# This Is The Shadowy Special Operations Mothership You've Never Heard Of - Carolyn Chouest **URL:** \ **Category:** Maritime News\ **Created:** [April 29, 2022, 2:18pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/this-is-the-shadowy-special-operations-mothership-youve-never-heard-of-carolyn-chouest/62961 "2022-04-29T14:18:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kennebec\_Captain](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/kennebec_captain/32/13_2.png) [@Kennebec\_Captain](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Kennebec_Captain)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2022, 2:18pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/this-is-the-shadowy-special-operations-mothership-youve-never-heard-of-carolyn-chouest/62961/1 "2022-04-29T14:18:08Z")
> **[This Is The Shadowy Special Operations Mothership You've Never Heard Of](https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/the-shadowy-special-operations-mothership-youve-never-heard-of)** > > For a ghost of a special operations ship, the Carolyn Chouest has an amazing history but lack of funding may spell the end of her mission. [![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/gcaptain_maritime_forum/original/3X/e/b/eb8cf891de453e260e75c08f411654b0ff43517d.jpeg "SSV Carolyn Chouest NMCN") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jg1-PR2LE98) ---
**Author:** ![dbeierl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/dbeierl/32/11833_2.png) [@dbeierl](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/dbeierl)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2022, 5:26pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/this-is-the-shadowy-special-operations-mothership-youve-never-heard-of-carolyn-chouest/62961/2 "2022-04-29T17:26:23Z")
Merchant Marines… ;-/ ---
**Author:** ![tengineer1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/858c86/32.png) [@tengineer1](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/tengineer1)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2022, 7:44pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/this-is-the-shadowy-special-operations-mothership-youve-never-heard-of-carolyn-chouest/62961/3 "2022-04-29T19:44:32Z")
Hilarious. Chouest contracted super secret modfied supply boat? ---
**Author:** ![anchorman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bbce88/32.png) [@anchorman](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/anchorman)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2022, 8:01pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/this-is-the-shadowy-special-operations-mothership-youve-never-heard-of-carolyn-chouest/62961/4 "2022-04-29T20:01:56Z")
There was another OSV before which was outfitted as a Navy Seal base in search for Abu Sayyaf in the early 2000’s. I guess the Navy likes these modified platforms. Their existance is pretty well known. The exact operations and missions sets are not. But, it is good to see the Aiviq’s Captain during better days in the video. ---
**Author:** ![SeaEagle](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/seaeagle/32/17788_2.png) [@SeaEagle](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/SeaEagle)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2022, 2:24am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/this-is-the-shadowy-special-operations-mothership-youve-never-heard-of-carolyn-chouest/62961/5 "2022-04-30T02:24:07Z")
Chouest had/have their hands in a little bit of everything. No complaints here. They just didn’t pay enough to leave a better job at the time. Gary was a bit smarter than some/not all of the other operators. ---
**Author:** ![ombugge](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/ombugge/32/11217_2.png) [@ombugge](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ombugge)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2022, 9:56am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/this-is-the-shadowy-special-operations-mothership-youve-never-heard-of-carolyn-chouest/62961/6 "2022-04-30T09:56:47Z")
Here is another Special Operations ship, MV Ocean Trader: > **[U.S. Special Operations Command's Elusive Mothership Is Packing Stealth...](https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/21261/americas-elusive-special-operations-mothership-is-packing-stealth-speedboats)** > > We finally have high-quality images of the entire ship in its completed state. ---
**Author:** ![tengineer1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/858c86/32.png) [@tengineer1](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/tengineer1)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2022, 4:52pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/this-is-the-shadowy-special-operations-mothership-youve-never-heard-of-carolyn-chouest/62961/7 "2022-04-30T16:52:07Z")
Any idea who owns Ocean Trader? ---
**Author:** ![silverbk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e8c25b/32.png) [@silverbk](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/silverbk)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2022, 6:17pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/this-is-the-shadowy-special-operations-mothership-youve-never-heard-of-carolyn-chouest/62961/8 "2022-04-30T18:17:20Z")
I worked on her when she was new. I was on the mission to the Britannic which was a fun trip. Nice clean comfortable ship, rode well, plenty of water. Very good food. I remember watching a lot of VHS movies on board. The sub had their movies on 8mm presumably to save space. ---
**Author:** ![ombugge](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/ombugge/32/11217_2.png) [@ombugge](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ombugge)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2022, 9:41pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/this-is-the-shadowy-special-operations-mothership-youve-never-heard-of-carolyn-chouest/62961/9 "2022-04-30T21:41:59Z")
She is the former Maersk ship Craigside. MV\_Ocean\_Trader: [https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/msv-cragside.htm](https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/msv-cragside.htm) > [@](#): > > _Cragside_ was launched by Odense Steel Shipyard in 2010, and completed in 2011 for Maersk Line. > In November 2013, Maersk was awarded a $73 million contract to convert the ship. [https://exchange.dnv.com/Exchange/Main.aspx?EXTool=Vessel&VesselID=28613](https://exchange.dnv.com/Exchange/Main.aspx?EXTool=Vessel&VesselID=28613) ---
**Author:** ![Louisd75](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f04885/32.png) [@Louisd75](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Louisd75)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2022, 12:17am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/this-is-the-shadowy-special-operations-mothership-youve-never-heard-of-carolyn-chouest/62961/10 "2022-05-01T00:17:46Z")
She’s still owned by Maersk, not sure which division. Crewed by AMO. ---
**Author:** ![powerabout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/43a26b/32.png) [@powerabout](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/powerabout)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2022, 7:31am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/this-is-the-shadowy-special-operations-mothership-youve-never-heard-of-carolyn-chouest/62961/11 "2022-05-01T07:31:57Z")
Tidewater have a wholly owned subsidiary that charters boats outside of the USA but seems to always be 100% Americans on board… They have an office in Singapore