| Submit your comments on this article | |
| Home Front: WoT | |
| Navy to return early tomorrow to dislodge USS Port Royal | |
| 2009-02-09 | |
The Navy plans to remove the ship's anchor and the chains, which will lighten the ship by about 40 tons and remove the 800-tons of sea water that is inside the hull to stabilize the ship, said Rear Adm. Joe Walsh, deputy commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. If none of these actions work to dislodge the ship, the Navy will consider dredging a channel behind the boat to help unloosen it. When the Navy tried to dislodge the ship earlier this morning, it used a salvage ship, the USNS Salvor (T-ARS-52), a motor vessel the Dove and four Navy and three commercial tugboats tried to remove the ship during high tide. "Although we had more horsepower, we were unable to pull the ship free," Walsh said. "We were only able to pivot the ship about 20 degrees. "Our priorities have been and remain the safety of the crew, the safety of the ship and the safety of the environment. There have been no injuries associated with the grounding or our recovery efforts." The larger tugboats and tow vessels used this morning provided more pulling power to nudge the 9,600 ton, 567-foot-long ship off the sandy and rocky bottom, but that wasn't enough. This morning the Navy began their redoubled effort at 1:30 a.m., but the ship remained aground after four hours of towing. The Navy's assessing its options on how to proceed. The Navy is investigating the cause of the grounding and would not discuss any details of their investigation. The cost of removing the ship has not been determined yet, Walsh said. Previous attempts on Friday and Saturday morning to refloat the ship were unsuccessful. Prior to yesterday's attempt, the Navy planned to remove fuel from the ship, but heaving seas prevented that from happening as the barge and ship were roiling into each other. The ship's hull is structurally sound and there has not been any fuel leaks or spills. "We are working closely with both the U.S. Coast Guard and the state of Hawai'i to ensure all precautions are being taken should a release of fuel occur," Walsh said. "If we're unsuccessful tomorrow morning, we'll further lighten the ship." | |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #12 Grounding = End of career. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2009-02-09 22:53 |
| #11 Glad to see it off, but I feel for that poor ship's captain. His career isn't just over, it's DEAD. He won't even be invited to reunions. I'd be willing to bet that the XO and Navigator are toast as well...and assuming the Navigator billet's a LCDR or senior LT, he probably doesn't have his 20 years in, either. |
| Posted by: Ricky bin Ricardo (Abu Babaloo) 2009-02-09 22:48 |
| #10 Not the US Navies finest hour. |
| Posted by: Bright Pebbles the flatulent 2009-02-09 18:53 |
| #9 Is it appropriate to recite a few verses of the "Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner" for our dear departed career officer? |
| Posted by: James Carville 2009-02-09 18:18 |
| #8 Glad to see it off, but I feel for that poor ship's captain. His career isn't just over, it's DEAD. He won't even be invited to reunions. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2009-02-09 17:15 |
| #7 She's off... PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (AP) — The Navy on Monday freed the $1 billion guided missile cruiser that had been stuck for more than three days since it ran aground close to the coast of Honolulu. The USS Port Royal was pulled off a rock and sand shoal at around 2 a.m. after crews removed about 500 tons of water and 100 tons of anchors and other equipment to lighten the vessel, the Navy said in a statement. The removal by a salvage ship and seven tug boats took about 40 minutes. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2009-02-09 16:17 |
| #6 ...unloosen it. Who wrote this, a three year old? |
| Posted by: Parabellum 2009-02-09 15:57 |
| #5 This wouldn't be happening if The One had not stopped the rise of the oceans. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2009-02-09 14:07 |
| #4 Thing, I'm guessing that's ballast not bilge. |
| Posted by: Hellfish 2009-02-09 12:31 |
| #3 sounds like it's time for someone too retire, wonder if they will take this out of his pension |
| Posted by: rabid whitetail 2009-02-09 09:39 |
| #2 "The ships' Captain is now being flogged around the fleet'." |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2009-02-09 09:13 |
| #1 The Navy plans to remove the ship's anchor and the chains, which will lighten the ship by about 40 tons and remove the 800-tons of sea water that is inside the hull to stabilize the ship, I thought keeping the pumps running would have been standard procedure? |
| Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain 2009-02-09 01:18 |