Topics

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School of the Boat / PAMPANITO's VOLUNTEER MANUAL ONLINE - OTHERS COMING

« on: April 14, 2011, 05:02:37 AM »

Thanks to Rich Pekelney's efforts, we are slowly but surely getting our series of manuals uploaded to the PAMPANITO website. Presently, the Volunteer Manual is available at

<http://www.maritime.org/pres/pampvolunteer.pdf>

Next up will be the reballasting manual - which boats still in the water will hopefully find useful.

The long-awaited and even longer-overdue engine operating manual [FM-38D-1/8X10] is just about ready after an agonizing series of edits as we continue to discover and restore dumbshitalts that got plugged in over the years. We still haven't solved the CFOT - engine-attached fuel oil pump line blockage but can run using the priming pump. I learned today from another long-term volunteer that the obstruction question has persisted for many years.

After the engine operating manual gets posted, we'll be putting a hydraulic system manual together -- Jim Kyser, Harry Nystrom, and I have been wrestling that system and can now raise scopes, etc. with the accumulator in the circuit. That system drawing package is accurate but cluttered and needs to be cleaned up.

Jim Kyser and team have stripped a HPAC down to parade rest and are in the process of rebuilding it from the bottom-up. Fortunately, Jim located original rings for all 4 stages and is in the process of removing the old ones and cleaning the grooves. Beastly task to say the least. Kevin Petersen and John Zulauf are growing hernias with heavy labor and are currently beginning to scrape in the main and thrust bearings.

Finally, the PAMPANITO Committee has started publishing a newsletter that is an adaptation of the regular report we submit to the Board of Trustees. The second issue is in preparation and will be available for E-mail distribution. Once we get our distribution system set up, I'll post a followup here so anyone interested in getting on the distribution list can sign up - and request a copy of the first report as well. They will also give updates on literally dozens of restoration tasks Rich Pekelney is spearheading, ranging from reinstallation of the WWII IFF equipment, diving stand clinometers -- those of you who know Rich can well appreciate his skills and zeal.

///SOB

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Museum Submarine Discussion / PAMPANITO SURGE ANCHOR PROJECT

« on: October 25, 2010, 10:50:03 PM »

GO TO:

http://maritime.org/moorings2010/index.htm

Good presentation put together by PAMPANITO Ship's Manager Aaron Washington and Rich Pekelney ..

///SOB

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USS Pampanito (SS-383) / PAMPANITO Receives New Mooring

« on: September 18, 2010, 04:28:11 PM »

See Photos Here --- http://maritime.org/moorings2010/index.htm

Over Thursday and Friday, 09/16 & 17/2010, PAMPANITO received a new surge anchor system that holds the boat off the pier. This project, easily worth over $150K, was donated 100% by a consortium of companies. Rich Pekelney led the effort on PAMPANITO's end and obtained the following donated goods and services:

1- Engineering design of the system - Bittner Shen Consulting Engineers, Inc
2- Review and Approval - NAVSEA
3- Four 10T Navy stockless anchors, six shots of chain - US Maritime Administration, Susuin Bay Reserve Fleet.  
4- Loading of anchors and chain - MARAD mobile crane barge FS-65 MARY ANN.
5- One shot of chain - Dutra Group
6- Tugboat MARYANNE, multiiple crew changes to push BARGE 34 from Richmond to Susuin Bay for pickup and return to Richmond - Westar
7- BARGE 34 - Manson Construction Inc
8- Multiple certified shackles and three inch center link - Manson Construction Inc
9- Two long days and multiple crews for tugboat TERILYN - Westar
10- Two long days and multiple crews for Crane barge HAGAR, workboat POINT RICHMOND - Manson Construction
11- And finally, in Rich's preliminary report,

"This was a complex removal and installation that was complicated by the lack of documentation of what was installed in 1988.  There were only unreliable oral histories describing the installed tackle.  

The removed tackle will be inventoried next week, but it  was roughly 4 five ton anchors, two less than 5 ton concrete blocks, and enormous amount of chain.  

The Manson and Westar crews safely performed this complex evolution with seamless teamwork, and  professionalism.  When changes were needed from the detailed workplan (ship happens), the crew adapted quickly and without a fuss.  

On both days crews from a competitor's crane barge working the Hyde Street fuel dock and the SF Port crew working on Pier 45 came to take photos and admire the workmanship of the Manson and Westar crews. "

I have to echo Rich's final comment: "I can only begin to express how thankful the Board of Trustees, Staff and Volunteers caring for  PAMPANITO are for generosity of Manson, Westar, MARAD and Dutra.  We will all sleep much better through this winter's northerly storms."

Several hundred photos taken by several photographers - Ships Manager Aaron Washington is sorting them now, will post some representative shots here as they become available.

BRAVO ZULU, Rich, Bittner-Shen, US MARAD, Westar, and Manson!  

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Museum Submarine Discussion / PAMPANITO Style Eau d'diesel

« on: May 26, 2009, 03:35:10 AM »

This Memorial Day, 7 remaining PAMPANITO WWII crew members and their families enjoyed an unusually pleasant day in San Francisco. Our guest speaker was Major General Rick Sherlock, son of WWII PAMPANITO radar officer LTjg Richard Sherlock. As Echo Taps faded over the assembly of close to 200, we pulled a special surprise -- Number 1 engine thundered to life and bathed everyone on the pier in eau d'diesel. We ran that beautiful FM-38D for 15 minutes and when we shut down, I swear Jim Kyser and I heard "Not now, PLEASE! Just give me one more hour!" coming from deep inside. We managed decent audio recording plus we got topside and FER videos of our warmup run this past Wednesday. As soon as we get the files into .wmv format, I'll post them here.