Cobia Comes To Town

It is not every day a submarine comes to Sturgeon Bay.

Towed the USS Cobia (SS-245), a World War II-era submarine and National Historic Landmark 55 nautical miles from Manitowoc to Sturgeon Bay.  Three decades have passed since her last check-up; she was towed by tugs Nickelena and Erika Kobasic of Basic Marine.   Basic Marine Incorporated is a sister company of North Shore Marine Terminal and Logistics Incorporated of Escanaba, Michigan. 

 

The Cobia will be in dry dock at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin for a routine inspection and 4 to 6 week restoration process.

 

Stay-tuned for updates and more on the history of the Cobia... 

Destination Still Unknown

Recent travel to visit with family found us in Mobile Alabama for a week with an opportunity to become temporary Mobilians and soak-up the history, food and ambiance of this coastal city.  A boat ride of the delta estuary provided an opportunity to take-in the waterfront, port facilities and Austal Shipyard up-close and personal.  Including this:

The SS United States is one of the most iconic ocean liners in American history.  Designed during World War II and launched in the early 1950s, the ship represented American technological prowess and style. 

The genesis for this ship began in the 1930s with naval architect William Francis Gibbs.  He envisioned a fast, fireproof, and militarily convertible ocean liner that would showcase American maritime innovation. During World War II, seventy percent of all naval vessels were built to Gibbs and Cox designs. This included everything from Liberty ships, to destroyers, escort carriers and amphibious assault vessels. This contribution to the war effort strengthened his reputation and bolstered support for his ambitious passenger liner.

In 1950, the U.S. government—through the Maritime Commission—partnered with United States Lines to co-finance the construction of the ship with the understanding that it could be used as a troop carrier in wartime.  The government contributed $50 million and the United States Lines contributed $28 million; adjusted for inflation - $928 million in today's dollars.  Construction began at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Virginia. The ship featured extensive use of aluminum and fireproof materials making her both lightweight and safe. She was designed to carry almost 2,000 passengers in luxury and over 15,000 troops in an emergency.

The SS United States was launched on June 23, 1951, and entered service on July 3, 1952.  Her maiden voyage was a stunning success; shattering the transatlantic speed record crossing the Atlantic in 3 days, 10 hours, and 40 minutes—earning the coveted Blue Riband.  Her return voyage was even faster.

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, she was considered the epitome of American luxury and efficiency at sea. She hosted presidents, celebrities, business magnates, and immigrants.  Notable passengers included Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy, Salvador Dalí, Marilyn Monroe, and Marlon Brando.  Her speed, safety, and understated elegance set her apart from rivals.

Original Place Setting

With the arrival of commercial jet travel in the late 1950s and early 1960s demand for transatlantic sea travel declined.  By the late 1960s, operating costs became unsustainable and the the SS United States was withdrawn from service in November 1969 after just 17 years in operation.

Following decommissioning the ship was laid up in Virginia and later moved to Norfolk.  Over time her furnishings and fittings were sold off.  Multiple attempts to repurpose or redevelop the vessel occurred over the next few decades, including proposals for use as a hotel, museum, or cruise ship.  None succeeded.

In 1996 she was towed to Pier 82 in Philadelphia where she would remain for nearly three decades. Although neglected her hull and superstructure remained intact thanks to her robust construction.

In 2011, the SS United States Conservancy, a nonprofit organization, purchased the ship to prevent her from being scrapped.  With the help of a $5.8 million donation from philanthropist H.F. "Gerry" Lenfest, the group maintained the ship while seeking a permanent home and redevelopment plan.

Over the next decade several high-profile plans came and went including a luxury hotel conversion and a floating museum complex. Despite public support and creative proposals no financially viable solution materialized.  By 2024, with mounting maintenance costs and no berth in Philadelphia, the Conservancy was forced to vacate. 

Earlier this year the SS United States was towed to Mobile, Alabama, for additional environmental remediation.  Okaloosa County, Florida, had purchased the ship with the intent of sinking her offshore as the world's largest artificial reef.  This plan envisioned a new life for the ship as a haven for marine life and divers.

Nevertheless, preservationists launched a legal and public relations campaign to stop the plan. The New York Coalition, including investors and historic preservationists, sought to bring the ship to New York Harbor as a floating museum, hotel, and event space.  Lawsuits were filed under the National Historic Preservation Act and appeals were made to political figures to intervene.

As of the publication of this post the ship's fate remains uncertain.  Environmental cleanup is ongoing with a scuttling date projected for late 2025 unless legal efforts succeed in halting the plan.

Whatever the outcome SS United States leaves a legacy of accomplishment. She is a symbol of American postwar confidence, innovation, and elegance.  She still holds the transatlantic speed record and remains a touchstone of maritime history through her design innovations, cultural impact and the passionate efforts of those determined to preserve her memory.

 

 

Fast Facts: 

• Length: 990 feet (301.8 m) - necessary to transit the Panama Canal 
• Beam (width): 101 feet (30.8 m)  
• Tonnage: ~53,330 gross tons  
• Top speed: Over 38 knots (44 mph / 70 km/h) – still the fastest ocean liner ever built  
• Passenger capacity: ~1,928 passengers  
• Crew: ~900  
• Propulsion: Steam turbines, 240,000 shaft horsepower  
• Material: Extensive use of aluminum to reduce weight  
• Nickname: "The Big U"

Warrior Ethos

Recent travel to visit with family found us in Mobile Alabama for a week with an opportunity to become temporary Mobilians and soak-up the history, food and ambiance of this coastal city.  A boat ride of the delta estuary provided an opportunity to take-in the waterfront, port facilities and Austal Shipyard up-close and personal; including these vessels in the shipyard for routine scheduled maintenance.

The USNS Medgar Evers (T-AKE-13) is a Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo and ammunition ship of the United States Navy.

USNS Medgar Evers

USNS ships, also known as United States Naval Ships, are owned by the U.S. Navy.  However, they are operated by the Military Sealift Command (MSC) with civilian crews. While these ships are civilian-manned, some may also have a small military complement for specific functions

Several US Navy vessels have been named after civil rights activists, and some of these names are currently under review for potential renaming. Ships like the USNS Harvey Milk, USNS John Lewis, USNS Thurgood Marshall, USNS Ruth Bader Ginsburg, USNS Medgar Evers and USNS Harriet Tubman are among those being considered for name changes. 

The John Lewis-class of oilers are designed to refuel and resupply other Navy ships at sea and are specifically named after prominent civil rights leaders.  The proposed name changes are part of efforts by the Trump Administration to expunge what they believe are prior diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives within the military.  

USNS Harvey Milk (T-AO-206) is the second of the John Lewis-class of underway replenishment oilers, operated by the Military Sealift Command.

USNS Harvey Milk

The potential renaming of these ships has sparked controversy; some of these assets have been deployed for five to fifteen years with sailors and members of the public viewing this as a symbolic erasure of the contributions of these individuals to American history and civil rights. 

Moreover, renaming a ship can be fraught. In naval tradition this practice is widely considered bad luck.  This stems from the belief that a ship has an identity and spirit, which renaming can anger or confuse. This superstition is rooted in ancient Greek mythology, where Poseidon, the god of the sea, was thought to keep a record of all ship names in his "Ledger of the Deep". Changing a ship's name was seen as disrespecting the sea gods and risking their wrath and incurring possible misfortune at sea. 

In further back-and-forth developments Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth insisted just this past Wednesday that military veterans and active-duty troops urged the Trump administration to rename American military bases after Confederate traitors who took up arms against the government to defend the enslavement of Black people — a move the secretary claims is “important for morale.”

In his testimony to the Senate Armed Services committee, Hegseth defended the president’s decision to restore the names of several military bases in the South that were first named in honor of Confederate generals, despite Congress mandating their removal five years ago. 

Time will tell where this all ends-up.  Seems the MAGA movement itself has embraced its own version of Political Correctness and Woke.  

Drama, reality television theatrics and a waste of resources.  Jeesus; anybody else been to this rodeo before?

Still waiting for measurable improvement in your and my prosperity and general lot in life.  And maybe make the world a safer place.  Good thing I am a patient sort.....

Martime Trivia

Photo Credit: Great Lakes Marine Collection of the Milwaukee Public Library and Wisconsin Marine Historical Society

I have blogged about this tid-bit before.

On this day in history; April 16, 1944, Kewaunee Shipbuilding and Engineering Corporation launched a small coastal freighter at its yard in Kewaunee, Wisconsin. 

Built for the Army Transportation Corps, she was originally designated FP-344, but that was later changed to FS-344. In 1966 FS-344 was transferred to the Navy and renamed USS PUEBLO. 

At the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard she was crammed with sophisticated electronic gear and converted to an Auxiliary General Environmental Research (AGER) vessel – a class recognized by few naval officers. PUEBLO (AGER-2) was a signals intelligence collector – a spy ship. Jointly operated by the National Security Agency and Naval Intelligence, she carried a crew of 83, 30 of which were communication technicians.

Big Orange Taxi

The Staten Island Ferry, one of the last operating ferry systems in New York, transported people between Manhattan and its surrounding boroughs long before bridges were introduced. Since 1817 to be exact.

1895

Nowadays, the Staten Island Ferry provides almost 22 million people with ferry service annually: taking almost 70,000 passengers daily between St George on Staten Island and Whitehall Street in Manhattan. 

The ferry is the only non-vehicular mode of transport between Staten Island and Manhattan. The New York City Department of Transportation is responsible for the maintenance of the ten-vessel fleet along with numerous facilities including the St George and Whitehall terminals in Staten Island and Manhattan respectively, the City Island and Hart Island facilities, and the Battery Maritime Building including all floating dock equipment.

The Staten Island Ferry is run for one simple reason, to provide transportation for those who need it. However, the Staten Island Ferry offers so much more, including a scenic view of the New York Harbor and a no-hassle way to view the city, for free! 

During the 25-minute ride, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island are visible from on deck. The skyscrapers and bridges of lower Manhattan are there to see you off as you depart and welcome you back as you return. The weekday schedule of the Staten Island Ferry employs four boats that make a total of 117 trips a day - or about 40,404 trips year-round.

Between rush hours, the boats are refueled and maintained to ensure safe travel for all its passengers, terminals are routinely cleaned and maintained as well during the day shift. Weekends feature a similar schedule, employing three boats and only 96 trips daily compared to the frenzy of activity required during the workweek. In the post-9/11 world, passenger cars are no longer authorized to ride the ferry.

About twenty years ago I happened to be in Sturgeon Bay and was witness to a big, orange Staten Island Ferry cruising east in the direct of the ship canal.  Having completed its sea trials it was heading out for travel thru the seaway for delivery the the New York Department of Transportation.  I cannot recall which one it was but it was constructed and launched here in northeast Wisconsin.

We've been to new York many times of the years for business and travel.  Until this recent trip with the family I have never ridden the ferry.  About time to scratch that itch.

Since 1902, Fincantieri Marine Group has been designing and constructing some of the world's most advanced marine vessels ranging from small passenger ferries to large cargo ferries.  

Return Trip On The Spirit Of America

There are ten ferries in the current fleet and three were born and launched here: Guy V. Molinari, John J.Marchi and Spirit of America.  The keel of the Spirit was built with steel from the Trade Center Towers.  The vessel honors the spirit and unity of America following the attacks and the memory of all who were killed and the Civil Servants who perished trying to save them.

You can learn more here.

photo - Fincantieri Marine Group

 

 

Weight Lifter

Photo - Door County Sail and Power Squadron

 

Meet the Happy River.  She is one of four sister ships: Happy Rover, Happy Ranger and Sailer Jupiter. 

The Happy River is a heavy lift vessel and as a consequence can carry forest products, general cargo, containers, heavy manufactured items and other "mammoth" projects. It was built in 1997 by Merwede of the Netherlands and is operated by Mammoet Shipping. This ship is delivering custom LNG tanks from Spain.  

Photo - Door County Sail and Power Squadron

Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding is partnering with Crowley Maritime Corporation (Shell) on the largest LNG (liquefied natural gas) bunkering barge ever constructed in the United States. Inasmuch as the shipyard gantry crane hasn't the lift capacity; the Dutch vessel is going to shift these tanks into the barge for installation at Bay Ship in Sturgeon Bay.

 

You can learn more about this project here.

 

Sturgeon Bay shipbuilding rocks!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Big Wooden Boat Retires

The third USS Ardent (MCM-12) is an Avenger-class mine countermeasures ship in the United States Navy. The Ardent’s homeport is San Diego, California and is part of the US 3rd Fleet.

She was built by Peterson Shipbuilders, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. Her keel laid down on October 22, 1990, launched on November 16, 1991 and subsequently commissioned February 18, 1994. To reduce her magnetic signature Ardent was constructed with a unique glass-reinforced, plastic-sheathed wooden hull.  The Avenger-class MCM ships built by Peterson revived wooden-hulled ship construction for the modern US Navy.  Her maiden voyage from Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin commenced on October 30, 1993 with a transit through the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway.

Following arrival at her homeport of Ingleside, Texas on December 15, 1993 - Ardent was forward deployed to the Persian Gulf in March 1996. She was transported to the Gulf via commercial heavy-lift vessel Sea Swift in order to prolong the engine life of the ship and reduce her transit time from 60 days (under her own power) to 30 days. The crew was flown from Ingleside to join the ship in late March. 

US Navy

Working from Manama, Bahrain she participated in anti-mine, anti-submarine and maritime security operations independently and in cooperation with multi-national partners. This eventually became her permanent homeport. 

November 3, 2013 Ardent departed Khalifa Bin Salman Port, Bahrain, after being loaded aboard commercial heavy-lift vessel M/V Eide Transporter to be returned to her new homeport of San Diego, California.  

While stationed in the gulf - Ardent’s mission was to clear the ocean bottom and water volume of anti-ship mines. A combination of stealth, endurance, and the latest mine countermeasures technology allowed Ardent to conduct sustained, full-spectrum, mine countermeasures operations in one of the world’s critical maritime regions. 

US Navy

Specific advantages and capabilities included the ship’s low magnetic signature diesel engines, a degaussing system and wooden hull, which reduce the ship’s vulnerability to magnetic-influence mines.  

A precise navigation system and high frequency sonar allowed Ardent to locate, plot, classify and report suspected mines with great accuracy.   

Three minesweeping systems (mechanical, acoustic, magnetic) were used to destroy mines.  Two rigid hulled inflatable boats are used to carry divers and mark suspected mines; and a remotely controlled mine neutralization system used to identify suspected mines and destroy them with explosive charges. 

A product of intense research and unique construction, Ardent played a vital role in the Middle East to maintain uninterrupted access to one of the world’s strategic waterways. 

Ardent is 224 feet in length, has a beam of 39 feet and displaces approximately 1,320 tons fully loaded. The ship is crewed by six officers and 76 enlisted personnel. 

Ardent held a decommissioning ceremony at Naval Base San Diego on August 17 and will be officially decommissioned on 27th of this month.  

US Navy

You can review the chronology of Ardent's active duty here.  

Thank you to the ship and crews of the Ardent for your service.  

- Factual content - Navy.mil

Door By Air

Yesterday morning we met-up with my cousin at Cherryland Airport  who flew over from Shawano.  We had a nice tour of the peninsula by air followed by Sunday brunch at Hot Tamales in Sturgeon Bay.

Our ride - Cirrus SR20 - piston-engine, four- or five-seat composite monoplane built by Cirrus Aircraft of Duluth, Minnesota

Approaching Death's Door

Washington Island Ferry

Cana Island - 1869 lighthouse remains in continuous use 

Ship Canal, Coast Guard Station (bottom), Range Lights, Sturgeon Bay (top)

Following the four lane to the farm 

House (left edge middle), the 'burned' acreage immediately adjacent, forested component extends thru the middle and ends at the corn field (middle-right).

Should have built a larger shed
 

Big pond (lower right) is surrounded by what we burned the first week of May.  North boundary is at the upper third of the photo

 Fincantieri S.p.A. is an Italian shipbuilding company based in Trieste, Italy. Already the largest shipbuilder in Europe,

Tracing its history back to 1918, and located in Sturgeon Bay, WI, Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding (FBS) is an industry leader in the construction and repair of large ships.

 

New Ferry On Deck

In local maritime news it was announced last week that the fifth and largest Washington Island Ferry will be built in Door County.    

Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding of Sturgeon Bay will construct the vessel - named Madonna - making it the company's third ferry for Washington Island.     

All current ferry vessels were built in Sturgeon Bay – two by Peterson Builders and this will be our third here at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding. Our past work is indicative of the quality and attention to detail the Ferry Line and all of our customers have come to expect from our seasoned workforce. This contract will add to the steady work relied upon by the hundreds of women and men we employ from across the region, said Fincantieri's vice president and general manager, Todd Thayse.  

Fincantieri Shipbuilding

 

The new ferry will be 124 feet long, capable of hauling up to 28 vehicles and 150 passengers.  Amenities will include outdoor, upper-deck seating and an enclosed indoor cabin with two restrooms.  Designed for year-round sailing the boat will also be capable of busting ice.  

Learn more here.

Remarkable Recovery

photo - US Navy

 

USS Salvor (ARS-52) is the third of the Safeguard-class of salvage ships.  Constructed by Peterson Builders of Sturgeon Bay Wisconsin Salvor was launched on July 28th of 1984 and commissioned on June 14th of 1986.  Salvor was decommissioned in 2007 and redesignated as USNS Salvor (T-ARS 52) upon transfer to the Military Sealift Command. 

Salvor now has a civilian crew as well as a small contingent of US Navy personnel.   This sturdy ship is designed for salvage operations anywhere in the world.  The boat sports a hull strengthened for busting thru ice, has twin shaft propellers powered by four Caterpillar 388 diesel engines and a bow thruster for greater maneuverability.  Salvor’s mission capabilities include salvage, recovery, diving, towing, mine laying and recovery, off-shore firefighting, heavy lift operations and security functions. 

In 1992 Salvor set the world's record for open ocean recovery by retrieving a helicopter off of Wake Island from a depth of 17,251 feet.   Earlier this year Salvor engaged in the recovery of both an airplane and the remains of a US pilot shot down over the Pacific during WWII near Ngerekebesang Island in the Republic of Palau. Seventy years since the crash Salvor’s civilian crew along with members of the US military completed this amazing mission on February 25, 2018.

You can read the entire story here.
  
  

PC 1262

Our local paper - The Door County Advocate - runs a Traveling Back column featuring headline news and events of the past 150 years of publication history.  Last week included this tidbit: 

75 years ago - April 2, 1943 – Lucille Oldenburg, a second shift welder, won the drawing among the 306 women employed at Leathem D. Smith Shipbuilding Co. and swung the bottle to launch the PC 1262, the 16th in a series of Navy boats of its class.

PC – Patrol Craft Coastal – the ship in the article was a member of the PC-461 class of 343 submarine chasers constructed from 1941-1944 namely for the US Navy and the Lend Lease Program.  Hull number 1262 was laid down January 21, 1943 by Leathem D. Smith Shipbuilding of Sturgeon Bay and was launched March 27, 1943.  Following her commissioning on June 29, 1943 the ship was assigned to the European theater of operations and participated in the invasion of Normandy earning one battle star for its World War II service.   Following the cessation of hostilities it was utilized as a Naval Reserve training vessel and was subsequently decommissioned in May of 1954 and given to Taiwan (Republic of China) and christened Chung Kiang (PC 115). 

 

 

The ship was finally decommissioned in 1970 and scrapped in 1974. 

This was not a very large vessel by oceangoing standards.  At less than 174 feet in length it had a beam of 23 feet and a draft of less than 11 feet. Two 1,440bhp Fairbanks Morse diesel engines drove twin screws giving the boat a top speed of 20+ knots (23 MPH).  The crew numbered 65 and armament included one 3 inch gun, one 40mm gun, five 20mm guns, two depth charge projectors, two depth charge tracks, and two rocket launchers.   

Some useful factoids:

Sister ship USS PC-1261 was also a supporting participant in the D-Day landings and was struck by shellfire from German shore batteries becoming the first ship sunk during the landing operations of June 6, 1944. 

Another member of this class - the USS PC-1264 - was one of only two ships in the Navy during World War II that had a mostly African-American crew.

 

photos - Navsource

 



That’s likely more than you wanted to know but it’s a fun story nonetheless because the cast of characters includes someone playing the role of Rosie the Riveter, D-Day, segregation in the US military and a journey from Sturgeon Bay to Taiwan and the scrapyard.

A Wisconsin Connection

 

click on image to enlarge

 

Last week marked the 50^th anniversary of the attack-upon, boarding and seizure of the USS Pueblo  on January 23rd 1968.  The Pueblo is still held by North Korea and is moored in Pyongyang.  What I did not know until last weekend is that the vessel was built by the Kewaunee Shipbuilding and Engineering Company in Kewaunee, Wisconsin.  Launched in 1944 as a US Army Freight and Passenger ship (FP-344) the Army later redesignated the FP vessels as Freight and Supply - changing the designation to FS-344.  The ship was operated by the Coast Guard on the gulf coast for training civilians for the Army.  Heretofore I did not know the USCG operated ships for the army.  You learn something new every day.  FS-344 was mothballed in 1954. 

In 1966 FS-344 was transferred to the US Navy and christened as the USS Pueblo (AKL-44) after Pueblo and Pueblo County, Colorado.  After serving as a light cargo ship Pueblo was converted to an intelligence gathering ship, or what is colloquially known as a spy ship and redesignated AGER-2 in 1967. 

Pueblo is still considered to be commissioned by the United States Navy and remains the second-oldest commissioned ship in the U.S. Navy, behind USS Constitution. Pueblo is one of only a few American ships to have been captured since the Barbary war in 1800.

After fifty long years I've learned ship load of history for a small ship with a Wisconsin connection. 

Go figure....