Evidence
13 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-13).
-
[1]research packet 374-packet.md (4 sources cited) [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED (hull-number-only placeholder is correct; never named)
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-ix-515-ix515-pkt-374-packet-md
-
[2]Adams, J.D., et al., Maritime Dynamics Inc. (Tacoma, WA), SES-200 (Surface Effect Ship) Technical Evaluation Test Report, Final Report, January 1984; report nos. MD-R-1199-2 / USCG-D-1-85; contract N00167-83-C-0047; 205 pp. (DTIC ADA152344, via Internet Archive DTIC mirror) [other_primary]
- Locator
- DTIC ADA152344 report, sections 'SES-200 Background and Description' and 'Construction'; cover-page report documentation block
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official Navy/USCG technical evaluation report documents: BH-110 Mark I built in New Orleans, LA in 1978 by a Bell Aerospace Textron / Halter Marine joint venture to demonstrate the SES concept; Navy procured the craft September 1980 under a joint Navy/Coast Guard program; Navy accepted it 9 May 1981 and designated it SES-110; after eight weeks of Navy trials in the Gulf of Mexico it was turned over to the Coast Guard Eighth District and commissioned as USCGC Dorado (WSES-1), performing six months of patrol operations including law-enforcement exercises to the Yucatan Channel; in January 1982 the Navy returned the craft to Bell-Halter for a 50-ft midbody extension (length-to-beam ratio 2.65 to 4.25); the Navy accepted the stretched vessel in September 1982 as SES-200, evaluated under NAVSEA 05R47 for the Navy and the USCG Office of Research and Development.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1978-1984 (report covers through Jan 1984)
- Population
- Navy test personnel; combined USCG/Navy crew (WSES-1 period)
- Limitations
- Primary government test report describing this hull directly; not a material or hazmat survey. OCR garbles the September 1982 acceptance day ('2* September 1982') - month verified, day not. Establishes Navy ownership/research service from 1980 and Patuxent River operations predating the 1987 NVR instatement; does not address asbestos.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-ix-515-01
-
[3]DTIC ADA152344 (same report), vessel outfit/materials sections: welded marine-grade aluminum hull; 'the propulsion, lift and electrical power plants are all standard marine diesels'; interior sheathing 'foil-backed fiberglass, 3 inches thick'; vinyl-clad aluminum paneling; perforated metal overheads; Sears Kenmore galley appliances; original BH-110 machinery retained through the 1982 stretch [other_primary]
- Locator
- DTIC ADA152344 full-text OCR, Appendix A outfit lists ('INTERIOR SHEATHING', 'GALLEY EQUIPMENT', machinery sections); full-text search of report shows zero 'asbestos' occurrences
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The 205-page Navy technical evaluation itemizes this craft's construction, machinery, and outfit in detail - all-aluminum welded catamaran structure, standard marine diesel power (no boilers or steam plant), foil-backed fiberglass interior insulation, vinyl and Formica finishes - and contains no asbestos reference anywhere in the document.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1982-1984
- Population
- Crew and test personnel aboard during 1982-84 evaluation period
- Limitations
- This is a test/evaluation report, not a hazmat or material-safety survey: absence of an asbestos mention does not prove absence of asbestos aboard (component-level gaskets, packing, or electrical materials could still have contained it). Documents what the Navy itself recorded as fitted aboard this hull; does not establish zero asbestos, does not address post-1984 modifications' materials, and does not bear on any individual exposure claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-ix-515-02
-
[4]LeBoeuf, LT Andrew W., USN, 'The U.S. Navy SES Program: An Update' (Professional Note), U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings, Vol. 110/12/982, December 1984 [reputable_press]
- Locator
- Proceedings Dec 1984 issue, Professional Notes section, article 'The U.S. Navy SES Program: An Update' (author bio confirms LT LeBoeuf was OIC of the Surface Effect Ship Test Facility, NAS Patuxent River)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Contemporary participant account by the officer-in-charge of the Navy's Surface Effect Ship Test Facility: SES-200 'has operated from the Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River, Maryland, since 1982'; built 1978 by Bell-Halter of New Orleans as SES-110BH-class demonstrator; purchased by the Navy in 1980 and modified to support a 14-man crew and test instrumentation; served six months as commissioned cutter USCG Dorado (WSES-1) under a Navy/USCG memorandum; subsequently lengthened 50 ft; after acceptance trials transited 1,662 nm nonstop New Orleans to Patuxent River (world endurance record for advanced hull-form ships); comprehensive technical evaluation completed 'from calm seas to sea state five'; 'constructed of off-the-shelf equipment and material' and diesel-powered. Documents qualifying Navy research service from 1982 - five years before the 11 May 1987 NVR instatement that secondary compilations treat as the start of service.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1980-1984
- Population
- 14-man Navy test crew; test facility personnel
- Limitations
- Uncorrected OCR text on usni.org; author was program participant (OIC, SES Test Facility) writing in a professional journal, not an official NHHC history. 'Returned to the Navy in 1981' is approximate vs. DTIC's January 1982 return-to-builder date. Corrects era misattribution: this is a 1978-built craft, not a WWII vessel; the IX-515 designation (1987) marks no new hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-ix-515-03
-
[5]Cassaday, Fred W., Jr. (comp.), 'Ships' Status Changes: 1 January 1987-31 December 1987,' U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings, Vol. 114/5/1,023 (May 1988), 'SHIPS/CRAFT INSTATED ON THE NAVAL VESSEL REGISTER' [reputable_press]
- Locator
- Proceedings May 1988 issue, 'Ships' Status Changes' article, 'SHIPS/CRAFT INSTATED ON THE NAVAL VESSEL REGISTER' table
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NVR-derived status list records: '11 May 1987 - Unnamed (IX-515) - Formerly known as "SES-200" and rated as "floating equipment".' The IX-515 designation therefore dates from the May 1987 instatement on the Naval Vessel Register, not from the 2003 HYSWAC relaunch as NavSource's chronology implies; the 2003 conversion changed configuration, not identity.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1987
- Limitations
- USNI's compiled status list (from NVR data); uncorrected OCR. Confirms instatement date and that the craft entered the register unnamed - it was never a commissioned USS vessel. Does not itself explain the gap between 1982-87 floating-equipment service and formal registration.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-ix-515-04
-
[6]Naval Vessel Register ship detail page, 'NO NAME (IX 515) (ex - SES 110BH, EX-USCG DORADO (WSES 1), SES 200)', UIC 22274 (archived capture, page last updated 22 Oct 2012) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NVR SHIPSDETAIL_IX_515.HTML via Internet Archive Wayback Machine
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The Naval Vessel Register officially records this craft as NO NAME (IX 515), ex-SES 110BH / ex-USCGC DORADO (WSES 1) / SES-200; builder Bell Halter Inc.; 'All aluminum hull'; propulsion 'Diesel Engines'; overall length 159 ft, beam 39 ft, light displacement 128 t / full 205 t; accommodations 3 officers / 26 enlisted; stricken date 02/12/2010; status 'Disposed of, sold by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) for reuse/conversion' with status-change date 09/01/2010.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- NVR record current to Oct 2012
- Limitations
- Archived NVR snapshot (2016-2017 captures of page last updated Oct 2012). NVR physical characteristics reflect post-stretch SES-200-era values, not the 2003-2010 HYSWAC configuration (NavSource IX-515 specs: 167.4 ft, 340 t full). Stricken date in NVR MM/DD/YYYY = 12 Feb 2010; Morison USNI errata lists 2 Feb 2010 - discrepancy logged in gaps.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-ix-515-05
-
[7]NavSource Online, Service Ship Photo Archive: IX-515 / SES-110BH / USCG Dorado (WSES-1) / SES-200 (page last updated 25 Oct 2024) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource IX-515 page, chronology block and specification blocks; photo captions incl. NARA NAID 6452869
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Standard reference chronology: laid down as SES-110BH at Bell Halter Inc., New Orleans (date unknown); delivered to U.S. Navy 1 Sep 1980; loaned to USCG and commissioned USCGC Dorado (WSES-1) 18 Jun 1981; decommissioned and returned to Navy (NavSource: Sep 1982); placed in service 11 May 1987 as SES-200 'Sea Flyer'; converted by Navatek Ltd 2000-2003 with entire propulsion and lifting system replaced; relaunched June 2003 as SWATH/hydrofoil hybrid designated IX-515; placed out of service and stricken 12 Feb 2010; final disposition Navy sale. SES-200-era specs: 162 t full load, 110 ft, 2 GM main diesels + 2 Detroit lift diesels, 33 kt max, complement 14. Page explicitly states no DANFS history exists for this craft.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1978-2010
- Limitations
- NavSource is a non-official volunteer compilation - used here as the standard index, with dates corroborated against NVR, DTIC, USNI, and USCG sources. Two NavSource details conflict with primary sources: Dorado decommissioning 'September 1982' (vs. Dec 1981/Jan 1982 in DTIC + NavalCoverMuseum) and IX-515 'designated' at 2003 relaunch (vs. 11 May 1987 NVR instatement per USNI). A photo caption dates an SES-200 underway image '28 February 1980' - before Navy delivery; the NARA local ID (330-CFD-DN-SN-90-03895) suggests ~1990 imagery.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-ix-515-06
-
[8]U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office, cutter histories (Sea Hawk WSES-2 page describing the WSES program; USCG Daily Chronology, November, via Wayback capture of uscg.mil/history/Chronology_Nov.asp) [other_primary]
- Locator
- history.uscg.mil Sea Hawk (WSES-2) article 'History' section; archived USCG Daily Chronology November entry, https://web.archive.org/web/20080519093601/http://www.uscg.mil/history/Chronology_Nov.asp
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- USCG Historian's Office documents that the Service 'tested and evaluated the surface effects ship [SES] Dorado (WSES-1) for a period between 1981 and 1982' as a patrol craft, leading to purchase of three production WSES cutters and the 1 Nov 1982 stand-up of the SES Division at Key West. The official USCG chronology adds a second, later USCG period: on 6 November 1984 'the Coast Guard accepted operational control from the Navy of the SES-200... for five months of operational evaluations' (post-stretch craft). USCG's description of the WSES type: 'rigid sidewall hovercraft constructed of a lightweight aluminum alloy' with diesel lift fans and flexible rubberized seals.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1981-1982; Nov 1984-Apr 1985
- Population
- Combined USCG/Navy crews; USCG SES Division personnel (sister craft)
- Limitations
- USCG historian pages name this hull (Dorado) for the 1981-82 evaluation; the aluminum-alloy construction description was written for the production WSES-2/3/4 craft but matches the DTIC-documented construction of this hull. The Nov 1984 opcon entry is from the official chronology via Wayback (live page retired); it documents operational control, not a second commissioning.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-ix-515-07
-
[9]Maritime Reporter and Engineering News, April 1991, p. 18: 'Textron Marine Awarded $69.1 Million Navy LCAC Order - Yard Completes SES Refurbishment' [reputable_press]
- Locator
- Maritime Reporter Apr 1991 issue, p. 18
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documents a mid-life machinery replacement aboard this hull: in 1990 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarded Textron Marine Systems (successor yard, 'where she was originally designed and built') a $1.8M contract for 'conversion, modification, and upgrading of the SES-200 propulsion systems and hull structure' - original conventional propellers and diesels replaced by two MTU 16V396TB94 diesels with ZF BW755 gearboxes driving twin KaMeWa 71S62/6-SII waterjets (3,200 to 6,960 hp). Sea trials completed by April 1991; craft homeported at David Taylor Research Center detachment, NAS Patuxent River, MD, under Navy project office PMS300.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1990-1991
- Population
- Textron Marine Systems yard workers (1990-91 refit)
- Limitations
- Trade-press report of a documented propulsion-ripout event - a plausible maintenance-disturbance window, but the article contains no asbestos or hazmat content and no abatement record for this refit was located. Yard period confirms builder lineage (Bell Halter -> Textron Marine Systems, New Orleans).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-ix-515-08
-
[10]Honolulu Advertiser (8 Jul 2004) 'Navy to take helm of Sea Flyer' + Honolulu Advertiser (8 Feb 2009) 'The fleet that never sets sail' + Navy News Service release on first-phase HYSWAC completion (9 Jul 2004, mirrored) [reputable_press]
- Locator
- Honolulu Advertiser 2004-07-08 and 2009-02-08 articles; NNS release via wiki.globalsecurity.org mirror (mil-040715-nns01); globalsecurity.org Sea Flyer program page
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documents the 2000-2003 Navatek conversion of SES-200 into the HYSWAC demonstrator Sea Flyer under an $18 million Office of Naval Research cooperative agreement: existing air-cushion system and all related components removed, a 170-ton underwater lifting body, new propulsion system, aft cross foil, and advanced ride-control system installed; work performed at Honolulu Shipyard; relaunched June 2003 (~167 ft, ~320-340 t); a year of Hawaiian sea trials, then Navy possession July 2004 for San Diego demonstrations. Advertiser (2009) places the inactivated IX-515 at the Pearl Harbor Middle Loch inactive-ship facility as of fiscal 2008.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 2000-2008
- Population
- Navatek/Honolulu Shipyard conversion workers; ONR test crews
- Limitations
- Press + secondary accounts (GlobalSecurity) corroborated by an official Navy News Service release; the conversion stripped the original propulsion and lift machinery entirely - a major configuration change, but no hazmat/abatement disclosure for the conversion was located. '$18 million' figure from company president via press. Does not document materials removed.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-ix-515-09
-
[11]Morison, Samuel Loring (comp.), 'U.S. Naval Battle Force Changes 1 January 2011-31 December 2011,' Proceedings (May 2012), '2010 ERRATA' table: '2 Feb 2010 - IX-515 ("Sea Flyer") - Ex-USN SES-110BH, ex-USCGC Dorado (WSES-1), ex-USN SES-200). Name unofficial. Empty hull sold 31 August 2010 for $20,000.' [reputable_press]
- Locator
- Morison Proceedings compilation PDF, 2010 Errata section; NavSource photo captions (July 2010 Pearl Harbor layup)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NVR-based compilation records the craft's disposal: out of service/stricken Feb 2010 and the empty hull sold 31 August 2010 for $20,000; corroborates NVR status 'Disposed of, sold by DRMS for reuse/conversion' and NavSource photos of the laid-up IX-515 at Pearl Harbor awaiting a buyer (July 2010, Government Liquidation listing).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 2010
- Limitations
- Morison's errata gives 2 Feb 2010 where NVR gives 02/12/2010 (12 Feb) - day-level discrepancy logged; both agree on Feb 2010 strike. 'Empty hull' sale description confirms machinery/equipment removed before sale but gives no hazmat detail. Buyer and post-sale disposition undocumented.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-ix-515-10
-
[12]McCreary v. United States, 35 Fed. Cl. 533 (1996) (CourtListener opinion 6763170) [court_record]
- Locator
- Opinion at procedural-history section (vessels named; 21 Dec 1990 dismissal order)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Only CourtListener opinion naming this hull: patent-infringement litigation by the heirs of air-cushion inventor Norman McCreary over the Navy's SES fleet. The complaint accused eight government craft including 'the SES-200'; by order of 21 December 1990 the court dismissed with prejudice all claims relating to BH-110, SES-200, and JEFF-A. Non-asbestos intellectual-property litigation - contains no exposure allegation, no asbestos content, and adjudicated nothing about this vessel's materials.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1987-1996 (litigation); opinion 1996
- Limitations
- Classified as other-litigation (name match in a patent case), not qualifying asbestos litigation; the dismissal-with-prejudice concerns patent claims only. Sweep result: no asbestos case naming IX-515, SES-200, SES-110BH, Sea Flyer, or Dorado/WSES-1 located in opinion index (see search_ledger; RECAP docket searches were blocked by fleet pacing window at research time).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-ix-515-11
-
[13]Batch-4824 search ledger (this record): NavSource IX-515 archive; NHHC/DANFS check; Naval Vessel Register archived detail page; DTIC ADA152344 full text; USCG Historian's Office WSES pages and chronology; USNI Proceedings (Dec 1984, May 1988, May 2012); Maritime Reporter Apr 1991; CourtListener opinion/docket sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-ix-515-01 through sl-uss-ix-515-12
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located for this hull under any designation: no asbestos survey, no abatement contract, no hazmat or material-safety disclosure, no DANFS entry (NavSource confirms none exists), and no asbestos litigation naming the craft. The single litigation hit (McCreary) is non-asbestos patent litigation. The most detailed government description of the vessel's construction and outfit (DTIC ADA152344) documents aluminum structure, fiberglass insulation, and diesel machinery with no asbestos reference.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 2026-09-29
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - gasket-, packing-, or component-level ACM in a 1978 commercial craft cannot be ruled out, and the refit (1990-91) and conversion (2000-03) yards' hazmat handling is undocumented. No WWI/WWII-era construction applies: this hull is post-war (1978) commercial aluminum construction - any prior 'WWII era' attribution to this record is a data error, not a feature of the hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-ix-515-12