Author Topic: 2-16-2013 BATFISH Report  (Read 9782 times)

Offline Jim

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2-16-2013 BATFISH Report
« on: February 16, 2013, 11:11:11 PM »
Had an excellent day with my family at the BATFISH today.  Hamburger smell in the galley.  "Morsed" with South America from the radio room.  Met a lot of really good hands.  The inside of the boat looks really good.  I liked the piped in "diesels running" from Silversides.  The outside of the boat has a mostly completed deck and some new black paint.  The deck lacks some hatch accesses.  The torp tube areas and the sail and gun decks need some work.  The period actors with weapons display was done nicely as well.  No poke at Rick here because he is working with what he has, but the inside/outside of the museum does look like a roadside attraction.  The "clubhouse" look is in full effect. Tey are working this down but, that will take time and resources. They have a lot of items to display and many are on display (I am sure with many that have yet to make it "out").  Rick has dreams for this place that would rival any museum/memorial that I have been to or heard of just short of building a bunker like 505 has.  The problem is the beer budget that he has to work with.  Now if we could only tap into that lead/gold bars area......Overall an excellent experience.  Wish I could have stayed longer but three kids under 10 had had enough.  I'll be back to see what mischief I can get into for Rick.

Tom, all the tracks for the shutters are there but the surrounding areas remind me of a certain cheese.  There are also "aftermarket" supports with two bolts welded in these areas. The bolts are/were snugged up to the doors.  I think they were probably added when she lost the screws to make sure that the outers would not open in tow/transit.  I have attached a pic of that.

A side note: with the new black paint, the lack of shutters is diminished greatly.
« Last Edit: February 16, 2013, 11:17:55 PM by Blackwing »

Offline Jim

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Re: 2-16-2013 BATFISH Report
« Reply #1 on: February 16, 2013, 11:20:15 PM »
pic 3/4

Offline Jim

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Re: 2-16-2013 BATFISH Report
« Reply #2 on: February 16, 2013, 11:23:43 PM »
rear 3/4

Offline Jim

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Re: 2-16-2013 BATFISH Report
« Reply #3 on: February 16, 2013, 11:42:31 PM »
When was the last time anyone could say they have seen this?

Offline Lance Dean

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Re: 2-16-2013 BATFISH Report
« Reply #4 on: February 16, 2013, 11:46:19 PM »
Thanks for sharing about your trip!

Offline Jim

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Re: 2-16-2013 BATFISH Report
« Reply #5 on: February 17, 2013, 12:31:13 AM »
My pleasure.  I have a lot more photos but these seemed to show the "new" look.  I wish more were active on this board lately.

Offline BrokenArrowtiger

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Re: 2-16-2013 BATFISH Report
« Reply #6 on: February 17, 2013, 01:16:27 AM »
I had alot of fun their today as well it was fun being apart of my first BLHA event :P and helping fix our type writter overall i had alot of fun and will hopefully do it in the summer
I am a fan of the batfish and the U-505 i have been interested in world war 2 since i was little my dad and his father and my dads fathers mother served in wars i am interested in the Submarine war of world war 2 and someday i want to be a marine archaeologist and or a world war 2 historian

Offline Darrin

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Re: 2-16-2013 BATFISH Report
« Reply #7 on: February 17, 2013, 10:39:46 AM »
Blackwing,

Thank you for the pics of the BATFISH stern tubes, I have seen worse and have posted pics of worse on this BBS for those whom wanted to rebuild their shutter doors and make their stern tubes open once more.. IF you noticed with the Batfish is that she truly does set in a bowl and when it rains is that the water still rises up and gives her issues..

A few years ago a departed shipmate of ours Bill Lee (USS SCORPION) was helping the FREEDOM PARK out when it flooded and the land locked USS MARLIN and the USS HAZARD were once more found to be floating once more, he was one that always thought that the MARLIN would never float again and she did.

And for those whom have really been interested in MUSEUM VESSEL's name the TWO that were floated during the hurricane that hit TEXAS a few years ago and why is it significant to this post regarding the STERN Tubes

Darrin

Offline BrokenArrowtiger

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Re: 2-16-2013 BATFISH Report
« Reply #8 on: February 17, 2013, 01:11:05 PM »
the cavalla and the stweart....i dont think i will even be close with the answer but does it explain why the boats ended up with a list?..
I am a fan of the batfish and the U-505 i have been interested in world war 2 since i was little my dad and his father and my dads fathers mother served in wars i am interested in the Submarine war of world war 2 and someday i want to be a marine archaeologist and or a world war 2 historian

Offline Darrin

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Re: 2-16-2013 BATFISH Report
« Reply #9 on: February 18, 2013, 12:33:09 AM »
You are correct regarding the list's on both ships,

The Cavalla actually shifted and went further bow down while she was floating and the Steward had to have  a large cofferdamn built around her so she could be refloated and get all of the debris from underneath her keel. Anytime a watertight door has been opened after a number of years of being shut you have to worry about the gaskets tearing themselves apart and not correctly resealing and they aren't being manufactured for a WWII Balao or Tench class boat anymore (to my knowledge)

The Pamp is trying to get some made for their muzzle doors which is a great idea and those who work on the museum boats will tell you that a lot of the hatches leak if the seals aren't maintained properly.

Darrin

Offline BrokenArrowtiger

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Re: 2-16-2013 BATFISH Report
« Reply #10 on: February 18, 2013, 02:12:22 AM »
hmm..thats interesting..i have a question for you darren..for the ships that do get flooded and refloat unexpectily do u worry about water comming inside the ship from the bottom ora toredo tube?
I am a fan of the batfish and the U-505 i have been interested in world war 2 since i was little my dad and his father and my dads fathers mother served in wars i am interested in the Submarine war of world war 2 and someday i want to be a marine archaeologist and or a world war 2 historian

Offline Darrin

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Re: 2-16-2013 BATFISH Report
« Reply #11 on: February 18, 2013, 11:22:40 AM »
Regarding the Cavalla and the Stewart, both had to be pumped out as did the Hazard when it was refloated due to massive flooding. for the boats that are still in the water that is an interesting deal because again the gasket materials are well over 50 years old and yes they do leak from time to time ;)

Darrin

Offline Mark Sarsfield

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Re: 2-16-2013 BATFISH Report
« Reply #12 on: February 18, 2013, 11:26:55 AM »
We suspect that Batfish's lower tubes (5 and 6) may have some water in them on occasion, but, thankfully, the breech doors are water-tight.  I don't think that we've ever successfully opened them.  I'm wondering if they are ajar and the interlock mechanisms is keeping the breech from being opened.  We won't know until we dig out the bow one of these days.

Our top hatches are another story.  They all leak water and air into the boat.  We have been discussing ways off replacing them.  One idea is to get a gasket company to make new ones to the dimensions that we provide to them.  Supposedly, there is such a company in the area that can do that.

Regards,
Mark Sarsfield
USS Batfish reenactor



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