Cool experience - Ohio Class?

[sailpower]

Originally Posted by puffcard

This is a thing I worry about. They wouldn't have a clue about a sailboat sailing in a light breeze during the execution of an Emergency Blow. Very little control and way too noisy to know what's up there.

It could be a factor in a real event. For training they come to PD for a visual scan before going back down and conducting the blow.

Not always foolproof as the USS Greenville proved.

It's quite a ride up from deep!

[puffcard]

Originally Posted by sailpower

Kind of dwarfs my old 608 class SSBN!

I hear that the replacement SSBN, Columbia class, will be a new design at 561', 43' beam and 16 tubes, down from 24 on the Ohio boats.

There are 12 planned to replace the 14 remaining Ohio's. Fewer boats and fewer tubes is expected to be offset by lifetime reactor cores eliminating refueling overhauls. Supposedly this will actually increase missiles at sea.

The Ohio boats were designed for about 15 years between overhauls. By comparison, the original SSBN's (41 for Freedom boats) like mine need overhaul about every five years.

I went aboard 610 when she was getting her first one and left before the second. Shipyard duty is pretty low on the desirability totem pole.

I bet shipyard duty as the pits, my first job was overhauling the old SSBNs. The new replacement SSBN Columbia Class will have a "life of ship" fuel core, that will last ship's service life of 42 years. Imagine never needing to take on fuel. My son's son could retire on that ship and it will never need to be refueled. By the way, thanks for your service.

[puffcard]

Originally Posted by sailpower

It could be a factor in a real event. For training they come to PD for a visual scan before going back down and conducting the blow.

Not always foolproof as the USS Greenville proved.

It's quite a ride up from deep!

Very true for planned events. Was my favorite part of sea trials. The next was angles and dangles after coming out of the yard. Stuff flying everywhere, nothing like getting hit in the head by loose screws that guys left on equipment.

[Cotemar]

Seeing LARGE BLACK sub's in the Groton / Fishers Island area happens a lot as they exit and enter the Groton Sub base on the Thames river.

You all ways will see a a USCG go fast boat near the sub with a large sub-machine gun on the bow that is locked and loaded.

[sailpower]

Originally Posted by puffcard

My favorite part of sea trials. The next was angles and dangles after coming out of the yard. Stuff flying everywhere.

Ahead flank, full dive on the planes, right full rudder, aye!

Not something we got to do much. 3 knots to nowhere was the norm.

[sailpower]

Originally Posted by Cotemar

Seeing LARGE BLACK sub's in the Groton / Fishers Island area happens a lot as they exit and enter the Groton Sub base on the Thames river.

You all ways will see a a USCG go fast boat near the sub with a large sub-machine gun on the bow that is locked and loaded.

I went to high school in Groton. When we wanted to take a date parking down by the river we asked if they wanted to go submarine race watching.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Peregrine1983

What I want to know is what did we look or sound like to the sub? Were we even "on their radar" so to speak? I'm sure they probably heard me screaming giddily......? I believe we were the closest boat to them when they surfaced.

I feel sure they knew exactly where you were. It's no longer WWII diesel boats as in the movies. They could probably tell you how many beers you had in the reefer.

[puffcard]

Originally Posted by Cadence

I feel sure they knew exactly where you were. It's no longer WWII diesel boats as in the movies. They could probably tell you how many beers you had in the reefer.

That's what you may think. While subs are equip with some fairly advance sensors/radars like AN/BPS-16 and they never used them. 90% of the time they only use a standard Raymarine 24" radar, because the signal looks like a regular old fishing boat. This pic the BPS-16 just forward of the lookout isn't out. When they surface to come in they rig the Raymarine radar, it's of course not pressure-proof.



Loves this photo of a 688 at periscope depth.



Hey look at the current on that stick.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by puffcard

That's what you may think. While subs are equip with some fairly advance sensors/radars like AN/BPS-16 and they never used them. 90% of the time they only use a standard Raymarine 24" radar, because the signal looks like a regular old fishing boat. This pic the BPS-16 just forward of the lookout isn't out. When they surface to come in they rig the Raymarine radar, it's of course not pressure-proof.



Loves this photo of a 688 at periscope depth.



Hey look at the current on that stick.

I doubt they know by radar.

[SouthernPride]

LA class.
Kings bay, Georgia you can see them coming and going...amazing.
Mice to know my tax money is part of a sun instead of some inner city criminal...lol

[Colin A]

Originally Posted by Cadence

Does General Dynamic not still have a sub facility at the old Elco plant at Grotten, Ct. (sp?) It may have been one coming in for a refit.

EB is there doing refit work and new builds plus the sub base. My parents boat is at the yacht club right across the river.

[sailorboy1]

Those of us who served on subs really get crackled up by the things people think about them.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Those of us who served on subs really get crackled up by the things people think about them.

Thing is of course they are the silent service and being secretive is part of it, so people have to sort of think things on their own.

Like me, for some reason I have It in my mind that the capability of them being terribly fast is there, assuming they are deep enough.
I doubt it is very often used, but gut says that with enough power and sufficient depth to prevent cavitation and a slick enough hull, some significant speeds could be obtained, but that is just me guessing.

Knowing what is capable of other things Military, leads one to theorize capabilities that only a very few years ago would be Science Fiction.

However I would think that once on station, especially a boomer, that they just meander around very slowly not emitting anything.


Are their Diesel boats in the US still? I can see how maybe nothing can be quieter than a battery powered boat, and noise is a large part of stealth?

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Are their Diesel boats in the US still? I can see how maybe nothing can be quieter than a battery powered boat, and noise is a large part of stealth?

modern diesel electric sub = very quiet

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Thing is of course they are the silent service and being secretive is part of it, so people have to sort of think things on their own.

Like me, for some reason I have It in my mind that the capability of them being terribly fast is there, assuming they are deep enough.
I doubt it is very often used, but gut says that with enough power and sufficient depth to prevent cavitation and a slick enough hull, some significant speeds could be obtained, but that is just me guessing.

Knowing what is capable of other things Military, leads one to theorize capabilities that only a very few years ago would be Science Fiction.

However I would think that once on station, especially a boomer, that they just meander around very slowly not emitting anything.


Are their Diesel boats in the US still? I can see how maybe nothing can be quieter than a battery powered boat, and noise is a large part of stealth?

I don't think there are any longer any diesel boats. Maybe one lets face it Old Iron Sides is still a commissioned vessel. It would be as shame not to have something showing the living conditions that makes a nuke look like a luxury hotel.