March 27, MarineLog reported the launching and christening of USNS Maury (T-AGS 66) at VT Halter Marine, one of the eight yards reportedly bidding on the Offshore Patrol Cutter Contract. With a reported length of 353 feet, a beam of 58 feet, and a displacement of 5,000 tons, this ship is almost certainly larger than the projected Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC), perhaps twice as large, yet it is reported to have cost only $87M (FY2010), while the OPCs will be in the neighborhood of $300 each, why the difference?
There is the difference in speed, the Maury’s max is 16 knots, while that of the OPC is 22-25. The OPC has aviation facilities, weapons, communications equipment, and sensors that the Maury does not. Maury is the seventh ship of the Pathfinder Class, although it is modified by the addition of a “moon pool” and 24 feet additional length, so they have some advantage of experience. The OPC will be built to a higher standard of survivability. Inflation in the ship building industry is higher than for the economy as a whole, so costs will be up by the time the first OPC construction contract is awarded in perhaps 2015. The $87M represents only the amount paid to he yard while the Coast Guard’s cost will include government furnished equipment, supporting personnel costs, and changes to infrastructure.
The OPCs certainly will not be this inexpensive, but it does provide some hope that they can be built at something close to the projected price.
Chuck Hill's CG Blog 
I worked ship introduction on the first three T-AGS 60 class Pathfinders. There were fast as survey ships go. Since the 66 is a modified repeat 16 knots sounds reasonable assuming they used the same propulsion and not knowing what the mid-body section does to hydrodynamics.
While the T-AGS have a pretty sophisticated d/e plant which may not meet OPC rqmts? And their hulls are tightly packed with ABS compartmentation. . They are 329 ft LOA and 3000 tons. See MSC website:
http://www.msc.navy.mil/inventory/ships.asp?ship=152
You should be able to find total programmatic costs on T-AGS 60s? As I remember T-AGS 63 coast around $63 mil?? Moonpools and mid-bodies are expensive though~
I wish they’d just use a drydock to do a float-off.