Cruisers Forum
 


Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on Cruisers Forums. Advertise Here
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Rate Thread Display Modes
Old 25-07-2017, 14:20   #1
Registered User
 
Peregrine1983's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 987
Cool experience - Ohio Class?

It was a rainy/foggy day a couple of weeks ago and my wife and I were cruising home from a trip out to Block Island. We were in Long Island sound a few miles south of Fisher's Island headed into Gardiner's Bay.

It was a quiet weekday, but rainy and foggy so I had the radar set to a 5nm view and I was checking the screen every 5 minutes or so. I popped up to give it a glance and just 1nm mile away to starboard there was suddenly a big target giving off one heck of a signature.

Startled, I grabbed the binoculars and for a few moments just couldn't figure out what I was looking at... it looked like a black lighthouse base moving parallel to us through the water. I continued to stare, totally confused for a few moments until I saw the tail fin (?) pop out of the water... at which point the nerdy 14 year old inside me started giddily yelling "Holy s**t!!!!! It's a f******g nuclear sub!!!"

My wife came running up thinking something terrible had happened. Nope, just me freaking out like a jerk.

I want to say that was at least 300' long, but all I could see was the "tower" part and the "fin".

Within seconds, the Coasties came on and issued a security perimeter around the "Navy ship"... hardly a colorful enough description in my opinion at that moment.

Looking it up online later, I now think it was an Ohio-class sub. Maybe someone with more knowledge of this stuff than me can tell me what I was looking at. Anyone else ever see one of these subs in LI sound? I must say, it was pretty darn cool.
__________________
Once in a while, you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right.
Peregrine1983 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-07-2017, 14:58   #2
Registered User
 
sailpower's Avatar

Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Posts: 923
Re: Cool experience - Ohio Class?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Peregrine1983 View Post
It was a rainy/foggy day a couple of weeks ago and my wife and I were cruising home from a trip out to Block Island. We were in Long Island sound a few miles south of Fisher's Island headed into Gardiner's Bay.

It was a quiet weekday, but rainy and foggy so I had the radar set to a 5nm view and I was checking the screen every 5 minutes or so. I popped up to give it a glance and just 1nm mile away to starboard there was suddenly a big target giving off one heck of a signature.

Startled, I grabbed the binoculars and for a few moments just couldn't figure out what I was looking at... it looked like a black lighthouse base moving parallel to us through the water. I continued to stare, totally confused for a few moments until I saw the tail fin (?) pop out of the water... at which point the nerdy 14 year old inside me started giddily yelling "Holy s**t!!!!! It's a f******g nuclear sub!!!"

My wife came running up thinking something terrible had happened. Nope, just me freaking out like a jerk.

I want to say that was at least 300' long, but all I could see was the "tower" part and the "fin".

Within seconds, the Coasties came on and issued a security perimeter around the "Navy ship"... hardly a colorful enough description in my opinion at that moment.

Looking it up online later, I now think it was an Ohio-class sub. Maybe someone with more knowledge of this stuff than me can tell me what I was looking at. Anyone else ever see one of these subs in LI sound? I must say, it was pretty darn cool.
300' is not an Ohio class. Actually all nuc boats are longer than that.

Did it have fairwater planes on the sail?

Not much reason for an SSBN to be up there. LA or VA out of Groton would be my guess.
sailpower is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-07-2017, 15:05   #3
Registered User
 
Peregrine1983's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 987
Re: Cool experience - Ohio Class?

Quote:
Originally Posted by sailpower View Post
300' is not an Ohio class. Actually all nuc boats are longer than that.

Did it have fairwater planes on the sail?

Not much reason for an SSBN to be up there. LA or VA out of Groton would be my guess.

I couldn't tell ya about the actual length (it was BIG...) or whether it had "planes". Here is a pic I snapped through the binoculars though...
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	FullSizeRender(1).jpg
Views:	483
Size:	180.0 KB
ID:	152635  
__________________
Once in a while, you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right.
Peregrine1983 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-07-2017, 15:26   #4
Registered User

Join Date: May 2017
Location: Coastal GA.
Boat: Presto 36
Posts: 286
Re: Cool experience - Ohio Class?

About forty years ago I was coming into Charleston SC. from the southeast and had just crossed the extensive bar in front of the old fort. I was just inside the harbor, about a half a mile or so south of the designated channel when I heard what sounded like the bow wave of a huge freighter. I had been checking astern frequently and had seen nothing. Well, I turned just in time to see a sub's sail rising out of the water over in the channel. As I watched, the top of the hull cleared the water, a hatch at the base of the sail opened and several sailors came out on deck. It was amazing.
Seabeau is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-07-2017, 15:37   #5
Registered User
 
Peregrine1983's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 987
Re: Cool experience - Ohio Class?

Quote:
Originally Posted by sailpower View Post
300' is not an Ohio class. Actually all nuc boats are longer than that.

Did it have fairwater planes on the sail?

Not much reason for an SSBN to be up there. LA or VA out of Groton would be my guess.
I've done some googling about subs... had to search for "SSBN". Groton would make a ton of sense based on where I was.
__________________
Once in a while, you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right.
Peregrine1983 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-07-2017, 15:55   #6
Registered User
 
Peregrine1983's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 987
Re: Cool experience - Ohio Class?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Seabeau View Post
About forty years ago I was coming into Charleston SC. from the southeast and had just crossed the extensive bar in front of the old fort. I was just inside the harbor, about a half a mile or so south of the designated channel when I heard what sounded like the bow wave of a huge freighter. I had been checking astern frequently and had seen nothing. Well, I turned just in time to see a sub's sail rising out of the water over in the channel. As I watched, the top of the hull cleared the water, a hatch at the base of the sail opened and several sailors came out on deck. It was amazing.
That must have been amazing. I was too far to see anyone pop out on deck, but I'm sure those guys were happy to get some fresh air and sunlight...
__________________
Once in a while, you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right.
Peregrine1983 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-07-2017, 16:47   #7
Registered User

Join Date: May 2017
Location: Coastal GA.
Boat: Presto 36
Posts: 286
Re: Cool experience - Ohio Class?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Peregrine1983 View Post
That must have been amazing. I was too far to see anyone pop out on deck, but I'm sure those guys were happy to get some fresh air and sunlight...
Our courses were converging as I was also going to the naval yard. By the time the topsides of the hull cleared the water and the sailors appeared, we were only about 200 yards apart. I remember that the sub's bow wave was about 6 ft. high. I had read of course, how large the subs were but I was totally unprepared for its actual size. That was my first and only encounter with a sub. At least that I know of.
Seabeau is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-07-2017, 17:06   #8
Registered User
 
CaptNemoO2's Avatar

Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Long Island
Boat: Beneteau Oceanis 510
Posts: 197
Re: Cool experience - Ohio Class?

Its most likely a Los Angeles class. It doesn't look like the Ohio's bow or missile section. They also don't come up to Groton or GDEB unless it's something major.
CaptNemoO2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-07-2017, 17:21   #9
Registered User
 
sailpower's Avatar

Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Posts: 923
Re: Cool experience - Ohio Class?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Peregrine1983 View Post
I couldn't tell ya about the actual length (it was BIG...) or whether it had "planes". Here is a pic I snapped through the binoculars though...
Too small for a Ohio class SSBN which is 560' and there are no SSBN's working out of Groton.

Not a Virginia class.

Looks like a 688I, flight III SSN to me. Bow planes instead of Fairwater planes. 362' long.
sailpower is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-07-2017, 17:34   #10
Registered User
 
sailpower's Avatar

Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Posts: 923
Re: Cool experience - Ohio Class?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Seabeau View Post
About forty years ago I was coming into Charleston SC. from the southeast and had just crossed the extensive bar in front of the old fort. I was just inside the harbor, about a half a mile or so south of the designated channel when I heard what sounded like the bow wave of a huge freighter. I had been checking astern frequently and had seen nothing. Well, I turned just in time to see a sub's sail rising out of the water over in the channel. As I watched, the top of the hull cleared the water, a hatch at the base of the sail opened and several sailors came out on deck. It was amazing.
I was in and out of Charleston a bunch of times on SSBN 610 while completing overhaul.

Back in the day nuclear submarines couldn't dive without a waiver until they reached the 100 fathom curve. I don't recall it being that deep in the harbor??

We had to go quite a ways before going down.

Think about an early SSBN at 410'/425'. In 600 feet of water with a down or up angle there is very little distance from the bottom from the back or front depending if you were headed up or down. Less than 600' would require a level dive and surface which was difficult and somewhat dangerous to do.

Maybe you saw a SS Diesel boat? Most of them back then at the end of their careers wouldn't even go to 600'.

Now Guam was a different story. You could almost surface at the pier.
sailpower is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26-07-2017, 00:41   #11
Registered User

Join Date: May 2017
Location: Coastal GA.
Boat: Presto 36
Posts: 286
Re: Cool experience - Ohio Class?

Quote:
Originally Posted by sailpower View Post
I was in and out of Charleston a bunch of times on SSBN 610 while completing overhaul.

Back in the day nuclear submarines couldn't dive without a waiver until they reached the 100 fathom curve. I don't recall it being that deep in the harbor??

We had to go quite a ways before going down.

Think about an early SSBN at 410'/425'. In 600 feet of water with a down or up angle there is very little distance from the bottom from the back or front depending if you were headed up or down. Less than 600' would require a level dive and surface which was difficult and somewhat dangerous to do.

Maybe you saw a SS Diesel boat? Most of them back then at the end of their careers wouldn't even go to 600'.

Now Guam was a different story. You could almost surface at the pier.
Charleston Harbor is shallow, although its approaches are relatively deep. I have no idea what type of boat it was, I do remember we were very near Mt Pleasant when I first heard it surfacing. How much depth would be necessary to submerge the sail and hull of the smaller subs in those days?
Seabeau is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26-07-2017, 01:07   #12
Registered User
 
sailpower's Avatar

Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Posts: 923
Re: Cool experience - Ohio Class?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Seabeau View Post
Charleston Harbor is shallow, although its approaches are relatively deep. I have no idea what type of boat it was, I do remember we were very near Mt Pleasant when I first heard it surfacing. How much depth would be necessary to submerge the sail and hull of the smaller subs in those days?
It's not about getting the sail under. It's about getting the whole boat under first.

Submerged ops in Charleston harbor, to put it kindly, wouldn't happen.

Maybe you were further out than you recall?
sailpower is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26-07-2017, 01:32   #13
Senior Cruiser

Cruisers Forum Supporter

Join Date: May 2013
Location: Oregon to Alaska
Boat: Wheeler Shipyard 83' ex USCG
Posts: 3,494
Re: Cool experience - Ohio Class?

There are 4 active classes of US subs. 3 attack - Los Angeles, Seawolf and Virginia. And the Ohios. Pic looks like an LA to me.

Navy ship pictures here. Current and old.

NavSource Naval History - Photo Archive Main Index
Lepke is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26-07-2017, 07:26   #14
Moderator Emeritus
 
a64pilot's Avatar

Cruisers Forum Supporter

Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Jacksonville/ out cruising
Boat: Island Packet 38
Posts: 31,351
Cool experience - Ohio Class?

How many Seawolves? I thought they dropped that rather quickly as the threat evolved to require something different?
a64pilot is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26-07-2017, 07:31   #15
Registered User
 
Peregrine1983's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 987
Re: Cool experience - Ohio Class?

I went down an internet rabbit hole last night looking at info about US subs... fascinating stuff. Looks like there are only 3 Sea Wolf class subs - The US Navy -- Fact File: Attack Submarines - SSN
__________________
Once in a while, you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right.
Peregrine1983 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
enc, ohio

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
AC72....Crazy Cool and Cool Crazy Ocean Girl General Sailing Forum 6 30-08-2013 05:22
To Keel Cool or Not to Keel Cool, that is the question swdreams88 Plumbing Systems and Fixtures 3 26-06-2012 13:45
Wanted - Central Ohio sailing Pisces Crew Archives 2 19-07-2008 10:38
??Overland from the Ohio R to L Erie?? gfenner Great Lakes 4 04-07-2008 06:22

Advertise Here


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 22:28.


Google+
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Social Knowledge Networks
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.

ShowCase vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.