The Laurence M. Gould returns home for the last time

...in 2024...

The Gould and the Palmer together in Punta Arenas
12 May 2024...in their final shared docking, the NSF Research Vessel Laurence M. Gould and NSF Research Vessel Icebreaker
Nathaniel B. Palmer at the pier in Punta Arenas, Chile. USAP Photo Library photo by April Brown (link to original).

Last Gould schedule
In February 2023 NSF announced that they would not be renewing the contract with Edison-Chouest Offshore to operate the Gould when the current contract expired in June 2024 per this February 2023 NSF press release). The vessel continued science and Palmer Station support activities through April 2024 as indicated in this 29 April 2024 NSF press release. The vessel's last call at Palmer Station was station closing, 4-11 April 2024. At left is the final Gould cruise schedule (the large image is a PDF file).

After returning to Punta Arenas on 15 April, the Gould spent 9 days in drydock in Talcahuano (on the Chilean coast about 310 miles SSW of Santiago).



Below...two photos from Danny Hampton, who was sent to PA to deal with some of the retrograde and waste items.
Gould in Punta ArenasThe Laurence M. Gould in Punta Arenas in May.
Gould in FloridaDanny and a couple of other ASC folks dealing with the...stuff.

The Gould then headed north to Edison Chouest Offshore's shipyard in Tampa, Florida, where Steve LaSorsa saw it and took the below
photos around the beginning of July. It would go into drydock there later that month. That's the most recent tracking info that I've found.
Gould in FloridaThe Laurence M. Gould in Tampa on 2 July.
Gould in FloridaA closer look.

Here is a 5 August 2024 USAP.gov news release with video, marking the end of the Laurence M. Gould's 27-year career.