Shipboard Life

[Land Owner]

The thread, "The Snipes Lament" got me to thinking (and writing) about two of the sea stories I lived through in the Coast Guard. It wouldn't be proper, though it happens all the time, to drift the Lament thread from the Engine Room to General Shipboard Life...so I started THIS Thread. I hope you join in...

Buoy Tender Duty off of the Atlantic seaward coast of North Carolina (Nag's Head) found us at noon with 38-feet of cage, and a 12-foot diameter, steel drum buoy lashed to the deck. God has a sense of humor and nearly 2,000 tiny sparrow-like chickadees descended from out of the blue to feast on the tiny saltwater crustaceans that had either attached or congregated for safety in the barnacles and seaweed on the buoy and that we had partially scraped onto the deck.

There were, for a moment, tiny birds flying EVERYWHERE. Imagine Alfred Hitchcock's, "The Birds", descending upon a ship. They were in the Galley (on STEAK DAY), in the Berthing area, on the Bridge, in the Stack, down the fan shaft for cooling the engine room (even though there was a small mesh screen on its opening), in the Med Shed, Officer's Mess, EVERYWHERE a passageway was open and they began to DIE on EVERY weather deck and in every passageway of the ship. FREAKED us out!

We suspect it was salt dehydration. Tiny birds with their high energy and hydration requirements, "that far" from shore (about 6-miles), eating and drinking 35,000 parts per million saltwater "bugs", probably succumbed to an "osmotic demand" and lack of fresh water. After we finished the buoy, set it back on station, got a chance to eat a quick lunch (steak with a side of feathers), we had to police all of the dead birds over the side. We fed the fish that day.

[Winger Ed.]

Had a Coastie buddy that was on a boat in San Francisco when all those Indians were squatting on Alcatraz Island.

As they cruised by the old prison one time, they were shot at by what he figured was a .22.
The Skipper stopped the boat.
The crew carried a couple of big empty boxes on deck and set them close to the deck gun,
as they cranked it around to aim at the island.

As the deck gun swung around, kids were running like roaches when you turn the light on.
Nobody shot at them after that.

[Land Owner]

Speaking of fish, we went "fishing" for a similar 38-foot long, 12-foot diameter steel drum buoy in the seaward channel of the southern Chesapeake Bay shipping lane leading to Norfolk Naval Station. They Navy helmsmen like to steer TOWARD the seaward buoy from their "Ivory Tower" on the Aircraft Carrier Bridge, RUN THEM OVER, and SINK THEM. Then they call the Guard to reestablish the buoy. Viscous circle.

Our "Old Man", a term of endearment, and ship was ordered by District to find a few of the sunk buoys, to save the Guard some money, by dragging a huge four pronged grappling hook, the size of an Oil Tanker's anchor, back and forth across the shipping lane in hopes of catching their chain. Three shot of chain, with a shot of chain being 90-feet, is attached to each seaward "can" buoy. Finding the chain of one or two sunk buoys seemed as if it would be "easy".

For an entire morning we steamed back and forth, at the approximate station, where the sunk buoys "should have been". At lunch, we "hooked up". We slowly hauled up a WWII Nun Buoy with its beautiful BRASS lantern hanging precariously off to one side. The Old Man said he wanted that lantern. As I was held by my Chief and two shipmates, I reached as far as I could for the lantern as it unloaded into the briny deep. No luck today, Captain.

We hauled the 24-foot long Nun buoy aboard. As we laid it on the deck, from gaping hole in its side, came 32 of the fattest Red Drum the fishermen among us had ever seen. We ATE fresh fish, some of which had to be frozen, for WEEKS! Now THAT's fishing!

[Land Owner]

Switching back to birds for a moment...in the Arctic Ocean heading to Point Barrow, AL, in a 50 knot blowing gale, snow balls the size of bats out of **** flying horizontal toward us, the carbon arc spotlight illuminating our way forward (but not very far), there was an horrific series of "crashes" into our 250 nautical mile radar antennae.

Through the bridge door, obscured in the shadow of the brilliant arc lamp, we could hear something LARGE flapping on the weather deck. We didn't want to venture out there at first.

Turning the lamp off and adjusting our eyes to the darkness helped us to "see" a half dozen Canadian Geese that had become confused in the gale by the ship's lantern, flew straight at us, attempted to veer up and away at the last second, too late, they crashed into the antennae.

I had to pick them up and take them to the cook. I heard those geese were greasy when eaten. I didn't get any...

[Winger Ed.]

Finding the chain of one or two sunk buoys seemed as if it would be "easy".

Not really.

The bouy's anchor chain won't be laid out straight along the bottom.
It would be mostly in a big pile since the bouy probably sank straight down.

[Mk42gunner]

We did a "demonstration" UNREP once during a tiger cruise, from the USS Midway.

Since we had all those dependents on board we simulated refueling with the forward refueling station, which on an Adams class DDG is below the bridge wing on top of the wardroom. Wouldn't you know, the probe got stuck somehow.

The only two guys with nothing to do were the Safety Observer (1st Div BMC) and the Gunner's Mate (yours truly). Obviously we were tasked to unseat the probe.

Did I mention the receiver is about eight feet off the deck and about three feet from the lifelines? So here's Boats standing on a five gallon bucket working on it, with me holding onto the back of his belt with a deathgrip hoping to keep him from tipping over the side if things go any more wrong than they already have.

Every time the bucket wobbled as the ship rocked I kept thinking "Summary of Mishaps: BMC and GMG2 go over the side..."

I was glad when we finally got the probe out and the spanwire unhooked that time.

Robert

[Land Owner]

I was on the Tender's Deck Crew with a 38-foot can buoy tethered by crane hook over the side awaiting the CO's "Let 'er go" when it was on station. The BM Chief would tap me on the hard hat, at which point, I would take my 8-pound sledge hammer, pull a safety pin, and release the chock holding a 12,500 pound concrete sinker over the side.

Three shots (270-feet) of chain attached to the sinker were neatly faked down in large loops on the deck with the end of each loop tied to a Head Chain by a piece of twine. On this day, in about 110-feet of water, I got the tap, pulled the pin, released the chock, and got hit in the leg by the first loop of faked chain as it let go of the twine.

My dungaree pant leg was pinched between two links of the chain about 12-feet above the sinker, which spun me around 180-degrees and headed me over the side. Were it not for the cat-like reflexes of the BM Chief standing, now facing me, grabbing the cords of my work life jacket, physically throwing me back on board, and across the still unraveling links of buoy chain toward the Forecastle Deck, I would have been 110-feet down (perhaps) with another 1.5 shots of chain raining down on me.

Time slowed WAY down. In about 2 seconds (it seemed) it was over. When the buoy was set and released about 30 seconds later, while I regained my wits, I remember the Old Man inquired if everyone was alright. I gave the Chief two thumbs up, and he matter of fact told me to go change my pants, now hanging in shreds from my waist with no stitched seams remaining.

Some days on the Buoy Deck were tougher than others.

[Nazgul]

Did 3 years in the MARDET on a carrier in the 70's. One nice evening in the Med the Capt decided the Marines would "Man the Highline" in he old fashioned way with a Destroyer while underway. This involves almost all of us keeping a line between the ships taught while they winch people/supplies/mail from one ship to another. Went well, secured from it and was catching my breath when I noticed the lights of the other ship getting real close.

It hit us and we spent several quality hours in GQ locked in the belly of the ship while they fought fires.

Don

[popper]

Unhooking 8" projectiles from the high line in heavy water is fun.

[lightman]

Cool stories, Guys! Life aboard ship sounds rough.

[EMC45]

Thank God I was a Seabee.

[Land Owner]

I'm 6' 4" tall. Passageways doors, with their structural rigidity, security "dogs", and perimeter "knife edge" for watertight closure, are on the order of 5' 10" tall, putting my forehead in the crosshairs if my internal "personal space" monitor doesn't involuntarily protect me.

The first week after Basic found my Tender underway for Sea Trials out of Portsmouth, VA with a Ship Rider (Naval Commander) taking notes and grading the crew on its efficiency. At the sound of GQ, everybody, including me, hit the deck headed to their assigned battle stations with the thought of making a name for the Guard in record time.

I ascended the ladder out of the berthing area in two bounds, rounded the corner, entered the Mess Deck on the starboard interior side in a tear, and headed aft to my assigned space. The first step through the rear Mess Deck passageway door was successful.

My "personal space" alarm didn't go off and I smacked my forehead squarely on the knife edge of the door, laying me out on the door's threshold in the process. I woke momentarily, found the Ship Rider smiling down at me while pinning an "INJURED" sign to my shirt. He ordered me to the Med Shed for attention and made me a part of that first test to see how long it would take my shipmates to report me missing from after-steering and NOT manned and thus NOT ready. They did pretty good too - so I was told.

When secured from GQ, the C.O. called an All Hands On Deck, expressed his pleasure at Ship's Company enthusiasm, a successful first test according to the Ship Rider, and stressed to the crew that SAFETY FIRST was the watchword in training - all the while looking STAIGHT AT ME. That day I received a BAD headache, a 1/4" thick indention line across my forehead, which eventually went away, and a "personal space" alarm for EVERY ship's door thereafter.

[jsizemore]

I'm 6'3" and worked in the hole. Started on the lower level and worked my way to the control room. 50 years later I still jerk away from "stuff" contacting my head.

[KenH]

Does "shipboard" life count as living aboard a 40 ft sailboat for 25 yrs? Raising a wife and two little girls aboard?

Just one of the many "funnies", we were driving back from "up home" in NW Alabama one Christmas when a alternator support broke on the van. I was pulled over doing repair work, and hear the oldest daughter (around 7 or 8 at the time) with a ham radio mic in her hand calling "Coast Guard, Coast Guard, this is Sailing vessel Viajera calling Mayday, Mayday".

Only one time had she ever heard the vessel Viajera call Mayday for Coast Guard, but I guess she remembered it.

[Idaho45guy]

I did a WESTPAC on board the USS Abraham Lincoln (CV-72) during Desert Storm. My "sea stories" are more akin to "prison stories" due to over 5000 people in a small space.

[Mk42gunner]

I'm just over 6' tall and my last ship was an LSD. Holy Crist they have a lot of room compared to an Adams or a Knox class. People can actually meet without touching in the passageways.

On the 0-4 level there were doorways with knee knockers that were poorly designed, it didn't take but one time stepping on it while trying to go through to learn not to do that again. I think I saw stars for three days.

Robert

[Land Owner]

It a standing requirement, for entry into the Coast Guard, that you must be at least 6' tall.

[Land Owner]

So you can WADE TO SHORE if your boat goes down.

[Nazgul]

So you can WADE TO SHORE if your boat goes down.

My neighbor is a retired Coastie, flies the CG flag all the time. Of course I fly the USMC flag at my house. Lots of trash talk goes on.

His daughter was in school with my daughters. She was a great kid, absolute athlete, was on the Soft ball team with my daughter. Her dad coached. She was killed in a car accident shortly after graduation. Spent a lot of time with Dad trying to help.

Sorry, off topic.

Don

[Land Owner]

No, not really OT Don. Bad things happen to good people. This thread is about LIFE, and it goes on - even unto death.

[popper]

Try a diesel boat WWII type with head and knee knockers. Then went aboard Jefferson SSBN - like being in Texas! I just hated going down the scuttle for GC, from fantail then up several ladders to the bridge. Did get to see lots of action - skipper's tele talker. Our full roster was 1200 but normally only 900 or so. Still plenty of room on CAG2. Fun times when replenishing at sea, no peanut butter or grape jelly to be found (wink-wink) and nobody cared. Go ask cookie for some bread on midwatch. CG11 we launched a bird that went downrange, then turned around twice, crossing the bridge. Chief set his cap over and was ready to jump. Sitting in launch room and whosh, then another - we looked at each other, then another - no place to go!

[Mk42gunner]

To this day I can not eat canned ravioli. If the cooks didn't have enough leftovers for midrats they opened several cans of ravioli, at least they warmed them up but still you'd think they could have had some variety.

I still like baked or fried spam though, Dad had a coworker that was a Korean War vet that couldn't stand the stuff.

Shipboard life was hard, especially if it was built before say the mid 1970's. After that they started having elevators to move massive amounts of supplies below deck. Before that it was E-5 or 6 and below working parties.

Robert

[2A-Jay]

Unhooking 8" projectiles from the high line in heavy water is fun.

I have on of those 8" dummy projectiles sitting on my patio. Came from a Scrap Metal yard in southern WA. I always joke about it being hard to Reload for that caliber, and even harder to shoulder the Rifle that Shoots it.

[AKtinman]

I was on a 1944 built 213' Navy ARS - turned CG WMEC. Seagulls would land on the fantail, and if they stayed long enough, they would get seasick, and it was pretty easy to catch one. The CO wasn't very happy to see a couple of seagulls painted International Orange flying near the ship! He had no sense of humor. ;)

[AKtinman]

Speaking of CG cutters... I always thought it interesting that we had MEC - "Medium Endurance Cutter" and HEC - "High Endurance Cutter", but no LOW Endurance Cutters :)

[Land Owner]

Apparently, there is no definitive "length" in distinguishing a "boat" from a "ship". You can put a boat on a ship, but not the other way around. Public Opinions use 60-feet sometimes.

When does a prop become a screw? Apparently, they are one in the same, but our usages differ.

Some say taa-may-toe, some say taa-mot-toe. Pa-taa-toh. Pa-taa-toe. In Boston "Stay wicked fah aphat". The list of things "I don't get" is long....

LEC's eh? Are not those just small-boats really, with no stores or galley? Perhaps it depends on the Invoice from the Guard to Congress. "Cutters" has a much more expensive "ring" to it than "small-boats".

[popper]

Yea, was fun watching the 8" hit the target sleeve 11mi away. and the 5" taking the wire off the towed sleeve - S2 pilot made an immediate 'alteration' when the radar locked on the wire. Then they started using drones, which we would recover. Both cruisers I was on were 44 built old school. Cutter is old fast sloop used for off shore patrol in 1600s.
Boats don't care but ships are always female.
Land is never more than 6 mi away.
'Screws' were an early development by a guy on the thames river. Early ocean going ships were sidepaddler (late 1700s?) and sail that were slow and dangerous. He tried archemides screw water pump idea to small boats, eventually developing propellers as we know today. He also developed the V drive as recip steam engine cranks couldn't be directly connected to the props. Thrust was applied to the block gears in front of the crank. Larger ships needed a jacking motor to keep the prop shafts rotating at anchor so they wouldn't take a permanent sag.
This is one I was on.
263481
Got a pic somewhere of the engine rooms blown out from aerial torpedo on return from tarawa.
The other one
263482

[jsizemore]

We were testing our ASROC system in the channel between Maui And Kahoolawe using an older diesel boat as our quarry. ASROC was launched, rocket engine seperated, parachute deployed and the torpedo released the parachute and hit the water. The torpedo turned circles as it descended till it's sonar acquired the sub. It headed to the sub and after it gets within so many feet it's supposed to stop and inflate it's recovery collar. The last part didn't happen. The torpedo started ramming the subs hull and wouldn't stop. That sub came up out of the water with a little daylight under it's bow. All their topside hatches and crew came streaming out like fire ants out of their mound.

For a moment us surface fleet sailors weren't "victims" like the sub sailors used to call us.

[Neverhome]

Im currently active duty CG and living in Norfolk. Oh the jokes I get from the Navy folks here!
The wading to shore more than once!

The most satisfying feeling ever is getting underway with Navy ship riders for TSTA or TACT or whatever it’s being called at the time and watching all these salty squids getting sea sick in 6 footers.
One of my afloat tours was a year as EPO of a 110 in the Arabian Gulf. We were working for the Navy as security around Iraqi oil platforms. Navy O6 small boats over to our cutter to shake hands and kiss babies and thank us blah blah blah. He came onboard and immediately turned green. All I remember him saying was “Is it always like this??”. And then he split.

Yes, yes it is always like this.

[Nazgul]

One of our duties was to operate the brig on the carrier. We had panic buttons at all our guard stations. One night it goes off for the brig and we respond. Found the Marine CO, all 5' 8" of him, who is the Brig Warden standing toe to toe with one of the biggest sailors I had ever seen. The sailor was wearing civies, unusual because we were at least 3,000 miles and 90 days from any shore leave.

He refused to put on a uniform and obey any commands. We never hurt anyone, it was against policy, could force them to obey a lawful command. Took 5 of us to get him in uniform and shut up. I was the one sitting on his chest holding his nose while they gagged him. Put him in an isolation cell on a mattress. They cannot be left unattended while restrained and I drew the first watch.

After it got quiet he started to cry, the CO had us release the restraints. He was just having girl problems.

Fast forward a month. Now even a carrier is not that big when there are 5,000 people on board. I am waiting in line for chow, there is some greasy water in a pan they are serving something unrecognizable from. A huge arm reaches out from the galley and pulls me in, it is the aforementioned prisoner. I assumed a fighting stance with my tray figuring it was on!!

He said "SGT Don you don't want any of that. Here!!". He gave me a huge steak from the Chiefs mess! Guess he didn't have any hard feelings.

Don

[Land Owner]

One of my shipboard buddies was a cook. Danny always baked bread, 44 loaves in total, starting at the beginning of the 4-8 watch. The aroma of baking bread would stay with us until breakfast at 8. Still, at or about 0500, Danny would bring one of the warm just-out-of-the-oven loaves to the bridge. Five of us there, including the OD, would share. That headed off the feeling of your stomach eating a hole through to your backbone.

[10x]

One of our duties was to operate the brig on the carrier. We had panic buttons at all our guard stations. One night it goes off for the brig and we respond. Found the Marine CO, all 5' 8" of him, who is the Brig Warden standing toe to toe with one of the biggest sailors I had ever seen. The sailor was wearing civies, unusual because we were at least 3,000 miles and 90 days from any shore leave.

He refused to put on a uniform and obey any commands. We never hurt anyone, it was against policy, could force them to obey a lawful command. Took 5 of us to get him in uniform and shut up. I was the one sitting on his chest holding his nose while they gagged him. Put him in an isolation cell on a mattress. They cannot be left unattended while restrained and I drew the first watch.

After it got quiet he started to cry, the CO had us release the restraints. He was just having girl problems.

Fast forward a month. Now even a carrier is not that big when there are 5,000 people on board. I am waiting in line for chow, there is some greasy water in a pan they are serving something unrecognizable from. A huge arm reaches out from the galley and pulls me in, it is the aforementioned prisoner. I assumed a fighting stance with my tray figuring it was on!!

He said "SGT Don you don't want any of that. Here!!". He gave me a huge steak from the Chiefs mess! Guess he didn't have any hard feelings.

Don


One of my shipboard buddies was a cook. Danny always baked bread, 44 loaves in total, starting at the beginning of the 4-8 watch. The aroma of baking bread would stay with us until breakfast at 8. Still, at or about 0500, Danny would bring one of the warm just-out-of-the-oven loaves to the bridge. Five of us there, including the OD, would share. That headed off the feeling of your stomach eating a hole through to your backbone.

Apparently Military cooks are some of the best, and some of the worst in the world.
I have had steak diners in the field that would have not been out of place in in a five star restaurant.
And at the bottom of the culinary chain I have had Flour, lard, with a little sugar and salt mixed with water and tossed in a deep fryer. and boiled coffee.


Thank you for the Navy stories.

[EMC45]

Apparently Military cooks are some of the best, and some of the worst in the world.
I have had steak diners in the field that would have not been out of place in in a five star restaurant.
And at the bottom of the culinary chain I have had Flour, lard, with a little sugar and salt mixed with water and tossed in a deep fryer. and boiled coffee.


Thank you for the Navy stories.

Some of the worst chow I ever ate was in Navy Galleys. The Marine Galley at Iwakuni was awesome. The DFACs of the Air Force always treated me well too.

[Dapaki]

I served 8 years working on the A-6 Intruder, through the Gulf War and on to decommissioning of that lovely (ugly) bird. I got to spend 4 years shore duty in Va Beach at Oceana NAS and spent time on every carrier on the East coast and most on the West coast as we trained flight crews and did workups with the boats as they sea-qualed before going on a cruise.

Brown shoes, the diva queens of the flat top, we lived on the hanger bay by day, hot-racked for sleep and never seen a bilge in our lives!

The Rosie (Roosevelt) had the best all day chow, there was a 24 hour chili bar with 3-4 kinds of chili always hot and ready. The mess was run well by the jolliest Sr Chief I ever met, he would run the griddle and look you straight in the eye and ask how you would like your eggs and then actually make them just that way right in front of you, serve them and say, "Have a great NAVY day, Petty Officer!"

He was also the fat Sr I had to pay homage to moving from a pollywog to a shellback. THAT story, I'll keep to myself....

[Idaho45guy]

I was on the Stinkin' Lincoln (USS Abraham Lincoln CVN-72) during Desert Storm and were in the Persian Gulf. It was middle of the night and suddenly the ship started shuddering as it tried to come to a stop. Apparently a mine had been spotted by a helo. We heard it was off the port side so we ran out to a catwalk to get a good look and a flare was in the water near the mine to mark it. Seemed like it was so close, you could have hit it with a baseball. Me and my buddy looked at each other and decided it was a good idea to get the heck out of there.

I remember moving quickly down the hangar deck to the other side of the ship while a crew of EOD guys passed me carrying a zodiac and running towards the fantail to launch and disable the mine. I found the irony humorous.

I then got out of the Navy and joined the Army as a 12B Combat Engineer and my job was clearing minefields and obstacles.

[Idaho45guy]

After living through the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980, I found myself in another volcanic eruption in the Philippines in 1991 when Mount Pinatubo blew and destroyed Subic Bay Naval base. Our carrier group was tasked to ferry military dependents down to Cebu.

I think I lost most of the photos of the mayhem on board with hundreds of wives, children, and pets brought onboard. I may have one or two left I took of the base.

263507

[trapper9260]

Well when I was on my first ship in the navy , I use to hear about the rough seas in the North Atlantic and seen some old movies of it , well it is not like you see in the movies and hear about it when you live it. When you sleep on the top bunk of 3 , if you do not tie yourself with your towel in your rack you might be on the floor from the rough seas. I use to tie myself in with a towel one end tie to the towel rack and the other end on to the handle to get in your rack. There was one guy in another birthing area that did not do that and crack his skull open when he fell out of his rack. I was on 2 ships on active duty and then later on one when I was on active reserves. first 2 I was station and home port in Norfolk,VA and the one for the reserves was out of Groton,CT . First ship was the USS Saipan LHA-2 and then the next later was the USS Emery S Land AS-39 and then last one in the reserves was a WW2 one USS Fulton S-11

[Idaho45guy]

Well when I was on my first ship in the navy , I use to hear about the rough seas in the North Atlantic and seen some old movies of it , well it is not like you see in the movies and hear about it when you live it. When you sleep on the top bunk of 3 , if you do not tie yourself with your towel in your rack you might be on the floor from the rough seas. I use to tie myself in with a towel one end tie to the towel rack and the other end on to the handle to get in your rack. There was one guy in another birthing area that did not do that and crack his skull open when he fell out of his rack. I was on 2 ships on active duty and then later on one when I was on active reserves. first 2 I was station and home port in Norfolk,VA and the one for the reserves was out of Groton,CT . First ship was the USS Saipan LHA-2 and then the next later was the USS Emery S Land AS-39 and then last one in the reserves was a WW2 one USS Fulton S-11

I remember going through 40' seas on the Lincoln. I slept like a baby since the heavy seas actually rocked me to sleep. Carrier life is certainly different.

We passed by the oldest aircraft carrier, the Ranger,on her last cruise in the Straits of Hormuz. The waves were nearly swamping her hangar bay doors while the same waves were still a good 20 feet below ours.

[EMC45]

After living through the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980, I found myself in another volcanic eruption in the Philippines in 1991 when Mount Pinatubo blew and destroyed Subic Bay Naval base. Our carrier group was tasked to ferry military dependents down to Cebu.

I think I lost most of the photos of the mayhem on board with hundreds of wives, children, and pets brought onboard. I may have one or two left I took of the base.

263507

That looks like some Seabee action going on behind you.

[gkainz]

I did the Med to I/O (144 days on Gonzo Station was "interesting") cruise on Nimitz. I did my shellback initiation with most of the rest of the crew, as Nimitz hadn't crossed the equator at that time.
Following that, then did WestPacs on Constellation and Ranger.

I was aircrew in the Hawkeye, so at least I got to leave the ship nearly every day. Did have to come back because "that's where the food and my bunk were". (except that time we stayed overnight on Diego Garcia because storms made recovery impossible that night).

[trapper9260]

It was over 40' waves we where in all you see is water and nothing else and then just the sky. You wait for the ship to go down and take a step you on the next deck. It did not take much to go up the stairs. Yes you sleep good with the way ship would rock you . I done my Shellback on the Siapan and also done the Blue nose on it also. Yes we had sit off of Fantasy Island also as a port and I done some fishing out of the well deck of the ship on off hours. Did good also with the fishing,

[GOPHER SLAYER]

I just asked Google what the height requirement is to join the US Coast Guard and it said it was 60 inches, hardly 6 feet.

[Idaho45guy]

I just asked Google what the height requirement is to join the US Coast Guard and it said it was 60 inches, hardly 6 feet.

Well, sea levels are apparently dropping... :bigsmyl2:

[samari46]

When "Rosie"CVA 42 made our westpac cruise thing got so bad what with all the bodies on board that you could stand in the chow line for an hour and never get fed. Just about everyone in the engineering dept bitched about it. So they opened the forward mess decks which basically served hot dogs,hamburgers and the like. So when the airdales showed up they were basically told to go to the after messdecks and eat there. Witnessed a couple of very verbal altercations after that. Most of the ship's company and especially the snipes said that this is where we eat. Had a buddy who used to do the bread baking. About 0500 would get a couple loaves from him and some butter. Back down in the engine room would use the huge aluminum clip board the messenger used for readings. Lightly butter the bread and butter side down on the clip board and stick it on the nozzle blocks for the high pressure turbine. About a minute and you had fresh toast. Occasionally would also get some spam and fry it up the same way. Lightly browned with buttered toast. I won't even go into the great cold cut raid. Right across from the mess deck master at arms who everyone hated. Frank

[Land Owner]

Wind Class Ice Breakers have a complement of 269 on board (one for every foot of length), which includes 50 for the AVDET. I never served on a ship with 3K to 5K. A "floating city" I believe those are called.

[Nazgul]

"Well when I was on my first ship in the navy , I use to hear about the rough seas in the North Atlantic and seen some old movies of it ,"

We headed to the Artic Circle in January on CV67. I was excited, always wanted to see the weather that time of year. I have pics of the water-flat as a mill pond, not even noticeable swells!!

I was disappointed.

Don

[trapper9260]

I done the north atlantic and med and Indian ocean , beside when the problem with Iran in 1980 and pick up the Cubans in 1980 and went through the Suez after Egypt and Israel had there battle on the Suez , Egypt still have there guns and missals set up and seen some blown up buildings and some jeeps and trucks beside there floating bridge for Egypt to cross, on there side .

[Land Owner]

Below Australia is the Southern Ocean. It is a forever to be an untamed waterway, unrivaled on the planet. There is no land mass to disrupt the "churn" in the South Pacific. In the area from around 45°S (New Zealand) to the Antarctic Circle (66.5°S) are the strongest average winds (65+ knots) found anywhere on Earth. A long rolling swell forms in the Southern Ocean as winds blow around the entire globe unimpeded by any land.

Into these mountain of waters our 269-foot Ice Breaker would routinely steam south toward McMurdo, Antarctica at a pace of 5.5 knots. Wind whipped seas would approach 70+ feet in height. The "trick" to sailing in these waters is to go OVER two swells and NEVER UNDER MORE THAN ONE. I've attached 2 pictures of the what can be said is the daylight minute by minute "routine of the day". Steaming through at night, a necessary requirement, is scarier still, by several orders of magnitude.

One of our Lt's, not wanting to go on a long voyage to the vast and cold Antarctic in the first place, took it upon himself in his watch to "get there" faster than the Old Man had ordered, and in a more direct route than taking waves off of the starboard quarter. Sometime after the mid-watch, there was an horrendous "THUMP" against the foredeck of the ship, which I soundly slept through.

I was awakened at 0330 in the berthing area, got some burned coffee from the Mess Deck, and headed to the bridge to relieve the watch. The Old Man was sitting in his chair! He's NEVER out of bed at that hour.

In a silence in which a pin could have been heard dropping on the outdoor carpeted bridge deck, I relieved the watch and read the log entries. The Lt. had BROKEN THE BOAT and was summarily RELIEVED OF COMMAND by our "full bird" Captain. The 2nd wave in a row we went under on the Lt's watch that night must have been something to live through on the bridge. It threw the Old Man out of his rack. At dawn, midway through the 4-8 watch, steaming about 2.5 knots, wind whipping, seas angry around us, our BM assessed the damage.

Immediately below the Captain's Quarters, a half inch thick, full penetration weld, steel bulkhead was caved in 3-feet deep across a distance of 12-feet. The 75-foot long inverted "V" shaped Wave Dissipater, a half inch thick steel bulkhead, reinforced by a steel "T" every 18 inches, knee high at the rails to chest high at its forward facing apex amidships, was GONE, much of it anyway, ripped OFF, overboard, and what was left was yawing back and forth from a few welds. Both water tight doors, starboard and port sides, between weather decks, were GONE.

We were "down in the bow" and steaming for calmer waters, still on mission to McMurdo, where there are no facilities for ship's maintenance. The Lt's career was OVER. The Captain put him on the first flight back to the states, never to endanger our crew again, or any other I suspect.


https://i.postimg.cc/zXZ31SzQ/PICT0360.jpg


https://i.postimg.cc/zvMBLKKy/PICT0389.jpg

[Land Owner]

Let me follow that with my most humble gratitude for each of you for your service. I was not shot (shot near once), nor did any shooting in my service, and for that I feel detached, in a way, from those of you that did. I have no knowledge of the nightmare of duty and service that in any given moment could extinguish a life, maim or be maimed, or forever change one's brain function in such mind bending affairs. I respect the close association, from my son's Marine and Army experiences, that battlefield survival forges. I may never experience that closeness.

What I have though, is a deep association with each of you for our "writing a blank check" that included, up to our own death, the commitment to serve these United States against all enemies foreign and domestic. Once sworn, with you I remain even unto death, dedicated to the security and safety of this Nation.

Semper paratus.

[MrWolf]

Let me follow that with my most humble gratitude for each of you for your service. I was not shot (shot near once), nor did any shooting in my service, and for that I feel detached, in a way, from those of you that did. I have no knowledge of the nightmare of duty and service that in any given moment could extinguish a life, maim or be maimed, or forever change one's brain function in such mind bending affairs. I respect the close association, from my son's Marine and Army experiences, that battlefield survival forges. I may never experience that closeness.

What I have though, is a deep association with each of you for our "writing a blank check" that included, up to our own death, the commitment to serve these United States against all enemies foreign and domestic. Once sworn, with you I remain even unto death, dedicated to the security and safety of this Nation.

Semper paratus.

Nicely said sir. Agreed.

[quack1]

Popper-My dad was a quartermaster and plank owner on the Chicago.
A couple of pictures he had of some rough water in the Pacific off Japan.
https://i.imgur.com/joOhkZym.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/XiN707Jm.jpg

[Land Owner]

Rolling, side to side. Pitch and yaw front to back. A washing machine when these three are coming from every angle imaginable. We had roll, +/-110 degrees, port to starboard - on occasion. Real tough to climb a ship's ladder under those conditions.

[MT Gianni]

Below Australia is the Southern Ocean. It is a forever to be an untamed waterway, unrivaled on the planet. There is no land mass to disrupt the "churn" in the South Pacific. In the area from around 45°S (New Zealand) to the Antarctic Circle (66.5°S) are the strongest average winds (65+ knots) found anywhere on Earth. A long rolling swell forms in the Southern Ocean as winds blow around the entire globe unimpeded by any land.

Into these mountain of waters our 269-foot Ice Breaker would routinely steam south toward McMurdo, Antarctica at a pace of 5.5 knots. Wind whipped seas would approach 70+ feet in height. The "trick" to sailing in these waters is to go OVER two swells and NEVER UNDER MORE THAN ONE. I've attached 2 pictures of the what can be said is the daylight minute by minute "routine of the day". Steaming through at night, a necessary requirement, is scarier still, by several orders of magnitude.

One of our Lt's, not wanting to go on a long voyage to the vast and cold Antarctic in the first place, took it upon himself in his watch to "get there" faster than the Old Man had ordered, and in a more direct route than taking waves off of the starboard quarter. Sometime after the mid-watch, there was an horrendous "THUMP" against the foredeck of the ship, which I soundly slept through.

I was awakened at 0330 in the berthing area, got some burned coffee from the Mess Deck, and headed to the bridge to relieve the watch. The Old Man was sitting in his chair! He's NEVER out of bed at that hour.

In a silence in which a pin could have been heard dropping on the outdoor carpeted bridge deck, I relieved the watch and read the log entries. The Lt. had BROKEN THE BOAT and was summarily RELIEVED OF COMMAND by our "full bird" Captain. The 2nd wave in a row we went under on the Lt's watch that night must have been something to live through on the bridge. It threw the Old Man out of his rack. At dawn, midway through the 4-8 watch, steaming about 2.5 knots, wind whipping, seas angry around us, our BM assessed the damage.

Immediately below the Captain's Quarters, a half inch thick, full penetration weld, steel bulkhead was caved in 3-feet deep across a distance of 12-feet. The 75-foot long inverted "V" shaped Wave Dissipater, a half inch thick steel bulkhead, reinforced by a steel "T" every 18 inches, knee high at the rails to chest high at its forward facing apex amidships, was GONE, much of it anyway, ripped OFF, overboard, and what was left was yawing back and forth from a few welds. Both water tight doors, starboard and port sides, between weather decks, were GONE.

We were "down in the bow" and steaming for calmer waters, still on mission to McMurdo, where there are no facilities for ship's maintenance. The Lt's career was OVER. The Captain put him on the first flight back to the states, never to endanger our crew again, or any other I suspect.

We took a cruise out of Valparaiso down the Chilean coast, around Cape Horn and along the Antarctic peninsula. Had some weather going on and a sick passenger that needed medical attention so we headed back to Puerto Williams Chile. Seas were too rough for the tenders and the anchorage wouldn't support the cruise ship so it was back to Ushuaia. We dropped off the passenger then crossed the Drake averaging between 19 and 22 knots to try to get back on schedule. I ate but my wife was too sick to leave the room. You had to hold on to plate, glass and utensils or watch them slide off the table. 25-30 foot seas and all decks were closed to crew or passengers. I still would repeat it in a heartbeat, amazing place to visit.

[Land Owner]

Visited Ushuaia once. We docked in the dark of the night for fuel. We were given liberty in the morning and no instructions, except the time to be back as short term liberty would cancel. I bought a bottle of wine at a market, borrowed a bottle opener, and outside, I downed half, as every good seaman knows how. Then headed out to explore.

I hated the city - afterward. Mostly unpaved streets, dirt poor, military outpost, roving armed security, on-going border war with Argentina, everybody is suspect. In black "P"-coat, black watch cap, dungarees, and black boon dockers, I must have looked (to them) like a spy that had just rowed ashore.

For a still unexplained reason, their shore patrol took an instant dislike to open drinking before breakfast and that I didn't "come" when called (I am no dog and don't speak or understand Spanish). One even FIRED a single round from a 1911-style pistol to get my attention before the squad surrounded me with AK-style, banana clip weapons. Made to lie down, face in the dirt, frisked, and demanded in Spanish (which I didn't understand), for "papers". I got that much.

I only had US dollars and no wallet on me (a mistake on me). They "perp walked" me through the streets to their Base (not far) for interrogation in a concrete alleyway by a fat Latino Chief (FLC).

FLC spoke no English. I spoke no Spanish. After the shot, I was nervous. FLC "explained" at the top of his voice, in what I am certain was colorful language, something I neither understood nor deserved to hear.

"No hablo espanol." was all I had to add, while pointing to the harbor and the Unidos Estados (way I said United States) Ice Breaker that wasn't there in the dawn twilight an hour ago, the sum of which frustrated the FLC. Clearly we had a language barrier. A Lieutenant was summoned.

From the get go, the Lt's appearance certainly quieted my anxiety and seemed to quiet the Base's rank and file agitation. Guards and morning formation looked on from a distance, rather than up close, and personal. The FLC though still stood in close proximity.

When briefed, the Lt got a look of understanding on his face (almost mirth, like a "Mona Lisa smile"), asked me a few questions in broken English, which I answered in worse broken Spanish, pointed to the Big Red Boat (el gran barco rojo - we agreed), and from wherever the Base's morning briefing to its officers came, it had clearly not filtered through to the FLC or shore patrol.

I was released, without apology (I think), as if it never happened, and forever Ushuaia is no place I will revisit. They OWE me. I went straight back to the ship via a jewelry store (nicest silver lining I ever had). The QM watch stander didn't believe me - "You've only been gone two hours!", he said. He wanted to know how much adventure can one have before breakfast at the bottom of the World and I told him!

[Winger Ed.]

Clearly we had a language barrier.

I've had that problem before too.
Those South Texans have such a bad accent----- you'd think they had a different word for everything.:bigsmyl2:

[Mk42gunner]

Speaking of the Southern Ocean, in December of 87 we were crossing the Bite of Australia. Going from Freemantle to Brisbane.

I had just made second and we were supposed to have our frocking ceremony but it was way too rough, even for tincan sailors. The skipper got on the 1MC and said basically- Fellas its too rough, you know who you are, consider yourselves frocked.

Robert

[samari46]

Typhoons were common when we made our westpac cruise. We were on the beach in Yokosuka Japan when we got stopped by the shore patrol and we were told the sailors off the "Rosie" had an emergency recall due to an oncoming typhoon. Hustled back to the ship and liberty launch. Just got back aboard and the chief tells me I have the light off watch in the thrust block. They had the Alliance stores which was a prison used by the Japanese in WWII. Bottle of Smirnoff vodka was 5 bucks and you could get a setup in most bars catering to sailors. So was a little bombed after I changed into my work uniform. Down 4-5 ladders to the thrust block. How I made it down there without killing myself was nothing short of a wonderment even after all these years. While at sea had waves over the bow flight deck. Buddy who worked in the cat shack (kept the catapults operating) opened the hatch and looked down. No deck,no railing, just ocean. About 40' had been riffed off by the waves. Frank

[Land Owner]

language barrier:

On my first visit to New Zealand, "casually drinking" of course, the NZ fellow I was shooting pool with started excitedly gesturing and pointing to one of my shipmates, who at the time was "physically displaying seasickness" in a crowded and noisy bar.

Me: "Samuel, slow down."
NZ: "Why mate?"
Me: "Because I don't understand you through your accent."
NZ: "My accent? Yank, you're the one with an accent!"
Me: "Do you understand every word I am saying?"
NZ: "Quite right mate."
Me: "Well then SLOW DOWN because I am only getting every third word you're saying."

But he DID slow down a bit after that, He and I half carried my shipmate out of the bar, into the fresh air, where he sobered enough to walk himself back to the ship.

I had to think long and hard, through the alcohol fog, to see Samuel's point. Some of our Southern Alabama shipmates might have taken offense to being called a "Yank", but that didn't happen to my knowledge. Down Under, everyone from Above is a Yank, where even a Florida Boy has an accent (to them).

[Nazgul]

My father was a sailor on an LST at the end of WW2. They were in San Diego prepping for the invasion of Japan which obviously never happened. He was on deck chipping/painting when they heard a loud noise. He watched the Spruce Goose and Howard Hughes taxi by and fly the only time it flew.

The only real experience he had with Marines was my uncle who made 2 landings in the Pacific during the war and watching ships full of them come home. He was visibly upset when I joined the Marines.

Don

[trapper9260]

The Siapan the reason for that is to carry 2500 Marines with there helos and jump jets and tanks and jeeps and trucks and troop transports and large guns and supplies. We would sit 2 miles off the shore and fill the well deck and kick out the mic-8 and LCU and fly them off. we done that in a few places .

[popper]

Chicago was rebuilt, one 5" and rest missiles. Got a pic of us going through Gibralter at 45*. Refueled destroyers at sea, see the water over the bridge, then the props. Had to break off once, too rough. Capt. ran it into the wood buffer in San Diego, bent the hull cause he was tired of waiting for the tug. Did have to do a recovery of plane that got dunked. Well, nothing but the helmet and a few parts.

[dangitgriff]

Rolling, side to side. Pitch and yaw front to back. A washing machine when these three are coming from every angle imaginable. We had roll, +/-110 degrees, port to starboard - on occasion. Real tough to climb a ship's ladder under those conditions.

That’s what the angle iron on the bulkheads is for, isn’t it?

[samari46]

Watched a cruiser once off Pollensa bay in Spain. That crew should have gotten hazardous duty pay. Every time she took a wave on the bow the whole forward section of the ship went under. Frank