Installation of an Ocean Haul Down Facility

An ocean haul down facility (OHDF) at the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center (AUTEC), Andros, Bahamas, provides the capability to submerge and release buoyant vehicles to depths of 2,000 feet to support defense research requirements. A moored mechanical system submerges test vehicles to depth using a wire rope from a platform-based winch passed around a bottom anchored sheave. Vehicle release, ascent monitoring and data collection is accomplished with electro-optical cabling and instrumentation. The at-sea installation of the AUTEC OHDF in 1986 presented several ocean engineering challenges. The unique system configuration and operational constraints required the development of specialized techniques and hardware and the use of sophisticated equipment. Some of these included the modular design of a 100 ton anchor for at-depth (2300 ft) assembly and the combined use of cable laying and warping techniques for system wire deployment.