Keeping the blogosphere posted on the goings on of the world of submarines since late 2004... and mocking and belittling general foolishness wherever it may be found. Idaho's first and foremost submarine blog. (If you don't like something on this blog, please E-mail me; don't call me at home.)
USS North Carolina (SSN 777), commanded by one of my old shipmates, arrived at her new homeport of Pearl Harbor yesterday. Here's a video of the arrival:
posted by Bubblehead at 4:32 PM
I'm Joel Kennedy -- a married, 50-something year old retired submarine officer and esophageal cancer survivor with three kids who has finally made the transition to civilian life. Politically, I'm a Radical Moderate. (If you don't like something on this blog, please E-mail me. Don't call me at home.)
21 Comments:
It was a very cold, rainy November day when we arrived in our new home port of Vallejo, California.
For the privilege of spending the prior 4 hours standing duty on the bridge while our CO conned her under the Golden Gate to MINSY, each bridge watchstander was rewarded belowdecks, wherever a steward found us, with a mini bottle of outstanding brandy.
The little bottle had a premium label with one exception -- a FSN.
Since I had just been married on the East Coast, we were able to honeymoon in Hawaii. The Bay area and California made for an excellent shore duty destination, especially after our cars arrived by sea about a month later.
The CHP wanted to inspect our cars we would each learn by mail. Fine, where did they want to inspect them?
None of our cars was inspected in the same location. You had to love California and most of us did.
11/16/2010 6:26 PM
On the most expensive warship ever built, we were finally on our way to Bangor when a wave took out a laptop in the control room. Turns out a laptop could cripple a multi-billion dollar submarine. We had to turn around and spend one more night in Groton while we cannab'd one off a different boat.
11/16/2010 6:40 PM
North Carolina's green table saw alot of action down in Kings Bay - which is why they arrived to Pearl so much later than planned. Their unexpected mid-transit stop in Georgia will probably rank as their worst port call ever.
11/16/2010 6:47 PM
Two CHOP in 3 years...makes a lot of sense to send NNGN built boats to Groton for PSA and then CHOP them to Pearl. Discuss.
11/17/2010 4:33 AM
Realities of the business. Some PSA things can only be done at EB. Need 60% of SSNs in PAC. CSF is trying to minimize double CHOPs but some will get screwed. Personally, I would gladly do a PSA in Groton for the chance to get to Pearl. Your opinion may differ. Regardless, it does suck to pack up the house twice in less than 3 years.
11/17/2010 5:41 AM
Any change of homeport following the shipyard is a good one!
11/17/2010 6:08 AM
A month after WestPac the boat was scheduled to move to Pearl for a refuel. I was sent home (San Diego, spent a month surfing and eating at Rocky's) early from Yokosuka with a few other eng dept folks so we could get a stand down, then we were supposed to do refuel preps while the rest of the crew was on stand down. Then of course stuff broke and the move got pushed back (boat taking up our spot in the shipyard was late leaving), so I got a second stand down.
Boat finally heads to Pearl, I get to be OOD from surfacing to mooring on my birthday.
I was transferring two months later, but because I was the refuel prep guy, CO denied my request to TAD to squadron. So instead I showed up in Pearl with a seabag, no car, and no place to live. At first I couldn't get BAH, so I lived on the boat for a few weeks. At least until the COB found out, called a buddy of his on base, and got me a barracks room. Spent the next 6 weeks drinking beer on the lanai with the goat locker geobachelors. All in all turned out to be a pretty good time.
11/17/2010 8:31 AM
After seeing pictures of PH subase that I don't recognize at all, it was nice to see this video showing at least one place that looks a lot like it used to.
11/17/2010 11:02 AM
Did a change of homeport from Bangor to Norfolk for refuel.
We had this MM1 who did not make the trip with us, as he crew swapped to another Bangor boat right before the shift.
As we were loading the shore power cables and getting ready for the shutdown, a woman with a baby in her arms approaches one of our shipmates and asks for pre-mentioned MM1.
According to her story it was his baby and he had told her that the boat was moving. Apparently he hadn't told her he was transferring to another boat. As we were leaving on liberty that night, she was still sitting at the head of the pier crying.
Some people just suck, but that incident is the biggest thing I remember from that change of homeport.
---
MM1/SS
11/17/2010 11:29 AM
As a TM3 (on a suspended bust to TMSN) I got to leave Groton inroute to San Diego via USS William H. Bates. I made an oath to myself to NEVER return to NLON for any reason. As a #4 line handler I got to see NLON over my shoulder, secured topside and was the helmsman to the dive point. We hit a couple of spots enroute and went through the 'big ditch'. Once in the Pacific I flushed the dirty Atlantic water out of the Impulse Tanks. Guess I should have told the DOOW? I brought on about 10K and pumped it san#1. I loved SD, loved the experience.
11/17/2010 12:58 PM
Just prior to completing a refueling overhaul at PSNS on the USS Drum, everyone got a trip to San Diego to either house hunt or POV transfer. Myself and two other single guys planned our trip down and partied all the way. Took several days to get down, partied in SD, then hopped a Navy transport back up. Pretty good deal.
11/17/2010 3:31 PM
Lesson learned for MM1: if you are going to create f**k trophies, hen don't give the broad your real name and definately don't give her your real boat.
11/17/2010 7:53 PM
Left Charleston, SC for Groton,CT when they decided to close it down. Worst change of homeport ever. Very sad days.
11/17/2010 9:39 PM
"Regardless, it does suck to pack up the house twice in less than 3 years."
Try 5 times in less than 4 years, all Navy paid fortunately.
NPS -> NPTU -> Groton civ apt -> on-base housing -> off-base housing -> CHOP to Kings Bay
11/18/2010 7:56 AM
Lesson learned for MM1: if you are going to create f**k trophies, hen don't give the broad your real name and definately don't give her your real boat.
Hopefully she utilized the court system and hit the sperm donor up for at least half of his pay for the next 18 years.
11/18/2010 9:47 AM
When my boat was changing home port from Groton to Pearl, we had a whole number of problems. We didn't send anyone ahead to get housing set up, wives didn't receive BAH for the two months we were gone, and no one was back paid. Hardly anyone got DLA, the power of attorney given to the wives didn't work for most things out here. We also started into an intense ORSE work-up six months before ORSE. When we got to the island, we had a week of half-days to take care of everything: finding a place to live (if you were single) schedule a move in, getting car registered, you name it. We also had a suicide right before we left Groton.
I never want to do a change of homeport again. I don't know if it was because my boat was rushed to get out here before we were actually ready, but for myself it was a giant clusterfuck.
11/18/2010 2:19 PM
Hey Rudder Amidships, you sound touched by that experience.. Was the woman? by chance your sister?
11/18/2010 3:18 PM
Heh... if I had a sister. Don't get me wrong, had I really cared about her or her baby I'd have not just walked by her on the pier. Just seemed like a real douchebag thing to do to someone.
As far as if she ever found him, I'm not sure. All I know is that he got picked up for an officer program as an aviator, and we were all glad we were never going to see him again in the sub fleet. He was not well liked on the boat.
---
MM1/SS
11/18/2010 4:25 PM
So why didn't someone just tell her which boat he transferred to and give her directions to the base Jag?
11/19/2010 8:43 AM
@Anon 8:43:
Someone may have done that. I was pretty junior at the time and figured it was someone else's problem. (I know, not the best attitude to have)
Possibly, our COB helped her out or something. We never heard any more about it though.
---
MM1/SS
11/19/2010 10:31 AM
"Hopefully she utilized the court system and hit the sperm donor up for at least half of his pay for the next 18 years."
Another good reason to hit her in the sh**er. Oh wait, that's against the UCMJ and we would never violate that, would we?
11/20/2010 9:53 AM
Post a Comment
<< Home