The Final Voyage of USS Enterprise

[Willy]

USS Enterprise (CVN-65) has returned to Norfolk, finishing her final voyage.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/11/04/world-first-nuclear-powered-aircraft-carrier-uss-enterprise-finishes-final/?test=latestnews

:salute:

[Toastmaker]

Looks like she earned her rest. I wonder how long it will be before NCC-1701 is commissioned.

[Victory103]

CVW-1 flew off her for the final time. Did my 1st cruise on "Big E" in 96' with CVW-17.

[Odie]

A fast ship that went in harm's way....according to the article she'll be scrapped. It's a shame there's no museum berth for her.

[CG_1976]

A fast ship that went in harm's way....according to the article she'll be scrapped. It's a shame there's no museum berth for her.

It is very sad to see the honorable USS-Enterprise get Scrapped. But she was the 1st Nuke powered designed carrier. I'm thinking it must be the ships design and the reactors. Might have to scap to get them reactors out safe. Design has evolved and I'm sure the USS Nimitz class incorporates a easier way to remove and decom the Reactor area without scrapping. The best thing is call your lawmakers and demand the Next Carrier be named and commissioned USS-Enterprise, her name is a legacy of the USN and a tribute to all who served her thu out the many years and call to actions:salute:.

[n4gix]

They should anchor near Staten Island and provide emergency power for them... :icon_lol:

[Willy]

They should anchor near Staten Island and provide emergency power for them... :icon_lol:

USS Lexington CV-2 did it in Washington state during the 30s. But they were electric drive and had generators galore.


In 1929, western Washington (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_(state)) state suffered a drought which resulted in low levels in Lake Cushmans (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Cushman) that provided water for Cushman Dam No. 1 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cushman_Dam_No._1). The hydro-electric (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydro-electric) power generated by this dam was the primary source for the city of Tacoma and the city requested help from the federal government once the water in the lake receded below the dam's intakes during December. The U.S. Navy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Navy) sent Lexington, which had been at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puget_Sound_Naval_Shipyard) in Bremerton (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bremerton,_Washington), to Tacoma, and heavy electric lines were rigged into the city's power system. The ship's generators provided a total of 4,520,960 kilowatt hours (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilowatt_hour) from 17 December to 16 January 1930 until melting snow and rain brought the reservoirs up to the level needed to generate sufficient power for the city

[PRB]

End of an era. RIP, BIG-E, it was fun. Well, sometimes it was. Most of the time we counted the days until we could get the heck off that big gray boat. She will be missed! :salute:

[Roadburner440]

It is ashame she cannot be turned in to a museum. However making nuclear reactors "safe" is more than just removing the spent fuel rods from the core. Not to mention Big E was a test bed for future nuclear power plants, and thus combined multiple types of reactor units in a single ship. I would be for one concerned if she is turned in to a museum ship that people would gain access to the sensitive areas. Not to mention if something were to happen (fire, or decades later corrosion eats through the hull like the Kitty Hawk) and radiactive particles start getting out of the ship. As you can never fully decontam the units. It is good seeing the Big E home though. I was looking at her as I sat in traffic on the HRBT today. Hopefully they at least save her island and make a memorial/exhibit from it.

[Odie]

It is ashame she cannot be turned in to a museum. However making nuclear reactors "safe" is more than just removing the spent fuel rods from the core. Not to mention Big E was a test bed for future nuclear power plants, and thus combined multiple types of reactor units in a single ship. I would be for one concerned if she is turned in to a museum ship that people would gain access to the sensitive areas. Not to mention if something were to happen (fire, or decades later corrosion eats through the hull like the Kitty Hawk) and radiactive particles start getting out of the ship. As you can never fully decontam the units. It is good seeing the Big E home though. I was looking at her as I sat in traffic on the HRBT today. Hopefully they at least save her island and make a memorial/exhibit from it.

I was wondering much the same thing, RB. Due to the nuclear aspect, could the sensitive areas be cleared of any hint of design aspect, and would there be any lingering radiation once all the material was removed? Also, this would be a really methodical decomissioning due to the aspect of the reactors, would it not? Big E has such a history in the fleet, like you, maybe the island could be erected as a memorial.

[PRB]

I wonder if it could be due to security reasons. Even while serving on board, we "riff-raff" were not allowed into the engineering spaces, so turning the whole ship over to civilian museum managers might be an issue, even if it could be done safely.

I'd rather not see the island alone perched someplace, like a chopped off head on a stick. If they're going to get rid of her, I'd use her for weapons testing like USS America was.

- Paul

[Odie]

I wonder if it could be due to security reasons. Even while serving on board, we "riff-raff" were not allowed into the engineering spaces, so turning the whole ship over to civilian museum managers might be an issue, even if it could be done safely.

I'd rather not see the island alone perched someplace, like a chopped off head on a stick. If they're going to get rid of her, I'd use her for weapons testing like USS America was.

- Paul

You may be right Paul. Probably even the layout of those spaces would be classified as to the design/specs etc.

[hey_moe]

I had the pleasure in my younger days to work in the ESTG Dept when that bad boy went on it's first sea trial. At 37.3 miles an hour it took over 9 miles with the engines in full reverse to bring her to a complete stop. Little things like the fresh water hold tanks, the kitchen, main radar room and things that you have never seen is so unreal. It would be great to make it a floating museum

[hey_moe]

Something else that happened in the shipyard that will blow your mine. Nuc. Sub 602/ in the front of the sub there are 1275 transducers or mini-ears. Anyway before the front cap is put on all of those have to be installed, bolted in, the studs grinded flat and inside the dome they have to be hooked up to the amps. There are three wires to each ear. BTW the bad boys are all through the sub but 95% of them are in the front. Anyway the three wires are common, neutral and ground. All were hooked up and tested. They found one that the black and white wires were reversed. They reversed the pins and a month later the cap was installed and she was launched. Everything ready...WONG. remember that one that the wires were reversed.....well that was the only one that was right...lol. All the others were wrong. The Navy made the ship yard pull the sub back up on the dry dock and remove the cap pull everyone of them back out and do the job 100% again and do it right......yeah they fired 4 general formans,7 supervisors and a boat load of other management.

[PRB]

Doh!! What a pain that must have been. Amazing how that sonar system works. I had no idea there were so many "ears"!

- Paul