Subs I have visited

Discussion in 'The Chatterbox' started by navy_shave, Mar 2, 2007.

  1. navy_shave

    navy_shave New Member

    USS Pampanito (San Francisco)
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    USS Lionfish (Fall River, MA)
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    USS Blueback (Portland, OR)
    [​IMG]

    Anyone else interested in diesel boats?
     
  2. fuerein

    fuerein New Member

    I'm not really interested but I have been to the U-505 at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago and when my father was stationed in Charleston, SC (I was under 2 yrs) I got to go on the boat he was serving on at the time, the USS Benjamin Franklin. For some reason I don't remember that visit. :p
     
  3. PalmettoB

    PalmettoB The Old Guard

  4. Jim

    Jim The Goose Is Loose

    When I was a wee lad I went on a friends and family party on the USS Nautilus when she was commissioned. My uncle was a principle engineer for Grumman on the project.
     
  5. Mama Bear

    Mama Bear New Member

    One at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago and one in Pearl Harbor.. talk about claustrophobia tho.. even as a kid I felt cramped.. they didn't get any bigger as I got older either... :eek:
     
  6. peacefrog

    peacefrog Jet Setter

  7. navy_shave

    navy_shave New Member

    Gee, didn't expect any response at all. I'm impressed !

    I've been a sub-geek and virtual sailor for many years. My father was on diesel-electric boats during the 50s and 60s. But I didn't get interested in them until I was past 20 (I'm a wee bit older than that now). And now I'm a shave-geek. Go figure.

    Adam--
    What did you think of the U-boat? (I hope you were older than 2!)
    Have you seen Das Boot? IMHO, the best sub flick ever.

    PalmettoB--
    Nice site! But I couldn't find the sub.:confused:

    Jim--
    The Nautilus! You must have been thrilled to death. It was probably still a working boat, right? Let me give you a hearty <virtual hand shake>.

    Sue--
    Tell me about it! I visited the Pampanito about 4 years ago. The fastest walk-through I've ever done. Very close quarters. And I'm not a big person either at 5'5", 145 lbs. I have the double handicap of loving subs and being claustrophobic. Most times I deal with it, but not always. Happy to report I've never panicked during a sub visit, though I wanted to. :ashamed001

    Bob--
    A Russian sub in Providence! Now that's a newsflash for me. Looks like a nice boat, comparable to the Blueback. Nice and roomy compared to the WWII boats that still smell of diesel fuel (love it!). What did you think of the tour? The Blueback tour is led by sub vets and is excellent.

    In case anyone's interested here are the links to the boats I listed. (HTML challenged: didn't know how to make the links with photos).
    Lookouts below!

    USS Pampanito
    http://www.maritime.org/pamphome.htm

    USS Lionfish
    http://www.battleshipcove.org/ss298-history.htm

    USS Blueback
    http://www.omsi.edu/visit/submarine/
     
  8. peacefrog

    peacefrog Jet Setter

    Paul, to tell the truth, that's the only submarine I've ever been on, so I have no point of comparison. It was very interesting, though.

    I have worked with a couple of submariners, both weapons officers if I recall correctly. But they were on nuclear subs, which I imagine would be a somewhat different experience.
     
  9. PalmettoB

    PalmettoB The Old Guard

    Paul, you have to click on the link for "ships" and then, of course, the Clamagore is the only one that doesn't have a large pic! But there is a java virtual tour (but I don't have the right plug-in).

    In high school, our NJROTC class went to Charleston for a tour. (That tells you how long that's been! Charleston doesn't even have a navy base anymore!) We went aboard a fast frigate, sub tender, and the USS Thomas Jefferson (an old "boomer," if I remember right.)

    That was sophomore year. The senior year trip was to Norfolk (to see the carriers!), but of course I transferred schools before that and the school I went to next didn't even have a JROTC program...
     
  10. DMS

    DMS New Member

    I've visited USS Lionfish many times, back when I lived in Rhode Island and spent a lot of time going through USS Massachusetts.

    I took my kids there some years ago when we were on vacation in New England but only my youngest (son) was as fascinated by the old BB as I have always been.

    They've closed off quite a few spaces on BB59 that were accessible back in the 80's. Apparently too many visitors were coming aboard with crescent wrenches in their pockets in search of souvenirs. :( They've done a nice job of opening up one of the barbettes now though with all the shell and powder handling apparatus on display.
     
  11. _JP_

    _JP_ Searching for a Forum title

    The first submarine that I was ever set foot on deck of was the still commissioned USS Dolphin when she was in the Hamburg harbor in Germany. (I also visited the aircraft carriers Hornet and Wasp, along with other US Navy vessels that includes destroyers, cruisers, and a landing craft transport ship as they visited the port of Hamburg).

    Of course I have been to Chicago to see the U 505. And I have been on deck of the USS Growler. Another boat that I also toured was the USS Batfish in the middle of the Great Plains prairie in Muskogee Oklahoma.
     
  12. Will

    Will Nevermind

    I did not join the Navy to get on a ship that sinks but I just may have to go to one, considering I did not join the Marines either but that did not stop me form going with them. :rofl
     
  13. fuerein

    fuerein New Member

    Actually, I saw that boat last in elementary so I don't remember it very well but I did think it was interesting at the time.

    If my dad was on here he'd reply something about the fact that when he was in the navy he didn't join the navy to be a target on the surface. :D
     
  14. navy_shave

    navy_shave New Member

    You've really made the rounds. I just read a book on the Batfish ("In the Course of Duty"). Amazing boat. She once sunk 3 Japanese subs in 72 hours. Hope to visit her one day.

    "I did not join the Navy to get on a ship that sinks but I just may have to go to one, considering I did not join the Marines either but that did not stop me form going with them."

    Subs do sink, but come up to the surface, too--preferably as many times as they go down. :D

    "I've visited USS Lionfish many times, back when I lived in Rhode Island and spent a lot of time going through USS Massachusetts."

    Lionfish was the first smoke boat I visited, must be near 30 years ago. Went on the other ships in Battleship Cove, too. Nothing was off-limits or plexiglassed. A shame that a certain segment of the public didn't understand why the ships were being preserved. Kudos to you on getting your kids involved.
     
  15. _JP_

    _JP_ Searching for a Forum title

    Unless they changed it, the Batfish is not restricted in any way as far as what you can touch. Spend all the time that you want on board manipulating the controls and dreaming. The same goes for some of the Naval guns that are on display along side her.
     
  16. qhsdoitall

    qhsdoitall Wilbur

  17. madmedic

    madmedic Resistance Is Futile

    Know I am on the "wrong side" of the pond....but I have been through HMS Alliance which is currently in the Royal Navy Submarine Museum.
     

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  18. qhsdoitall

    qhsdoitall Wilbur

    Nothing with being on the wrong side of the pond. It a perfectly nice place to visit.
     
  19. navy_shave

    navy_shave New Member

    Nice pic! I'm on the "wrong side" too, since I relocated to France many moons ago. (hmmm...could this related to the 'dark side' ? :D)

    Anyway, a sub is a sub no matter where she is. There are tons of sub buffs who are interested in U-boats, of all things! ;)

    Nice looking boat, but it does look a bit precariously balanced. Like one of my old girlfriends. . .better sign off, this is getting a bit too deep here. . .

    Cheers
     
  20. PalmettoB

    PalmettoB The Old Guard

    Nah, just low tide! :rofl
     

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