Tents aboard the USS Jackson

When duty calls, Beachview Event Rentals & Design of Woodbine, Ga., responds.

Earlier this year, the call came for tents with air-conditioned-controlled environments to be installed on board the USS Jackson, a naval combat ship that would be undergoing shock trials. During a trial, a charge of 10,000 pounds is set off about 100 yards from the ship, which is wired with hundreds of instruments to record the effects.

The tents, needed for sleeping quarters for 100 people, were to be installed on the mission decks that average temperatures of 90 degrees or more when in operation. Beachview was asked for a site visit within two hours of the initial call and had to have the tents installed in 48 hours.

“We found many obstacles due to stairs and hatches, walkway access to these areas and computer equipment that was frequently accessed during the ship’s daily operations,” says Beachview marketing director Chris Kuithe. “This caused us to downsize the original plan for the size of the tents, which would then require that the riders sleep in shifts.”

In conjunction with engineers from shipbuilder and defense contractor Austal, the Beachview team developed the configuration for the tents and connection of the AC units with the tent walls. Keeping safety in mind due to the anticipated vibrations from the trials, Beachview installed two 15-by-20-foot tents, along with two vinyl barriers. A 10-by-10-foot barrier was designed for the doorway to a computer room so that air conditioning could be directed into that area. Later, Beachview was invited back to install a 10-by-20-foot barrier over the hatchway of an empty munitions bunker so portable cooling could be added, creating an additional sleeping area for the next deployment.

“This project was proof of the swift and reliable capability that our company possesses,” Kuithe says. “It was also a testament to the creative innovation of the Beachview team.”