Evidence
11 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-11).
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[1]Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Oceanus magazine, 'Farewell to the Knorr,' Kathryn Eident, 2014-12-01 [other_primary]
- Locator
- Section 'Mid-life makeover' (paragraph following Jonathan Leiby quote on Gulf Coast yard downturn)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- WHOI's institutional magazine documents asbestos aboard this hull: 'The yard struggled to properly refit Knorr and its sister ship, Melville. Problems and delays plagued the $32-million project. First, asbestos was in nearly every wall and ceiling that workers opened. Then, the yard had issues installing new piping.' - describing the 1989-1991 mid-life refit at McDermott Shipyard, Amelia, Louisiana, during which the ship was cut in half and lengthened 34 feet.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1989-1991 (refit); published 2014-12-01
- Population
- McDermott Shipyard refit workers (Amelia, LA, 1989-1991); WHOI marine crew and technicians supporting the refit period
- Limitations
- Directly names this hull's refit, though the sentence covers the shared Knorr/Melville refit project (same yard, same contract program). Does not quantify ACM, identify product types or manufacturers beyond 'wall and ceiling' materials, describe removal, encapsulation, or disposal, or document exposure of any individual worker or crew member. Does not establish whether ACM remained aboard after the October 1991 return to service or at the 2016 transfer to Mexico.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-knorr-agor15-01
-
[2]U.S. Navy, Naval Vessel Register (NAVSEA/NAVSHIPSO), KNORR (AGOR 15) detail page - Wayback Machine capture 2001-12-07; live NVR detail page no longer serves this hull after disposal [other_primary]
- Locator
- NVR ship detail page fields (38 captures, 2000-01-29 to 2016-11-28; the 2016-11-28 capture returns 404)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Naval Vessel Register entry for KNORR (AGOR 15), Oceanographic Research Ship, UIC 20167, Fleet: Atlantic, class code 'AGOR 3', custodian 'Schools, Organizations and Private Enterprises'. Official fields: builder DEFOE SB CO; award 1966-09-30; keel 1967-08-09; launch 1968-08-21; delivery 1970-01-14; status 'Loaned (not SAP), lease was renewed on date shown in Status Date' with status date 1996-08-04; commission, decommission, and stricken fields blank. Post-refit characteristics: LOA 279 ft, waterline 220 ft, beam 46 ft, max navigational draft 17 ft; light displacement 1,520 tons, full 1,915 tons; steel hull and superstructure; diesel-electric, 3 propellers; berthing accommodations 36 officers / 33 enlisted.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1966-2001 (registry fields); capture 2001-12-07
- Limitations
- Registry data only - establishes identity, builder, milestone dates, lease/loan status, and post-refit characteristics. Contains no asbestos, materials, or condition information and supports no asbestos claim. Blank commission/decommission fields are consistent with a never-commissioned, institution-operated auxiliary.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-knorr-agor15-02
-
[3]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Knorr (AGOR-15) entry - mirrored by NavSource Online, page 09/57/5715h [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- NavSource T-AGOR-15 Knorr DANFS transcription page
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS entry (text mirrored by NavSource): the name Knorr was assigned to AGOR-15 on 1967-05-08; Defoe Shipbuilding Co., Bay City, Mich., began construction 1967-04-03 with completion planned for fall 1968. Original characteristics line: dp. 1,370; l. 209'; b. 40'; dr. 16'; s. 13 k.; cpl. 26; cl. Robert D. Conrad. Namesake: Ernest R. Knorr, senior civilian and Chief Engineer Cartographer of the Hydrographic Office 1860-1885, credited with much of the success of the Navy's first systematic charting and surveying effort (Jeannette expedition support; Jamestown and Tuscarora Pacific coast surveys); cited by the Hydrographer of the Navy in 1871; author (1879) of Memoir on International Cooperation in Maritime Hydrography.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1860-1885 (namesake); 1967-1968 (entry)
- Limitations
- Pre-completion DANFS entry written in future tense ('will gather vital scientific data'); accessed via mirror - no live history.navy.mil DANFS page for this auxiliary located (404). DANFS 'began construction 1967-04-03' precedes NVR keel date 1967-08-09 (construction start vs keel laying - both carried). No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-knorr-agor15-03
-
[4]WHOI Data Library and Archives, 'Knorr (1970 to 2014)' ship page; WHOI archived 'R/V Knorr Specifications' page (archives.whoi.edu) [other_primary]
- Locator
- DLA ship page fields; specifications at https://archives.whoi.edu/knorr/main/ships/knorr/specifications.html
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- WHOI official ship pages: Knorr delivered to WHOI April 1970 and operated for the ocean research community under Office of Naval Research charter - 'Title held by U.S. Navy; Operated under charter agreement with Office of Naval Research.' Sister ship Melville (Scripps). The 32-month mid-life refit at McDermott Shipyard, Amelia, LA (1989-1991) added a 34-foot midsection (to 279 ft LOA) with new laboratory and machinery space and installed twin azimuthing propulsion. Post-refit specification: displacement 2,685 LT; beam 46 ft; draft 16.5 ft; range 12,000 NM; 11 kt; endurance 60 days; complement 22 crew, 32 scientists, 2 technicians; propulsion two Lips diesel-electric azimuthing stern thrusters (1,500 shp each) plus retractable azimuthing bow thruster (900 shp).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1970-2014
- Limitations
- Institutional history/specification pages; figures are post-refit configuration. WHOI lists 'Built: 1969' while the launch was 1968-08-21 and delivery 1970-01-14 - convention differences logged in gaps. Contains no asbestos statement beyond what ev-01 records.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-knorr-agor15-04
-
[5]WHOI: '1985 discovery of RMS Titanic'; 'Argo and Titanic'; 'Ships and technology used during the Titanic expeditions'; Oceanus 'Farewell to the Knorr' (2014-12-01); WHOI Data Library cruise catalog (KN115-03, 1985-08-15 to 1985-09-11) [other_primary]
- Locator
- WHOI Titanic topic pages; DLA cruise record https://www.dla.whoi.edu/catalog/rv-knorr-cruise-kn115-03-1985-08-15-1985-09-11
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- WHOI-documented configuration and scientific career: as built, Knorr carried two German-made Voith-Schneider cycloidal propellers - the first American research ship so equipped - which gave exceptional maneuverability but were slow and failure-prone, driving the 1989-91 repowering; the ship returned to Woods Hole October 1991. Career milestones: 1972 first leg of the ~30,000-mile GEOSECS expedition (Arctic Circle to Cape Horn); 1973 Project FAMOUS first close-up submersible investigation of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge; 1977 Galapagos Rift expedition during which scientists found hydrothermal vent communities; 1985-09-01 wreck of RMS Titanic located by the towed imaging sled Argo deployed from Knorr during the joint WHOI-IFREMER effort (Knorr phase began 1985-08-22 after Le Suroit), the cruise embedded in a classified Navy submarine-survey expedition; 1986 return to Titanic with Alvin and Jason Jr.; 1992 World Ocean Circulation Experiment; 2005-06 Long Core refit; final Long Core mission November 2014, returning to Woods Hole 2014-12-03.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1970-2014
- Population
- WHOI civilian crew (~22) and embarked science parties (~32-34) across 1970-2014
- Limitations
- Expedition and service history - establishes the hull's operating record and the populations (crew, embarked science parties) present across decades. Contains no asbestos information and supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-knorr-agor15-05
-
[6]WHOI press room: 'Renamed Rio Tecolutla, R/V Knorr Joins The Mexican Navy' (2016-03-14); WHOI Visual WHOI captions 'Fair Winds' and 'One Last Line' (March 2016) [other_primary]
- Locator
- WHOI press-room page; multimedia captions at whoi.edu/ocean-learning-hub/multimedia/fair-winds/ and /one-last-line/
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Retirement and transfer, per WHOI: last full research cruise completed December 2014 (returned to Woods Hole 2014-12-03); retirement announced 2014-12-04; WHOI captions describe the ship as decommissioned by the U.S. Navy in December 2014. On 2016-03-14 the ship was officially transferred to the Mexican Navy in a ceremony on the WHOI dock (Rear Admiral Chris Sadler USN and Vicealmirante Francisco Perez Rico signing the transfer certificate), renamed ARM Rio Tecolutla, and departed Woods Hole 2016-03-15 for Veracruz, Mexico, to continue as a survey ship homeported at Manzanillo. WHOI credits the ship with roughly 1.3-1.4 million miles over about 46 years; replaced at WHOI by R/V Neil Armstrong (AGOR-27).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 2014-2016
- Limitations
- Institutional accounts. WHOI's 'decommissioned December 2014' wording is informal - the NVR carries no commission date because the ship was never commissioned. No asbestos, hazmat, or material-condition disclosure appears in the retirement/transfer coverage.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-knorr-agor15-06
-
[7]Falmouth Enterprise/capenews.net (2016-03-14); Cape Cod Times, 'Adios' (2016-03-14); Quadratin Veracruz, 'Llega buque de la Marina a Veracruz para realizar estudios' (2016-04-17) [reputable_press]
- Locator
- https://www.capenews.net/falmouth/news/renamed-rio-tecolutla-r-v-knorr-joins-the-mexican-navy/article_700e882e-39ca-5197-895c-ac0e55128217.html ; capecodtimes.com 'Adios' article; https://veracruz.quadratin.com.mx/Llega-buque-de-la-Marina-a-Veracruz-pare-realizar-estudios/
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Regional press corroboration of the transfer and career totals: the Falmouth Enterprise/capenews.net (2016-03-14) credits the ship with 1.3 million miles and 250 missions. Cape Cod Times ('Adios,' 2016-03-14) reports the ship became Mexican Navy property at the 2016-03-14 WHOI ceremony under a grant transfer executed December 2015 - Mexico received the ship free but paid about $3.3 million for outfitting and training, with Mexican personnel training aboard for over a month including a weeklong sea cruise; most of the WHOI crew transferred to the replacement ship Neil Armstrong. Quadratin Veracruz (2016-04-17) reports ARM Rio Tecolutla's arrival at Veracruz for hydrographic/oceanographic research duties after departing Woods Hole 2016-03-15 via Coatzacoalcos, and repeats the 85 m length / 2,685 t / 11 kt / 22-crew / up-to-30-researchers figures.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 2015-2016
- Population
- Mexican Navy personnel trained aboard (early 2016)
- Limitations
- Regional press consistent with WHOI's official account; grant-transfer terms and $3.3M outfitting figure are press-reported, not contract-verified. No hazmat, survey, or condition-disclosure reporting; post-transfer material condition undocumented.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-knorr-agor15-07
-
[8]Naval Vessel Register AGOR 15 record (blank commission/decommission/stricken fields; 'Loaned (not SAP)' status; custodian 'Schools, Organizations and Private Enterprises'); WHOI ship pages styling R/V Knorr [other_primary]
- Locator
- NVR status/custodian fields; WHOI DLA ship page
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Naming correction: the vessel is frequently styled 'USS Knorr' or 'USNS Knorr (T-AGOR-15)' (including this project's list slug and the Wikipedia article title), but it was never a commissioned Navy ship. The NVR carries blank commission and decommission fields and lists status 'Loaned (not SAP)' to a non-Navy custodian; WHOI styles it R/V Knorr throughout. Correct styling is R/V Knorr (AGOR-15) - a Navy-owned, WHOI-operated auxiliary. The mandated record slug uss-knorr-agor15 is retained for dataset stability.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1970-2016
- Limitations
- Resolves a styling inconsistency in secondary sources and in this project's own naming; no effect on hull identity or timeline. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-knorr-agor15-08
-
[9]EOS, Transactions of the American Geophysical Union (1989), 'Research ships upgraded,' doi:10.1029/89EO00114; IEEE OCEANS '89 conference paper, 'The Melville/Knorr Refit And Modernization,' doi:10.1109/OCEANS.1989.587099 [other_primary]
- Locator
- EOS 1989 news item; IEEE Xplore record (abstract) for the refit paper
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Program documentation of the refit during which the asbestos was encountered: EOS (AGU, 1989, 'Research ships upgraded') reports Knorr entered the McDermott Shipyard at Amelia, LA on 1989-02-15 for a then-planned 10-month lengthening (245 to 279 ft) and repowering, with improvements costing $15 million each for Knorr and sister Melville; the IEEE OCEANS '89 paper 'The Melville/Knorr Refit And Modernization: Capabilities For Science In The 1990's And Beyond' (Pittenger et al.) records the shipyard contract awarded February 1989 for lengthening, refit, and modernization of both AGORs. Actual duration was ~32 months (WHOI), with return October 1991.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1989-1991
- Limitations
- Program/engineering sources that name this hull's refit; neither mentions asbestos. The $15M-per-ship figure is the at-award value; Oceanus's '$32-million project' reflects the troubled final scope - variance logged in gaps, not resolved. EOS entry date (Feb 15) vs NOAA NDP-077 'beginning February 6, 1989' - logged.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-knorr-agor15-09
-
[10]Batch-730 search ledger (this record): WHOI publications and archives; NVR (Wayback); DANFS mirror; NOAA NCEI NDP-077; EOS/IEEE refit documentation; transfer press coverage; CourtListener (blocked); open-web litigation screen [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-knorr-agor15-01 through sl-uss-knorr-agor15-11
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Negative finding: beyond the WHOI Oceanus statement (ev-01), no ship-specific asbestos survey, abatement contract, waste manifest, exposure-monitoring record, or transfer-condition hazmat disclosure was located in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener opinion and docket search was blocked by rate limiting on 2026-09-20 (API HTTP 429 'Rate limit exceeded: 125/day'; HTML search HTTP 403) - the litigation screen is incomplete. An open-web screen returned only name collisions (Knorr Brake / Knorr-Bremse rail-brake antitrust and contract litigation; unrelated surname suits) - no case naming the vessel was located via the open web.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 2026-09-20
- Limitations
- Absence of a located record does not prove absence - the Oceanus statement itself documents widespread ACM aboard during the refit, and residual or later-abated material may exist without a public record. The litigation check must be re-run when CourtListener is reachable; WHOI records and the ONR charter/refit contract files are the likeliest repositories for hazmat documentation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-knorr-agor15-10
-
[11]NARA Catalog NAID 6930752 (Bureau of Ships photo record, attributed via NavSource); NARA Guide to Federal Records RG 19 [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource AGOR-15 page photo caption (09571514); NARA catalog record JS-rendered at fetch time
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - no spend authorized): NARA National Archives Identifier 6930752, a Bureau of Ships construction progress photo showing Knorr on the stocks at Defoe, 3 June 1968, ~30% complete (NavSource caption attribution; the catalog page is JS-rendered and was not retrievable in this pass). RG 19 (Bureau of Ships / NAVSEA predecessor construction and outfitting records) for AGOR-15, and ONR/WHOI charter and 1989 McDermott refit contract files, are the likeliest repositories for hull-specific material specifications and any abatement documentation generated by the refit.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1967-1991 records
- Limitations
- Record-group mapping and a single photo-level identifier only - no box-level retrieval performed; whether asbestos-specific documents exist for this hull is unknown until surveyed in person. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-knorr-agor15-11