ghost fleet

[tbm3fan]

Back, last fall, we took two former crewmen of the USS Mispillion (Fleet Oiler (AO) Photo Index) to their ship for what will be the last time any crew member sees that ship. Their Association would really like for their ship to become a reef rather than cut up.

[Stitch]

Back, last fall, we took two former crewmen of the USS Mispillion (Fleet Oiler (AO) Photo Index) to their ship for what will be the last time any crew member sees that ship. Their Association would really like for their ship to become a reef rather than cut up.

tbm, is this one of the ships that's usually docked on the other side of the pier from the Hornet? Last time I was there (last year), there were two or three of these ships berthed right across from the Hornet.

[tbm3fan]

tbm, is this one of the ships that's usually docked on the other side of the pier from the Hornet? Last time I was there (last year), there were two or three of these ships berthed right across from the Hornet.

The one directly across from us that they have been working on for almost a year is this one.

Vehicle Cargo Ship Photo Index

[tbm3fan]

Just had a few more photos show up on NavSource Online

[Admiral Nelson]

tbm, have you been aboard SPERRY? What condition is she in? She must be the oldest ship still in Suisun bay, except maybe HOGA.

[dmwnc1959]

Ex-ghost fleet member of the Suisun Bay variety, the SS American Reliance of the United States Lines followed her sister the American Racer by four days, seen here transiting the Panama Canals Miraflores Locks today Jan 11, 2011

Cruise Talk: SS American Reliance of United States Lines

Photo set of her in San Francisco for cleaning prior to this final journey:

Pier 70 S.S. American Reliance 12-2010 - a set on Flickr

[Admiral Nelson]

Thank you for posting these photo sets. How is it that you know when to look for these ships transiting the canal?

[dmwnc1959]

Thank you for posting these photo sets. How is it that you know when to look for these ships transiting the canal?

The first one I ever 'caught', the Victory Ship Winthrop Victory, was completely by accident. I use to always watch the webcams of the locks for hours on a side 'window' opened on my monitor while doing other stuff and surfing. After luckily catching the Winthrop Victory going through I Googled her to do some research on her past and found a photoset taking by a San Francisco 'local' of the ship, which in turn gave me an estimated time frame for her transit from the bay area to the canal. There was a photset of the Rider Victory and I calculated her departure date from the photosets, and two days later she came through right on time. Since then I use the photosets as an 'alert' that they are being prepped and have departed, then keep a look out for the TUG towing the ship on AIS until they appear off the coast of the canal zone. No, I dont have a life ;) but it makes for an interesting historical record of their final days.

[Admiral Nelson]

Good to know. I had seen your sets earlier and asumed you worked for the Canal somehow. :)
I used to live in San Francisco myself, but they didn't start towing en masse until after I had moved. Here is a photoset by me of HORNE (CG-30) when she was towed out for SINKEX.

[dmwnc1959]

Good to know. I had seen your sets earlier and asumed you worked for the Canal somehow. :)
I used to live in San Francisco myself, but they didn't start towing en masse until after I had moved. Here is a photoset by me of HORNE (CG-30) when she was towed out for SINKEX.

I was on CG-34 USS Biddle. Your pictures brought back a lot of memories. Sad to think that some of the ships up in Suisun Bay were still in active service when I was in the Navy. Makes me feel even older....

[tbm3fan]

tbm, have you been aboard SPERRY? What condition is she in? She must be the oldest ship still in Suisun bay, except maybe HOGA.

Yes, I have been on the Sperry several times and we have several more times before removing her phone system completely. You're right she is one of the oldest with the Hoga being the oldest ship up there.

Sperry also seen on this page with shots inside and out
USS Hornet CV-12 CVS-12

MARAD's latest inventory dated November 2010
http://www.marad.dot.gov/documents/i101130.pdf

[tbm3fan]

Good to know. I had seen your sets earlier and asumed you worked for the Canal somehow. :)
I used to live in San Francisco myself, but they didn't start towing en masse until after I had moved. Here is a photoset by me of HORNE (CG-30) when she was towed out for SINKEX.

These are two that I only had a chance to go on once each in mid 1998 on my first trip to Suisun after joining up on the Hornet. I had no prior knowledge of which ships we were going on but just the information to meet at Mare Island. Of course no camera as I had no digital camera only larger professional SLR's which are a pain to carry along with your backpack of food, water, batteries and then tool chest. The carrier would be self explanatory since she was an Essex and had very useful parts. The second just happen to be open and we wandered in for a brief look see before closed up at 4:00. The part we still recall, with a laugh, was when one of the guys was wandering by himself and when we left the ship and it was locked up he was unaccounted for awhile. Back on the dock one of the crew spotted someone waving frantically from a bridge window and so we needed to find the employee with the keys to let him out. Hey it happens. I always keep that in the back of my mind as I always go down into the deepest parts of the ships on my own. The other guys are a little to old to want to climb down whereas I see a hole I go in. That is how I discovered the parts of the inner hull cut out of the Holland due to radiation. One trip we had 19 people in the group and it was impossible to keep track of everyone and not leave someone behind. Up until then MARAD didn't really enforce the 10 maximum but after that they did.

[dmwnc1959]

Here is one of the Heavy Cruiser USS Des Moines (CA-134) (1948-1961) in mothballs, Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. Dont remember when I took it but it must have been around 1982-1983:

[dmwnc1959]

Pictures taken at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard of various ships in mothballs and awaiting dismantling or disposal:

USS Midway (CV-41), USS Chandler (DDG-996), USS Roark (FF-1053), and USS Ranger (CV-61)


USS Ranger (CV-61)


USS Ranger (CV-61, USS Callaghan (DDG-994), and USS Downes (FF-1070)


USS Ranger (CV-61), USS Chandler (DDG-996), and USS Roark (FF-1053)


USS Constellation (CV-64)


USS Constellation (CV-64) and two unidentified USNS ships


Hulls of the USS Mississippi (CGN-40) and USS Long Beach (CGN-9) with their superstructures stripped away




Bows of the USS Mississippi (CGN-40) and USS Long Beach (CGN-9)


Full length of the stripped hull of USS Long Beach (CGN-9) visible with several fast attack subs awaiting dismantling


Hulls of USS Mississippi (CGN-40) and USS Long Beach (CGN-9) with approximately 14 submarine conning towers visible

[T_igger_cs_30]

Not a naval man by any stretch of the imagination, but I do enjoy perusing the naval threads. One thing that as always made me curious is, I am amazed at how many ships, boats etc the US has around in retirement, so here is my question...........

What percentage of them could be reactivated if necassary, or are they all scrap metal just waiting to be taken apart? I understand some will be museum pieces.