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  • Damn Tbm! If I'd only known about that ice cream machine!

    Originally posted by tbm3fan View Post
    Getting at our new ice cream maker
    I would have skipped the other parts and flown out there myself to get it!

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    • Our new barbers chairs from the KANSAS CITY
      Attached Files

      Comment


      • Seems some sailors on the KANSAS CITY have been waiting since 1994 for a haircut. Better late than never.

        Oh, a piece of information which might be a rumor and maybe not. If not then it is a bombshell to me. We have two new volunteers aboard the Hornet who spent the spring working on the IOWA while up here. They have told Tom that the Navy has made a decision on the YORKTOWN due to her condition. It was noticed awhile back that the flight deck had a bow in the middle. According to them it was determined that the YORKTOWN has broken her back from all the years of sitting on the mud bottom. This is similar to what the MIDWAY is currently doing at low tide in San Diego Bay. Anyway, if that is fact, then the YORKTOWN can't be repaired and the Navy will scrap. Need more investigation here and the people in Charleston are very tight lipped about the carrier.
        Attached Files

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        • Learned a little history about the HORNET today. I'm never down at the ship on a Thursday. I was this time to make up for the missed day due to the visit to the Reserve Fleet. There was a security guy there who was an ET on the ship between 1962-64 and did two west Pacs on her. Now there are many video shows, on Youtube, about how the HORNET is haunted. Being haunted is an ongoing thing with all kinds of paranormals and film crews visiting the ship to hunt for ghosts.

          We have been able to determine how many the ship lost during WWII which was 133 air crew and 14 ship crew. Unable to get numbers after that time. Well the security fellow was able to provide some insight. On the 1962 West Pac the ship lost a helicopter that has just been repaired. It was required that the mechanics who work on the helo go out on the first test. The helo lifted off the angle deck, turned over onto it's left side and went straight down into the water to sink like a rock. No survivors out of the crew of 9 with 5 or 6 being mechanics.

          During the 1963 West Pac, which was to end February 1964 at Long Beach, the ship was a couple of hundred miles off Okinawa. Had to be around the third week of January 1964. The ET was in his berth when General Quarters sounded and said this is not a drill. Comes up at the middle brow to head to his station in the third hanger. Sees that there is a wall of fire pouring down from the flight deck to L3. Turns out a Guppie, which lost it's tailhook the first time around, hit Tillie on it's second attempt to land. Three air crew killed along with two deck crew. While this was going on an E-1 Tracer was overhead and would soon be having a fuel issue. The Tracer was told to orbit and await results. Eventually decided the flight deck wouldn't open and the Tracer was told to make for Okinawa. The Tracer never made it and 9 crew were lost and never found.

          The start of the whole event was someone giving permission for the Guppie to land as the barricade was up and ready. Well the barricade was never up only the plates removed and no one checked visually for the barricade. Immediately all the tapes of communications between the plane and the ship were taken and sealed for the coming official inquiry in Pearl Harbor. At that point he has no further info what the results were since he was close to getting out. No idea what happened to the Captain since he was already off the ship. Seems to me the Captain is culpable for not releasing the Tracer immediately for Okinawa since it was known there could be a fuel issue and 9 men died.

          He also related a nother story about the HORNET and a typhoon. Seems the HORNET can't avoid typhoons. First, December 1994, then June 1945 which put her out of the war, and then 1963. She was in Subic when a typhoon warning came across and the ship was told to head for open water. Of course, she ran right into it just like the other two times. He made a visit up to O10, where the forward lookout is, and could see the waves clear the deck easily. Catwalks and antennas ripped right off the ship. Luckily no open bow like in 1945. As they were running into the wind the Captain decided to turn the ship and run with the wind in 12 hours. During that time everything was to be lashed down. The time came and she started her turn and ended up running down a big wave when the bow hit the water, dug in and almost came to a stop. The ship broached and the stern swung out to starboard and the starboard bulkheads became the new deck. Screws out of the water and stuff flying all over the place despite to precautions. Had to head to Pearl for damage repair after that.

          Another tidbit was about painting. As some know I constantly harp about how bad the bosun mates took care of the ship. Many layers of paint that looked it it was slopped on and left to dry. Turns out many times the ship was painted in Hong Kong by, as he called her, Hong Kong Suzie. She would send out her crew and they would paint the hull in 4 days with, of course, no prep work. On the inside they used silk mops and slopped the paint on everything in a compartment. Ah, makes sense as that is exactly what I see around the ship and why everything, from brass to ID tags painted over. Paint clumps in every corner where a steel rib meets the deck. He says Suzie did really well and was quite rich off the US Navy. I would like to ring Suzie's neck.

          I was preparing for a coming rain storm by sweeping all levels of the island where I am not working. Trying to make sure all drains remain open that I have created in the decks by drilling 1/4' holes in critical spots. On top of Forward Gun Control there is the same thick paint with many bubbles under that paint. After O11 it was next to be repaired. Took my 3 lb. sledge hammer to hit away and loosen those areas so water doesn't fester under them during the winter. Promptly uncover 12 holes which explain the every winter flooding of Forward Gun Control. Told the Chief Engineer to get them patched quickly for the time being. Tonight discussed with Tom the need to cut out 2 16"x16" sections of the affected areas and weld in new plate of about 18"x18" to seal. This will eliminate the holes, get to good steel and remove these two major low spots as the steel left must be around 1/16-1/32" thick now. On top of that it was damn hot up there in the sun and didn't finish till 1930.

          This one last item is for Rusty. Long Beach was her home port and he says everybody hated Long Beach as the home port. Boooring. Why couldn't it be in the Bay Area or San Diego was his reflection on the matter.
          Last edited by tbm3fan; 19 Oct 12,, 08:02.

          Comment


          • Originally posted by tbm3fan View Post
            Oh, a piece of information which might be a rumor and maybe not. If not then it is a bombshell to me. We have two new volunteers aboard the Hornet who spent the spring working on the IOWA while up here. They have told Tom that the Navy has made a decision on the YORKTOWN due to her condition. It was noticed awhile back that the flight deck had a bow in the middle. According to them it was determined that the YORKTOWN has broken her back from all the years of sitting on the mud bottom. This is similar to what the MIDWAY is currently doing at low tide in San Diego Bay. Anyway, if that is fact, then the YORKTOWN can't be repaired and the Navy will scrap. Need more investigation here and the people in Charleston are very tight lipped about the carrier.
            Mhmm..I wonder when if that is infact the truth they might make a more official announcement about that?

            An intresting story about how much they expect it would cost to repair (That is if her back is not broken ;) ) - Preserving old ships is dear to U.S. veterans, costly for museums - Yahoo! News

            There are also two below deck picutres if you look toward the bottom that show just how bad her condition is...Along with this picutre from a year or so ago from another article about her conditon (Can only seem to find one of the picutres though!) http://postandcourier.media.clients....63ad7b451e7676

            And lastly - Since they are going to be hosting the 2012 carrier classic; Is there any chance that the weight from all of the quipment ext. related to it will affect her possibly broken back even more & if so how much?

            Comment


            • Searching for articles I found this about the Yorktown. was said that the ship was basically sunk in mud upright when referring to the WWII submarine next to it in dire straights. Well this article really spells out how deep in the mud the Yorktown is. YIKES! The discussion about how expensive the cofferdam is one thing but they have no idea of the ship's structural issues. I'd say it should be similar to the Intrepid's problems of being in the mud. It won't be pretty. Couldn't find other pictures than the one above but that one tells me the story of water intrusion in the lower part of the ship. Saw the same corrosion, up in the Reserve Fleet, when some of the older ships had main deck leaks. Drawing 26 ft. in mud means that she is surrounded by water only a couple of feet deep.

              Costly cofferdam alternatives for Yorktown repairs to be detailed | The Post and Courier | Charleston SC, News, Sports, Entertainment
              Last edited by tbm3fan; 20 Oct 12,, 05:37.

              Comment


              • Originally posted by tbm3fan View Post
                Learned a little history about the HORNET today. I'm never down at the ship on a Thursday. I was this time to make up for the missed day due to the visit to the Reserve Fleet. There was a security guy there who was an ET on the ship between 1962-64 and did two west Pacs on her. Now there are many video shows, on Youtube, about how the HORNET is haunted. Being haunted is an ongoing thing with all kinds of paranormals and film crews visiting the ship to hunt for ghosts.

                We have been able to determine how many the ship lost during WWII which was 133 air crew and 14 ship crew. Unable to get numbers after that time. Well the security fellow was able to provide some insight. On the 1962 West Pac the ship lost a helicopter that has just been repaired. It was required that the mechanics who work on the helo go out on the first test. The helo lifted off the angle deck, turned over onto it's left side and went straight down into the water to sink like a rock. No survivors out of the crew of 9 with 5 or 6 being mechanics.
                Thanks for the background; the last three times I've done the overnighter thing on the ship I've always attended the "ghost stories" in the fo'c'sle on Saturday night; the same docent (you probably know him) tells the stories. He always talks about the typhoon in '45 that ripped the open bow away and took seven (?) sailors. He says even HE has seen some strange things in his time on-board . . . .
                "There is never enough time to do or say all the things that we would wish. The thing is to try to do as much as you can in the time that you have. Remember Scrooge, time is short, and suddenly, you're not there any more." -Ghost of Christmas Present, Scrooge

                Comment


                • Most of the Lexington below the 4th deck is flooded, intentionally, to secure her in place for hurricanes. This is part of the reason she's rotting out, that and the ridiculous humidity. Add to the fact they only have 2 welders on staff and the result is she's deteriorating faster than the can keep up. The 07 level won't hold a persons weight safely and parts of the 4th deck won't either. They said a worker fell through the 4th deck recently. I had been in that section of the ship last year and saw holes then.

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                  • If that is the case then what was the point of getting her as a museum ship in the first place? She would be nothing more than a ticking time bomb before she falls apart. On top of that, since she is rotting away, just exactly how will they remove the ship to be scrapped when the time comes? She would clearly sink deeper and deeper as she is pulled out of the mud into deeper water. Now the asphalt deck simply adds more weight to a ship that can't hold the weight forever. I am simply stunned beyond words.

                    Comment


                    • Originally posted by tbm3fan View Post
                      Anyway, if that is fact, then the YORKTOWN can't be repaired and the Navy will scrap. Need more investigation here and the people in Charleston are very tight lipped about the carrier.
                      I've been wondering about Yorktown. That would be a damn shame if she's scrapped...but maybe a good object lesson to other museums: Don't let THIS happen to you.
                      “He was the most prodigious personification of all human inferiorities. He was an utterly incapable, unadapted, irresponsible, psychopathic personality, full of empty, infantile fantasies, but cursed with the keen intuition of a rat or a guttersnipe. He represented the shadow, the inferior part of everybody’s personality, in an overwhelming degree, and this was another reason why they fell for him.”

                      Comment


                      • Originally posted by TopHatter View Post
                        I've been wondering about Yorktown. That would be a damn shame if she's scrapped...but maybe a good object lesson to other museums: Don't let THIS happen to you.
                        In the September 2012 issue of the Slater Signals our Executive Director went to the Historic Naval Ships Convention & he mentioned in the Signals

                        Over three days I attended seminars on Volunteer and Visitor Safety, Offsite and Traveling Education Programs, Fund Raising in Tough Economic Times, Your Ship’s Economic Impact on the Community, and Emergency Operations and Repair by the folks at the Battleship Texas, Survey and Repair of the Battleship North Carolina, and The Customer is King. The Navy did a presentation on The End of Life Decision, Planning for Your Ship’s Disposal. They are taking a pessimistic view, perhaps realistic, that all the ships will not survive, and that the Navy will not be responsible for the disposal costs. That really doesn’t affect us as we are not part of their Navy donation program.
                        I wonder if based on what they have seen on the Yorktown might be part of the reason behind them doing that seminar....

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                        • Originally posted by ChrisV71 View Post
                          Most of the Lexington below the 4th deck is flooded, intentionally, to secure her in place for hurricanes. This is part of the reason she's rotting out, that and the ridiculous humidity. Add to the fact they only have 2 welders on staff and the result is she's deteriorating faster than the can keep up. The 07 level won't hold a persons weight safely and parts of the 4th deck won't either. They said a worker fell through the 4th deck recently. I had been in that section of the ship last year and saw holes then.
                          It is really sad to hear this about Lexington, especially since she was sailing just over 20 years ago.

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                          • Happend to find a copy of the "End of Life Decision planning" seminar Slide show/pdf thing.... Some intresting notes are 7 of the 39 Wet-berthed vessles have holes in there hull's & 14 out of 39 have pitting at the waterline. There are also 8 wet-Berthed vessles that in there current condition cant be towed

                            http://www.hnsa.org/handbook/navsea2012.pdf

                            Comment


                            • Originally posted by qaz14595 View Post
                              There are also 8 wet-Berthed vessles that in there current condition cant be towed
                              Some of them are due to the design of their mooring. Alabama and Kidd are in good shape and could be likely be towed just fine if it wasn't for the design of their moorings. Becuna wasn't in bad shape either when I saw her last year. She just needs to be dredged out. The other 5 all have "known" issues.

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                              • Hornet Museum's tribute to Neil Armstrong today

                                Neil Armstrong remembered on the USS Hornet - Inside Bay Area

                                I wonder how they get the planes for the flyover considering the cost per hour for the owners isn't cheap.

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