SUBMARINEMUSEUMS.ORG Forum
Individual Submarine Boards => USS Cobia (SS-245) => Topic started by: K0EFV on March 18, 2008, 12:28:43 PM
-
I will be posting more photos to this topic soon. I think I have about 20 to get scanned for posting. To start off first this will be one of the head. I found the flushing instructions some place for the NAUTILUS SS-168. They had been sent to rescue a number of Catholic Nuns, probably from the Phillipines. I couldn't resist adding it here. I always liked Dex's writings about The sub's Head.
K0EFV Tom USMC
-
We have a vet at the Batfish that used to be part of the training crew for either the Marlin or the Mackerel. He had stories where they would pressurize the holding tank below the toilet, so that when someone unsuspecting went to use the toilet and open the flapper valve, they had a nice surpise flying up that them. Usually, it was done to someone that would only be on the boat for a few days or had limited experience flushing the head.
-
Yep, it seems all submariners played that joke. In the video interviews of the Batfish crew, they said they always did that to NQP's
-
Photos 1-4
-
inside photos 5-8
-
Nice photos, but she looks like she needs a new paint job inside, just like Batfish.
-
Mark:
Well these photos were taken 8 years ago. Since then all floorig was replaced to original, along with much interior painting, as well as updating the crew's mess to original appearance. She may be due again for another dry dock but the fresh water from Lake Michigan is not as hard on the sub as some of those in salt water, and the exterior paint is not all that bad. I am not sure if they plan to get the number four engine on line this year. the other three sure sound good. If they would put the props back on I think we could Hi-jack her out to Lake Michigan.
-
I think Pampanito is probably close to getting seaworthy again, too, but I've been told that the Navy doesn't like the idea of having a fully operational boat sailing the seas. I'm guessing a lot of it has to do with terrorism, but also, they probably don't want to be rescuing a WWII sub from the bottom of the ocean, if it has a diving accident.
-
inside phtos 9-12
Photos 9&11 are radios in the Crew's mess and Officers ward room. They both work just fine even the magic eye for tuning.
-
Great photos. You're making the rest of us jealous... to the point that we might have to plan a night raid... (jk) ;D
-
Mark:
You are correct the Navy has made it MANDATORY that all props be removed. I don't know if that applied so the big boys like Battleships and the Carriers. I think I know where the props for the Cobia are stored. Maybe if we can find a diver we could try a night hi-jacking. I will attach two more photos to this reply. No.13 is yours truly in the Galley of the Cobia. 14 is a view looking into a cylinder of the Cobia's number four engine. And no the steak and eggs are not real. Another of Jay Martin's great Ideas along with the pack of Lucky Strike cigarettes (we couldn't find a pack of red and green Luckies) , and the ashtray in the radio room. I don't know how long it will be before the anti smoking band will want that removed and the heart people will complain that eggs are too high in Cholestrol, and will want the eggs replaced with a bowl of oatmeal.
K0EFV Tom USMC
-
Dunno about the Mandatory Prop Removal - we still have our starboard prop aboard Torsk. Our Port prop is on display in Williamsport, PA. We never have figured out why they never took the starboard one - maybe it was stuck too tight?
Sometimes you can see the starboard prop from the pier when the water is clear in the Inner Harbor here in Baltimore - a rare event but it does happen!
This pic is from Torsk's 1986 drydocking at Sparrows Point:
-
Just for reference, the process to "mothball" fleet boats after the war, which occurred before any were released to become Naval Reserve trainers, was that the Navy was supposed to remove the screws (propellers), remove all the batteries, preserve all the diesel engines and electric motors in cosmolene (sp?), dry out the piping systems, install a dehumidifier for the interior and enclose the deck guns in "cocoons." Obviously, there were some exceptions: I understand Ling has her battery cells.
I don't know if the battleships and carriers had their props removed as a rule. It's been a while but I believe the USS North Carolina has one or two of her props on her after deck and I thought I read that the USS Intrepid had its trip to the shipyard delayed because the blade of one of its props was digging into the Hudson River mud.
-
I was thinking the Drum still had both her props. Not positive though. Tom?
-
The screws on the Drum were made by the Welder at Battleship Park out of sheet alum. Looking at the Torsk photo it looks like he did a real good job. Right now they are still bare but once it warms up we are going to try to paint them to look like aged bronze.
Tom Bowser
-
If we ever get Batfish off the ground (whether floating or propped up), we'll have to look into getting props made for her.
Back to the earlier discussion of becoming seaworthy, I think the only way that the Navy MIGHT allow a boat to motor out to sea would be if the holes at the bottom of the hull were welded shut and the dive plane transmissions were rendered inoperable. Basically, this would ensure that she stays on the surface and there's no accidental dive, even if the ballast vents are accidentally opened or one has a bad seal. Otherwise, if the boat could dive, all it takes is one bad seal on a door, exhaust port, induction valve, etc., to sink the boat permanently.
I think that would be a pretty popular attraction, if people could take a short cruise on a WWII sub.
-
All I know about props was what the Museum Director told me once, and as a part of the acceptave agreement prop removal was mandaory along with about 20 pages of requirements. Also someone mentioned inspections by the Navy as a ongoing thing. Here is a view of the Cobia in dry dock on her last outside refurb, I think it was about 1997.
K0EFV Tom USMC
-
I'm sure that they had a huge laundry list of requirements. It was just a passing thought about motoring around on the surface.
-
Don't know what your donation agreement looks like, but ours (COD's) is rather short:
Don't become a public hazard
Don't disgrace the US NAVY
Don't serve food from the galley
Don't make it navigable
Otherwise have a nice day...
Now the problem is that for the most part you can't preserve the engineering systems without returning it to OPERABLE state. The Navy doesn't want to have to deal with hysterical USCG officers regarding operating subs, destroyers, etc. running around the inland seas and shores, but we need to preserve the subs... so you have to lobby the hard liners at NavSea. And not try to go out on a fishing charter with your sub... hell hath no fury like the Coast Guard.
Paul
-
A fishing charter off the back of a fleet boat would be a great time! Just think of how many people you could get lined up along the rails. Fishing boats would be pretty jealous. :)
I understand them not wanting a BB, CV, DD running amuck, but a 300'+ fleet boat wouldn't be much of a nuisance, as long as a licensed captain was giving the orders and it was no longer submersible. It can't be anymore of a hazard than a large Russian freighter with a drunk pilot at the wheel and you wouldn't be parking it at the local marina. Only a handful of museum boats could pull this off, anyway.
-
I WONDER HOW MANY MUSEUM BOATS COULD,WITH A LOT OF WORK i'M SURE GO OUT AND RUN ON THE SURFACE.WHAT A GREAT SIGHT THAT WOULD BE
-
Only a handful would be close enough to being ready and then there's the feasibility due to their locations on large bodies of water. Two that come to mind are Pampanito (San Francisco Bay) and Torsk (Baltimore Harbor), but there are a couple of others. Requin might be able to pull it off, because the rivers in Pittsburgh are wide and deep enough and they probably get plenty of money and attention, since they are associated with the science center there. Other boats (like the replica of the Nina) have come up the Ohio River to visit Pittsburgh before.
I'm not sure, but I'm guessing that the Navy welded the flood vents closed on all of the boats, so that they wouldn't leak air over time and cause the ballast tanks to flood. During and after WWII the Navy lost several old subs while towing them in rough seas. I'm guessing that the vents were beaten around enough to open and the hydraulic and pneumatic systems would not have been operational to keep them shut. Ballast tanks flood and down she goes.
-
YOU KNOW THE CROAKER HAD A SLIGHT LIST LAST YEAR AND I BET THERE IS A LEAK COMING FROM THE WELDED VENTS.A SUB VET TOLD ME THE LIST STARTED IN 2006 AND IS A LITTLE MORE NOW(2007 SUMMER)HAS A MUSEUM BOAT OTHER THAN CROAKER WHO WAS IN NEW LONDON EVER BEEN TAKEN BACK OR MOVED TO A NEW SITE BY THE NAVY
-
Though not physically taken back or moved by the Navy, the Requin was moved from Tampa and ultimately to Pittsburgh. The Silversides had bad operators in Chicago and ultimately, the Navy allowed the boat to move to Muskegon, Mich., in 1987.
-
YOU KNOW THE CROAKER HAD A SLIGHT LIST LAST YEAR AND I BET THERE IS A LEAK COMING FROM THE WELDED VENTS.A SUB VET TOLD ME THE LIST STARTED IN 2006 AND IS A LITTLE MORE NOW(2007 SUMMER)
Something that gradual would be a pin-hole leak. That's going to be a real fun chore to find. Not sure how you can tell which ballast tank is flooding without all of the gauges being operational. Some soap water around the seal of each vent should show some bubbling, if they are responsible.
-
REGARDING WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT SOAP AROUND THE SEAL OF EACH VENT IS A GOOD IDEA.MAYBE THEY HAVE FIXED IT BY NOW.IF THE NAVY NOTICED IT WOULD THEY NOT JUMP ON THEM FOR THAT?THE BOAT WAS IN FOR SOME WORK BACK IN 2002.
-
I would hope that they corrected it before the Navy got on their backs about it. Last thing that they need is a museum boat capsizing or sinking on them.
-
I know I'm a little late to this party, but I thought I'd share some of the pictures from my overnight stay on the Cobia from last year.
http://s205.photobucket.com/albums/bb93/kikn79/USS_Cobia/
If you follow the links on the left of the page, I tried to catagorize the pictures so you would only have to look at what you're interested in.
Thanks,
Chuck
-
I know I'm a little late to this party, but I thought I'd share some of the pictures from my overnight stay on the Cobia from last year.
http://s205.photobucket.com/albums/bb93/kikn79/USS_Cobia/
If you follow the links on the left of the page, I tried to catagorize the pictures so you would only have to look at what you're interested in.
Thanks,
Chuck
Nice pictures there Chuck, and welcome to the forum!
-
Yes being noobie here...anyway i read this wouldnt the cod be most operable if some hard work was put into her? and i visiited the NINA when it came down the Catoosa river or muskogee river in 2005 nice old ship yes they showed me where the head was........:D
-
My uncle designed and oversaw the construction of the Nina. I got to spend 2 weeks on her.
Silversides has all 4 engines operational. She seems to get a lot of attention from the Navy.
-
its just amazing how that ship was made and how it floats:) good job on it i bet the navys not too happy that the Silversides is that operational
-
They work on it along side the volunteers. If they were unhappy with it, then they would have stopped it long ago.
I think Pampanito is trying to reclassify their boat as a surface vessel and take people on tours of the bay on it. I'd fly out to "gay bay" just for that experience. Get the whole BLHA crew out there and do a photo op.
-
That would be soo awsome its been proven that with alot of volunteers theese ships can be operatable after 70 years :) even the batfish when the muskogee river flooded in 94 she floated too
-
I know of the '86 flood. I didn't know that it happened, again, in '94.
-
I lost track of this thread for a while. You mean I can't put batteries in our MK 27 torpedo and do some work on the war head?
I think that would be one thing that would give the CG night mares. I would have all kinds of nightmares about energizing the Drums main electrical system and the Manuververing cubicle, course that would be an easy way to get rid of the dust bunnies.
Tom
-
We dont need a torpedo running amuck in the golf of mexico that oil spill has already caused havoc xDD and i thaught rick said the flood was in 94 but it was probley in 86 good thing she floated hey wouldnt u think the razorback would be fully operation as she did serve time in the turkish navy and was decomished 10 years ago i think beside the pamponito and silversides razorback would be ur best bet
-
If Pampanito is indeed trying to get registered as a surface vessel and they're running under their own power, then the control cubicle is probably energized and routing the power to the motors. It would be nice if they ever posted on this website.
Obviously, I'm only talking about reactivating propulsion machinery. Launching a live or dud torpedo would create a crap storm of epic proportions.
-
It would deffently bring in the money the question is though lets say they were able to do that then there gonna have alot of navy inspections and u got to wonder in what shape would the engines be in too after 70years mark im not sure if u are aware of this but there is several world war 2 military ships that still go out to this day mostly mine layers and liberty boats and several old transports they go out maney times a year though the pampanito is a sub i imagine theyv made alot of changes to her as far as the englines and the wires and everything as long as they dont submerge im happy becuse the navy would be on there arsh if they even attempted to submerge
-
My guess is that they would have to permanently seal off any vent openings so that they couldn't sink/dive, even if they tried. It would truly have to be a surface craft. I think they could easily find the people willing to pay the money to motor around on a WWII diesel sub.
I was on the John Brown liberty ship when it visited Solomons Island, MD in 2004, I think. I visited the engine room and it was pretty impressive.