MV Brown Bear

MV Brown Bear
MV Brown Bear
MV Brown Bear as a University of Washington research vessel in 1963.
United States
NameMV Brown Bear
NamesakeBrown bear
OperatorU.S. Bureau of Biological Survey and Alaska Game Commission
BuilderWinslow Marine Railway & Shipbuilding Company, Bainbridge IslandWashington
CostUS$125,000
Launched7 November 1934
FateTransferred to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 30 June 1934
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
NameMV Brown Bear
NamesakePrevious name retained
AcquiredFrom U.S. Bureau of Biological Survey 30 June 1940
FateTransferred to United States Navy 5 January 1942
AcquiredTransferred from U.S. Navy 28 March 1946
FateTransferred to United States Navy May 1951
AcquiredTransferred from U.S. Navy 28 March 1946
FateTransferred to United States Navy May 1951
AcquiredFrom University of Washington 1965
FateTransferred to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 3 October 1970
United States Navy
NameUSS YP-197
AcquiredFrom U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 5 January 1942
Decommissioned27 November 1945
FateTransferred to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 28 March 1946
NotesManned by United States Coast Guard personnel 5 January 1942–27 November 1945
AcquiredTransferred from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service May 1951
FateTransferred to University of Washington by summer 1952
United States
NameMV Brown Bear
NamesakePrevious name retained
OperatorUniversity of Washington
AcquiredFrom U.S. Navy by summer 1952
FateTransferred to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1965
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NameMV Brown Bear
NamesakePrevious name retained
AcquiredFrom U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service 3 October 1970
Decommissioned1972
Fate
  • Sold into commercial service
  • Scuttled 1997 or 1998
General characteristics
as Fish and Wildlife Service vessel
TypeResearch vessel
Tonnage300 gross tons
Length114 ft (35 m)
Beam27 ft (8.2 m)
Draft13 ft (4.0 m)
PropulsionTwo 200-hp (169-kw) Washington Iron Works diesel engines
Speed8.5 knots (16 km/h)
Range4,000 nautical miles (7,400 km) to 5,400 nautical miles (10,000 km)
Boats & landing
craft carried
One tender with 10-horsepower (8.5-kilowatt) Kermath Marine Engines engine
CrewAccommodation for 16 crew and scientists

MV Brown Bear was an American research vessel in commission in the fleet of the United States Department of Agriculture′s Bureau of Biological Survey and Alaska Game Commission from 1934 to 1940 and in the fleet of the United States Department of the Interior′s Fish and Wildlife Service from 1940 to 1942 and from 1946 to 1951, under the control of the University of Washington from 1952 to 1965, and in commission in the fleet of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service from 1965 to 1970 and of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration′s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) from 1970 to 1972.

Early in World War II, the ship was transferred from the FWS to the United States Navy for war service and renamed USS YP-197. Immediately transferred to the United States Coast Guard, she operated as a Coast Guard vessel from 1942 to 1945.

After her NMFS service, the ship operated commercially as the dive tender MV Baja Explorador before returning to her original name. She fell into disrepair and was scuttled in late 1997 or in January 1998.