Ran into this Mothball Fleet in the California Delta. Just waiting to be sold for scrap I guess.
Mothball Fleet
- Thread starter Benny17441
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Last year the battleship Iowa was towed to San Pedro to be a museum. She had been in the mothball fleet for many years. A foundation was created to save her and volunteers helped restore her in Richmond before moving south. I understand the other ships are placeholders for our active navy fleet. We have international agreements that limit our fleet size. Add a new ship...remove an old one. That's why we keep the mothball fleet. At least that is what I was told.
Always cool to pass by the ships on the way to the Delta.
Always cool to pass by the ships on the way to the Delta.
No treaties limiting fleet size. The delimiter there is simply funding. We retired the Iowa Class battleships because we could man 16 Aegis Cruisers with the number of sailors it takes for four battleships. Manpower is expensive and 16 cruisers have a whopping amount of firepower. Ships in the inactive reserve fleet are maintained for surge capacity should we need to rapidly expand the fleet for war. As we build new ships and decommission older ones, they go the the reserve fleet. Most of the reserve fleet ships are oilers and supply ships, the types needed to support the active fleet during heavy operations. Many obsolete warships get sold to foreign navies.
Benny, that's actually an interesting sight when in
the northern part of the Bay area.
Allan, thanks for the update on the Iowa. Tom is correct. There hasn't been an international fleet restriction since the 1930s. There were restrictions as a part of an armistice being imposed on a particular nation The only international restrictions have to do with the number nuclear weapons as part of a agreement among signators of that agreement and other weapons of mass destruction. Tom brings up another point Battleships were already becoming obsolete even in WWII. Then there is budget. They ain't cheap !
the northern part of the Bay area.
Allan, thanks for the update on the Iowa. Tom is correct. There hasn't been an international fleet restriction since the 1930s. There were restrictions as a part of an armistice being imposed on a particular nation The only international restrictions have to do with the number nuclear weapons as part of a agreement among signators of that agreement and other weapons of mass destruction. Tom brings up another point Battleships were already becoming obsolete even in WWII. Then there is budget. They ain't cheap !
Tom: Guess I won't have to comment much with you putting it right! A CWO4 is pretty well qualified in my book! Navy ET1, retired Army CW3. Chief
Wonder how hard it would be to board one and get it under way? Assuming you had a couple knowledgeable guys with you... Wonder if there is still fuel in the bunkers.
If you saw them, you wouldn't wonder. They are rusting piles of hazardous waste, all of which (the few that are left) are destined for the scrap yard.
Cool thread. I floated right up to the bow of the Iowa when she was in for refit at Ingall's Shipyard in Pascagoula MS in the early 80's. Also, went aboard the USS Mississippi when she was decommissioned, and saw the USS Cole there after the attack in Yemen.
Got moved to Treasure Island, and is now part of the Bay Ship & Yacht yard in the Estuary.
In a related development they just announced the sale of the Aircraft Carrier Forrester for $0.01 to a scrap outfit in Texas. The article mentioned this was the ship where the explosion went off while a young John McCain was sitting in the cockpit of his plane. The ship was in mothballs in Philadelphia and the costs of moving it were cited as having influenced the priced.
Really? She's currently located in Singapore, according to the owner's web site.
http://www.deepwater.com/fw/main/List-by-Location-17.html
There were actually two Glomar Explorer vessels....the ship and the barge. The barge appears to be at Bay Ship as Stu reports. I did see it last spring at TI and thought it was being dismantled. Maybe it has found a new home. No Russian submarines in it anymore.
Actually it was in Redwood City for a long time. That's where the Navy hid that stealth ship for years. When we worked at Ampex my friend had to install a data recorder in the barge. He went through a door in the side and down a long black fabric tunnel that ended with a small hole in the end at an equipment rack. They told him to put the recorder there. Years later we figured out he was on that stealth ship.Attachments
I have to say I love seeing the insides of derelict old buildings and ships like this. Something really cool about seeing something that was once new and grand and how it is aging without any human intervention. Would love to see more pictures of these ghost fleets.
Go here to see the pix this pro photog and his crew took after sneaking aboard some of the Mothball Fleet:
http://scotthaefner.com/beyond/mothball-fleet-ghost-ships/
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