Author Topic: Bow/stern tube doors  (Read 14838 times)

Offline Jim

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Bow/stern tube doors
« on: February 12, 2013, 07:15:59 PM »
First post and just asking: Is there a reason the Batfish has its stern and bow so deep in the dirt?  Does she "sink" as the weather/ground gets wet?  Haven't seen any activity on this board on her refit work in quite a while.  Who is a good contact person to help with external work?  Also, the official site has very little details on the work being done.  It would be nice to see a resto page similar to what Tom and the Drum have.
« Last Edit: February 12, 2013, 07:18:13 PM by Blackwing »

Offline Mark Sarsfield

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Re: Bow/stern tube doors
« Reply #1 on: February 13, 2013, 05:42:29 PM »
That is a result of silt building up around the boat and erosion.  Batfish has been through several floods.  The last time that she was afloat was during the 1986 flood.  She is currently at a 1 deg. list to starboard, because of the strong river current during the flood and also probably due to uneven ground.

We usually post updated pics here in the Batfish forum, but we got most of the main deck finished last May (it took us four years with limited volunteer help to do this) and since then, many of the volunteers have decided to take a hiatus from doing work on the boat.  Some forward hatches and the bridge still need to be re-decked, the interior needs  a fresh coat of paint, and we're also looking into running fresh water onto the boat into specific areas, like the galley and crew's head.  We've also done some work on lighting and the internal communication (phone and bell ringer) system.

Regards,
Mark Sarsfield
USS Batfish reenactor



"If you have one bucket that can hold 5 gallons and one bucket that can hold 2 gallons, how many buckets do you have?" - IQ test from Idiocracy

Offline Jim

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Re: Bow/stern tube doors
« Reply #2 on: February 13, 2013, 06:45:57 PM »
Can the bow and stern be dug free enough to expose the tube door areas for "mocked in" covers to be added?  A backhoe and a tracked bobcat could make quick work of that....Then either feather the ground back or build a cofferdam/retaining wall around the ends?

Offline Mark Sarsfield

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Re: Bow/stern tube doors
« Reply #3 on: February 14, 2013, 11:11:39 AM »
That's on our to-do list.  I think Rick is trying to get grant money to fabricate shutter doors.  Those areas will also need to be scraped, sanded, and painted before the shutters are installed.

Regards,
Mark Sarsfield
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"If you have one bucket that can hold 5 gallons and one bucket that can hold 2 gallons, how many buckets do you have?" - IQ test from Idiocracy

Offline Tom Bowser

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Re: Bow/stern tube doors
« Reply #4 on: February 15, 2013, 06:54:39 PM »
Do you have the shutter doors on the bow? I think some of the boats had the stern doors removed. Look and see if the tracks are still there for the rollars. Out starboard doors are on the bottom in the bay and some divers think they may have found them. We will try and recover them some day and rebuild them. We had a ball rebuild out port doors.
Tom

Offline Jim

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Re: Bow/stern tube doors
« Reply #5 on: February 15, 2013, 08:17:24 PM »
From the pictures I have seen, all the tracks ARE there. I will know more tomorrow as I will be on-site and be taking detailed pictures of the areas (the whole boat).  I also have copies of the original blueprint shutter details and BOM's that are applicable to the 310 boat.  The shutter structures will be fairly easy to reproduce.  The real trouble is the external contouring (as I am SURE, Tom, you are aware).  I would suggest changes to the vertical and horizontal rollers though, since we are above the waterline.  I would change to sealed roller bearings so if the control system is every rebuilt (or possible functions), they would be able to open the tubes and shutters with less friction.  Batfish being shutterless has bugged me for over 20 years now.  I guess it is time to put up or.......

2nd Edit....Once the tube/shutter areas are repaired I would spray the whole internal area with smooth flat black Line-X.  That area would then last "forever" and not need to be retouched.

My approach to this is the same as when I helped work on the B-24 Diamond Lil when it was at Midland before Gary passed (sorry, I am also a big warbird nut but Middland is a long way off).  "Old" planes(boats) that are being used to educate the general low information populace don't have to be everything "exactly" as it was.  There is Preservation - preserve what is there if you can, Restoration - fix with parts that you can find, and Interpretation - make a replacement with the "spirit" of the part but practical for the new role that it plays. An example on Batfish since we are land locked, won't take on seawater and have a rear gangway is, bring a water line under the gang, under the turtle and poke a hole "tastefully" through the pressure hull (all unseen from the deck), put in a bulkhead fitting to bring in fresh water.  Tie in to the existing internal water systems (I know I have over-simplified that chain of events).  I know a lot of people gasp at this!  Why?  The boat is not going anywhere, it now has a functioning water system.  Visitors will be amazed at the running water system and won't have a clue how you made it work. I mean really, the Boat has doors and stairs to get in and they are appropriate to the "spirit" of its current mission.  Overnight stays (do they have those on Batfish? - I don't know) would be even better if they could do the same with a flushing head.  Use an industrial style sewage lift pump etc.  Batfish should be a living, working history museum not a masoleum.

Just my thoughts....

Edit: borrowed the pic from the USSBatfish.com sight for reference.
« Last Edit: February 16, 2013, 12:09:37 PM by Blackwing »

Offline Mark Sarsfield

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Re: Bow/stern tube doors
« Reply #6 on: February 18, 2013, 11:56:58 AM »
A lot of us agree with those sentiments, Jim.  We are thinking of a crawl, walk, run approach with the plumbing (waste water ,specifically).  At a minimum we want to be able to have running water and gray water storage/disposal.  If we go the "black water" route, it will be more of a "yellow water".  None of us savor the idea of a crew member, volunteer, or guest dropping a deuce in one of those toilets and stinking up the boat.  There is no ventilation system to get the odor top-side.  The A/C blower unit will just suck it through the whole boat.  Once word gets out that the Batfish smells like a sewer pipe (once more), that will kill visitor numbers for sure.

Something that has to happen in parallel with the plumbing effort is to add about 4 more dedicated power lines to the boat to handle proposed audio/visual displays in each compartment (plus sound effects), on-demand water heaters, getting the grills/ovens working, again, put some small modern reefers in cold storage, etc.

All of these additions would greatly enhance visiting the Batfish, as well as work days and event weekends.  We have no problem adding something modern in places that people can't see it in order to accomplish this.  As you said in another post, Rick is working on a beer budget and a lot of the stuff that gets worked on or added to the boat (like the two original fans in FTR and the ward room) are donated by the volunteers.  Thankfully, the City of Muskogee has been awarding grants to the park. So, we're moving in the right direction toward a new museum facility.

Regards,
Mark Sarsfield
USS Batfish reenactor



"If you have one bucket that can hold 5 gallons and one bucket that can hold 2 gallons, how many buckets do you have?" - IQ test from Idiocracy

Offline Jim

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Re: Bow/stern tube doors
« Reply #7 on: February 18, 2013, 12:16:19 PM »
Hmmmmm....the BATFISH grill?  That would certainly be a lunch you could sell to the general public.  No where else on the planet could you get a lunch made and served on the boat.  Naaaah.  That would be a logistical nightmare but it would be original and "sell-able".  Yellow water is more what I had in mind.  Deuce in the boat....I actually LOLed when I read that.

Offline Mark Sarsfield

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Re: Bow/stern tube doors
« Reply #8 on: February 18, 2013, 03:27:50 PM »
We would all need food handling licenses, health dept. licenses, constantly cleaning up spilled messes, etc.  No thanks.  They can watch us eat.  Muskogee is a few minutes away if a guest gets hungry.

Regards,
Mark Sarsfield
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"If you have one bucket that can hold 5 gallons and one bucket that can hold 2 gallons, how many buckets do you have?" - IQ test from Idiocracy

Offline Darrin

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Re: Bow/stern tube doors
« Reply #9 on: February 18, 2013, 06:35:00 PM »
Don't forget that you would have to also approach the Navy and let them know that you have brought your stoves, ovens and deep fryers back online and will have to show that you can remove the power from them when the volunteers/staff isn't onboard so that a wandering tourista doesn't turn them on and burn themselves or the boat down

Darrin