Pensacola Surprise

P

Papa Bear

Member
Dec 28, 2003
606
0
16
South Alabama
www.route29.com
Mama Bear and I took a trip down to Pensacola today. Coming off of the I-110 bridge into downtown, we see an aircraft carrier in the port! I hadn't seen one there since the USS Lexington was temporarily berthed there years ago. Turns out this is the USS Oriskany. It is going to be sunk and used as a fishing reef. :(
 

Attachments

  • MVC-001F.jpg
    MVC-001F.jpg
    57.7 KB · Views: 23
I know progress dictates as to what gets preserved or used and which others go the way of the Dodo bird, but at least this one will serve some purpose and hopefully aslo gives scuba divers some interest. With this all said and done it must have an effect on all those who have served in her and should bring a tear or two as is old gal goes to her demise.
 
Disheartening when you see that. Yeah, progress and all that, but still if you think of the billions of dollars building and maintaining that and the sweat of many a seaman, only to be used as an artificial reef, then you find that they're going to spend billions more to replace it. :cry:What a pity...:confused:
 
Disheartening when you see that. Yeah, progress and all that, but still if you think of the billions of dollars building and maintaining that and the sweat of many a seaman, only to be used as an artificial reef, then you find that they're going to spend billions more to replace it. What a pity...
Click to expand...

After the years of stress of being underway at sea, even the best of steel begins to wear out. Constant paint removal and replacement, in and out of drydock, all of it wears the hull down. I'm somewhat surprised that the Enterprise is still steaming, she's been around a long time! Then, sometimes it becomes cheaper, in the long run, to build new, instead of "modernizing" the old. The destroyer I first served in was twenty years in service, she was approaching fifty when she was towed out, and made into a bomb target. There wasn't much left in her when they towed her out, now she's a safe place for smaller fish. A more fitting end than, say, disposable razor blades!
It is a sobering thought that the wooden hulled "U.S.S.Constitution", is still in commission, while most of the steel hulled warships, since, are gone.
 
Yeah Pete, I hear what you're saying, but there is still some nostalgia regarding a ship like that. It looks like most everything of value that could be removed, has been, probably sold for scrap, but one has to wonder is this the most fitting end to something that great that has served her country so well. It would almost be better that she be dismantled and her many tons of iron be use to create her replacement.
 
Comparing the Constitution to the Oriskany is a bit unfair. The Constitution is an historical artifact, and as such, is meticulously maintained by a trust. They don't even try to get her to move by her own power. I saw the Constitution get towed out into Boston Harbor once - a glorious sight to be sure, but I don't think they'll even do that anymore. Even the towing created too much stress on the ship's hull.

If you're ever in Boston though, the Constitution is a must see.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom