping The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) is an American maritime classification society established in 1862. Its stated mission is to promote the security of life, property, and the natural environment, primarily through the development and verific ...

. ''Rainier'' can cruise at 12 knots. She is propelled by two three-bladed controllable-pitch propellers which are in diameter. These are driven by two diesel engines. The two main propulsion engines are General Motors EMD LR-12-567-C, each of which produces 1,200 shaft horsepower. Electric power on board is provided by two diesel generators, each of which is capable of producing 300 kW. The generators are powered by MTU/Detroit Diesel 12V2000P82 engines. She also has a 75 kW emergency generator. The ship has a 200 horsepower

bow thruster Manoeuvering thrusters (bow thrusters and stern thrusters) are transversal propulsion devices built into or mounted to either the Bow (watercraft), bow or stern (front or back, respectively) of a ship or boat to make it more manoeuvrable. Bow th ...

for improved maneuverability. The ship's tanks hold for diesel fuel, giving ''Rainier'' an unrefueled range of 5,898 nautical miles. ''Rainier'' has 14 single-person staterooms, 13 double staterooms, and 6 four-person bunk rooms, giving her a total berthing capacity of 64. The ship is equipped with an officers' wardroom, officer's mess, technician's mess, crew mess, galley, gym, laundry facilities, and an infirmary. ''Rainier'' has a

laboratory A laboratory (; ; colloquially lab) is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific or technological research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. Laboratories are found in a variety of settings such as schools ...

of to support oceanographic observations and diving operations. The deck equipment features a large crane aft and two bow-mounted fixed cranes. This equipment gives ''Rainier'' a lifting capacity of up to . She originally had an

A-frame An A-frame is a basic structure designed to bear a Structural load, load in a lightweight economical manner. The simplest form of an A-frame is two similarly sized Beam (structure), beams, arranged in an angle of 45 degrees or less, attached a ...

aft, but it was removed during a major refit in 2010 in favor of a Rolls-Royce Group ODIM Brooke Ocean MVP200 Moving Vessel Profiler for underway sound velocity determination during mapping missions. She carries a

Kongsberg Kongsberg () is a historical mining town and municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. The city is located on the river Numedalslågen at the entrance to the valley of Numedal. Kongsberg has been a centre of silver mining, arms production and fo ...

hull-mounted EM2040 and EM304 multibeam sonar, and a variety of other conductivity, temperature, and water and bottom sampling instruments to map and characterize the ocean. The ship carries four survey launches for shallow water work. They were built by All American Marine at its

Bellingham, Washington Bellingham ( ) is the county seat of Whatcom County, Washington, Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. It lies south of the Canada–United States border, U.S.–Canada border, between Vancouver, British Columbia, ...

shipyard. They are constructed of welded aluminum. The launches are long. They can cruise at 24 knots driven by a single propeller powered by a

Cummins Cummins Inc. is an American multinational corporation, multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and distributes engines, electric vehicle components, and power generation products. Cummins also services engines and related equipmen ...

QSC 8.3 liter 490-hp Diesel engine. Each of these survey launches is equipped with a Kongsberg EM2040 multibeam sonar for mapping purposes. ''Rainier'' also carries four other smaller boats to support dive operations and shore operations. Rainier's crew varies with her mission, but her maximum complement is 13

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

commissioned officers/mates, 4

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and Admiralty law, law enforcement military branch, service branch of the armed forces of the United States. It is one of the country's eight Uniformed services ...

licensed engineers, 6 unlicensed engineers, 16 deckhands, 10 survey crew, 4 stewards, 1 electronics technician, and 1 maintenance person, plus up to 8 scientists. The ship is named for

Mount Rainier Mount Rainier ( ), also known as Tahoma, is a large active stratovolcano in the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest in the United States. The mountain is located in Mount Rainier National Park about south-southeast of Seattle. With an off ...

Washington State Washington, officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is often referred to as Washington State to distinguish it from the national capital, both named after George Washington ...

Operational history

''Rainier's'' career began somewhat inauspiciously. While she was delivered to USC&GS in April 1968, she was not placed into commission until October because Congress had failed to appropriate funds to operate the ship. Since that time, however, she has been at sea almost every year. The table below, while incomplete, gives a sense of her work.

Significant incidents

The

fishing vessel A fishing vessel is a boat or ship used to fishing, catch fish and other valuable nektonic aquatic animals (e.g. shrimps/prawns, krills, coleoids, etc.) in the sea, lake or river. Humans have used different kinds of surface vessels in commercial ...

''Cricket'' sank in southern Sitka Sound on 10 June 2008. Her two crewmen abandoned ship in

survival suit An immersion suit, also known as a survival suit, is a type of waterproof dry suit intended to protect the wearer from hypothermia if immersed in cold water or otherwise exposed after abandoning a vessel, especially in the open ocean. Immersion ...

s. ''Rainier'' rescued them.alaskashipwreck.com Alaska Shipwrecks (C)
/ref> The ship underwent a service-life extension renovation during 2010. This work took place at the Vigor Marine shipyard in

Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

, under a $13.1 million contract. Among the work performed was the installation of the Kongsburg multibeam sonar system and the MVP200 Moving Vessel Profiler, replacement of davits and other deck machinery, refitting of living and berthing spaces, and upgrades to machinery control systems, power generation machinery, and the ship’s steering system. ''Rainier'' was originally expected to be retired in 2015, but with the additional investment in extending her life, she is now expected to serve until 2028, when she will be 60 years old. While transiting the

Montlake Cut The Montlake Cut is the easternmost section of the Lake Washington Ship Canal, which passes through the city of Seattle, linking Lake Washington to Puget Sound. It opened in 1916 after 56 years of conversation and construction to create the ma ...

in the

Lake Washington Ship Canal The Lake Washington Ship Canal is a canal that runs through the city of Seattle and connects the fresh water body of Lake Washington to the salt water inland sea of Puget Sound. The Hiram M. Chittenden Locks accommodate the approximately diff ...

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

, on 16 April 2018, ''Rainier'' struck the bottom and a concrete wall. No injuries were reported, but the ship suffered damage to one of her

propeller A propeller (often called a screw if on a ship or an airscrew if on an aircraft) is a device with a rotating hub and radiating blades that are set at a pitch to form a helical spiral which, when rotated, exerts linear thrust upon a working flu ...

s, dents in her

hull Hull may refer to: Structures * The hull of an armored fighting vehicle, housing the chassis * Fuselage, of an aircraft * Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds * Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a sea-going craft * Submarine hull Ma ...

, and paint scrapes. During the summer surveying season in 2018, while ''Rainier'' was off the

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...

coast, the

requested that she assist a disabled

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 terminology ...

. ''Rainier'' successfully towed the boat to calm waters. On March 22, 2018, NOAA hosted a ceremony in Newport, Oregon, to celebrate 'Rainier''′s and her

''Fairweather''′s 50 years of service. On September 5, 2023, ''Rainier'' experienced a fire on board during operations off

American Samoa American Samoa is an Territories of the United States, unincorporated and unorganized territory of the United States located in the Polynesia region of the Pacific Ocean, South Pacific Ocean. Centered on , it is southeast of the island count ...

with 41 people on board. The fire was caused by a malfunctioning MSD ventilation booster fan in the exhaust stacks and affected machinery spaces, the ship's machine shop, and a computer lab. The ship was left without propulsion and electrical power for about 23 hours before returning to

Pago Pago Pago Pago ( or ; Samoan language, Samoan: )Harris, Ann G. and Esther Tuttle (2004). ''Geology of National Parks''. Kendall Hunt. Page 604. . is the capital of American Samoa. It is in Maoputasi County, American Samoa, Maoputasi County on Tutuila ...

, American Samoa under reduced power. There were no reported injuries. NOAA sponsors a Teacher at Sea program in its fleet, where primary and secondary school teachers go aboard to participate in the science undertaken by the ships. The intent of the program is to spread awareness of NOAA and ocean sciences generally to teachers who can use this knowledge in their classrooms. ''Rainier'' has had a Teacher at Sea participant aboard since 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2019.

Honors and awards

NOAA Unit Citation Award In 1977 ''Rainier'' received the NOAA Unit Citation Award.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rainier (S 221) Ships of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Survey ships of the United States Ships built in Jacksonville, Florida 1967 ships Washington (state)-related ships Maritime incidents in 2018