diff --git a/src/libcode/vx_shapedata/set.cc b/src/libcode/vx_shapedata/set.cc
index ec1c6fbabb..882aa29bd0 100644
--- a/src/libcode/vx_shapedata/set.cc
+++ b/src/libcode/vx_shapedata/set.cc
@@ -94,7 +94,9 @@ void FcstObsSet::init_from_scratch()
 
 {
 
-n_fcst = n_obs = 0;
+fcst_number = 0;
+
+ obs_number = 0;
 
 all_clear();
 
@@ -113,13 +115,18 @@ void FcstObsSet::clear()
 
 {
 
+// if ( fcst_number )  { delete [] fcst_number;  fcst_number = 0; }
+// if (  obs_number )  { delete []  obs_number;   obs_number = 0; }
+
 int j;
 
-for (j=0; j<n_fcst; ++j)  fcst_number[j] = 0;
-for (j=0; j<n_obs;  ++j)   obs_number[j] = 0;
+for (j=0; j<n_fcst_alloc; ++j)  fcst_number[j] = 0;
+for (j=0; j<n_obs_alloc;  ++j)   obs_number[j] = 0;
 
 n_fcst = n_obs = 0;
 
+// n_fcst_alloc = n_obs_alloc = 0;
+
 return;
 
 }
@@ -132,8 +139,8 @@ void FcstObsSet::all_clear()
 
 {
 
-fcst_number.clear();
- obs_number.clear();
+if ( fcst_number )  { delete [] fcst_number;  fcst_number = 0; }
+if (  obs_number )  { delete []  obs_number;   obs_number = 0; }
 
 n_fcst = n_obs = 0;
 
@@ -154,20 +161,20 @@ void FcstObsSet::assign(const FcstObsSet & s)
 clear();
 
 
-if ( s.n_fcst > 0 )  {
+if ( s.n_fcst_alloc > 0 )  {
 
    extend_fcst (s.n_fcst_alloc);
 
-   fcst_number = s.fcst_number;
+   memcpy(fcst_number, s.fcst_number, (s.n_fcst_alloc)*sizeof(int));
 
 }
 
    
-if ( s.n_obs > 0 )   {
+if ( s.n_obs_alloc > 0 )   {
 
    extend_obs  (s.n_obs_alloc);
 
-   obs_number = s.obs_number;
+   memcpy(obs_number,  s.obs_number,  (s.n_obs_alloc)*sizeof(int));
 
 }
 
@@ -213,19 +220,30 @@ return;
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
 
-void FcstObsSet::extend(std::vector<int> & a, int & n_alloc, const int N)
+void FcstObsSet::extend(int * & a, int & n_alloc, const int N)
 
 {
 
 if ( N <= n_alloc )  return;
 
-int k = N/fcst_obs_set_alloc_inc;
+int j, k;
+int * u = 0;
+
+k = N/fcst_obs_set_alloc_inc;
 
 if ( N%fcst_obs_set_alloc_inc )  ++k;
 
 k *= fcst_obs_set_alloc_inc;
 
-a.reserve(k);
+u = new int [k];
+
+if ( a )  memcpy(u, a, n_alloc*sizeof(int));
+
+for (j=n_alloc; j<k; ++j)  u[j] = 0;
+
+if ( a )  { delete [] a;  a = 0; }
+
+a = u;  u = 0;
 
 n_alloc = k;
 
@@ -289,9 +307,7 @@ void FcstObsSet::add_fcst(int k) {
 
    extend_fcst(n_fcst + 1);
 
-   fcst_number.push_back(k);
-
-   n_fcst++;
+   fcst_number[n_fcst++] = k;
 
    return;
 }
@@ -306,9 +322,7 @@ void FcstObsSet::add_obs(int k) {
 
    extend_obs(n_obs + 1);
 
-   obs_number.push_back(k);
-
-   n_obs++;
+   obs_number[n_obs++] = k;
 
    return;
 
@@ -384,7 +398,7 @@ void SetCollection::init_from_scratch()
 
 {
 
-n_sets = n_alloc = 0;
+set = 0;
 
 all_clear();
 
@@ -402,11 +416,16 @@ void SetCollection::clear()
 
 {
 
+// if ( set )  { delete [] set;  set = 0; }
+
+n_sets  = 0;
+
 int j;
 
-for (j=0; j<n_sets; ++j)  set[j].clear();
+for (j=0; j<n_alloc; ++j)  set[j].clear();
+
+// n_alloc = 0;
 
-n_sets = n_alloc = 0;
 
 return;
 
@@ -420,7 +439,7 @@ void SetCollection::all_clear()
 
 {
 
-set.clear();
+if ( set )  { delete [] set;  set = 0; }
 
 n_sets  = 0;
 
@@ -441,14 +460,16 @@ void SetCollection::assign(const SetCollection & s)
 
 all_clear();
 
-if ( s.set.size() == 0 )  return;
+if ( ! (s.set) )  return;
 
 extend(s.n_alloc);
 
-set = s.set;
+int j;
 
 n_sets = s.n_sets;
 
+for (j=0; j<n_sets; ++j)  set[j] = s.set[j];
+
 
 return;
 
@@ -464,13 +485,26 @@ void SetCollection::extend(int N)
 
 if ( N <= n_alloc )  return;
 
-int k = N/fcst_obs_set_alloc_inc;
+int j, k;
+FcstObsSet * u = 0;
+
+k = N/fcst_obs_set_alloc_inc;
 
 if ( N%fcst_obs_set_alloc_inc )  ++k;
 
 k *= fcst_obs_set_alloc_inc;
 
-set.reserve(k);
+u = new FcstObsSet [k];
+
+if ( set )  { 
+
+   for (j=0; j<n_alloc; ++j)  u[j] = set[j];
+
+   delete [] set;  set = 0;
+
+}
+
+set = u;  u = 0;
 
 n_alloc = k;
 
@@ -495,13 +529,11 @@ void SetCollection::add_pair(int fcst, int obs)
 
    extend(n_sets + 1);
 
-   FcstObsSet s;
-
-   s.add_pair(fcst, obs);
+   set[n_sets].clear();
 
-   set.push_back(s);
+   set[n_sets].add_pair(fcst, obs);
 
-   n_sets++;
+   ++n_sets;
 
    do {
 
@@ -578,7 +610,7 @@ void SetCollection::merge_two(int index1, int index2)
 
    n_sets++;
 
-   for(j=n_sets; j<set.size(); j++) {
+   for(j=n_sets; j<n_alloc; j++) {
       set[j].clear();
    }
 
diff --git a/src/libcode/vx_shapedata/set.h b/src/libcode/vx_shapedata/set.h
index ac1d698810..c110e77dc1 100644
--- a/src/libcode/vx_shapedata/set.h
+++ b/src/libcode/vx_shapedata/set.h
@@ -26,12 +26,6 @@
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
 
-#include <vector>
-
-
-///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-
-
 static const int fcst_obs_set_alloc_inc  = 50;
 
 
@@ -46,7 +40,7 @@ class FcstObsSet {
 
       void assign(const FcstObsSet &);
 
-      void extend(std::vector<int> &, int & n_alloc, const int n_new);
+      void extend(int * &, int & n_alloc, const int n_new);
 
    public:
 
@@ -54,8 +48,8 @@ class FcstObsSet {
          //  data
          //
 
-      std::vector<int> fcst_number;
-      std::vector<int> obs_number;
+      int * fcst_number;   //  allocated
+      int * obs_number;    //  allocated
 
       int n_fcst;
       int n_obs;
@@ -102,6 +96,8 @@ extern std::ostream & operator<<(std::ostream &, const FcstObsSet &);
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
 
+// static const int max_fcst_obs_sets = 300;
+
 static const int set_alloc_inc = 50;
 
 
@@ -122,7 +118,7 @@ class SetCollection {
          //  data
          //
 
-      std::vector<FcstObsSet> set;
+      FcstObsSet * set;   //  allocated
 
       int n_sets;