The Mystery Vessel SAGE

24 April 2005. Thanks to several for pointing. More on the vessel and its mission invited: send to jya [at] pipeline.com

What's on mysterious ship? Now that's a dome question

By TOM BELL, Portland Press Herald Writer

Staff photo by John Patriquin

The vessel Sage, with two large domes rising from its aft deck, has been tied up for three weeks in a secure area at a Portland Harbor pier. An official from the ship's owner thinks it has been leased to Lockheed Martin, a defense contractor.

[Excerpt]

People on the Portland waterfront are wondering about a mysterious vessel in the harbor. The Sage, an offshore supply ship about 180 feet long, is carrying two large domes on its aft deck. The domes typically cover parabolic antennae that are used to track satellites. The rumor on the waterfront is that they will track the space shuttle Discovery, scheduled to be launched next month.

But the ship's captain won't talk. He has ordered that nobody be allowed near the ship, which is tied up in a secure area at the end of Pier 1 at the Portland Ocean Terminal. The Sage has been tied up there for three weeks, at a cost of nearly $300 a day.

"It's a bizarre-looking boat," said Stephen Phillips, a dock worker at the Portland Fish Exchange. "It's crazy."

Jeff Monroe, the city's director of ports and transportation, thinks the vessel will track the Discovery. But his sources were third-hand, he admitted.

"I heard it from the marine guy, who heard it from the dock guy, who heard it from the agent," he said. "I don't know."

The vessel's port of registration is New Orleans, La. The Sage is one of 530 vessels owned by Tidewater, the world's largest offshore marine-services provider.

http://www.tdw.com/

Tidewater
601 Poydras Street, Suite 1900
New Orleans, Louisiana 70130
Tel: 1-800-678-8433
1-504-568-1010
Email: connect@tdw.com
Web: www.tdw.com
Tidewater Inc. owns and operates over 570 vessels, the world's largest fleet of vessels serving the global offshore energy industry.
http://www.tdw.com/services/spcprojects.html
Special Projects

No other marine services company shares its enthusiasm for developing highly specialized equipment to meet its customers' demands. As an example, Tidewater provided support for the U. S. government in launching geo-stationary radar equipment for drug interdiction in the Gulf of Mexico. Vessels used in other special projects include line-handling, maintenance, FPSO and diving support.

American Bureau of Shipping

Vessel Record Search:

http://absapps.eagle.org/unsecured/record/record_vesselsearch?Accesstype=PUBLIC&ReferrerApplication=PUBLIC

Name: SAGE Class Number: 8702898 IMO Number: 8218421 Status: In Operation, Active, Classed

Registered Owner TIDEWATER MARINE, INC.

Owner or Operator TIDEWATER MARINE - SUPPLY DIVISION Address : P.O. BOX 1519
AMELIA, LA, 70340, United States .

Designation

Official Registry Number 659902

Flag Name United States of America

Port of Registration New Orleans, LA

Keel Laying Date 12 May 1982

Delivery Date 01 Nov 1987

Categories

Description Offshore Supply Vessel

ABS Class Notations

XA1, AMS

ABS Safety, Quality and/or Environmental Standards :

Anchor Equipment

Other Info

Rapid Response Program No

Subject to IACS S19 S22 S23 No

Principal Characteristics

Design Tonnage 744 Tonnes

Length between Perpendicular 54.864 m

Molded Length(M) 54.864

Molded Breadth(M) 12.192

Molded Depth(M) 4.2672

Tonnage

Regulation Gross Tonnage Net Tonnage

ITC 744 (Registered) 223 (Registered)

NATIONAL 299 203

Loading Application and Manual/Reference

Trim and Stability Booklet Yes

Builder

Builder Customer Number Builder Building ID Builder Role Project Description Contractual Responsibility Contract Date

SWIFTSHIPS INC. 887903 316 Prime Build

Freeboard Assignments

Freeboard Displacement Deadweight(Tonnes) Calculated Freeboard(mm) State

650.7 Available

Name: SAGE	Class Number: 8702898	IMO Number: 8218421	Status: In Operation, Active, Classed
Registered Owner	TIDEWATER MARINE, INC.
Owner or Operator	TIDEWATER MARINE - SUPPLY DIVISION	Address :	P.O. BOX 1519 AMELIA, LA, 70340, United States .