usnret wrote:
I must say you qualify for the "OLD SALT" merit badge. I remember reading about many of the USS Forrestal accomplishments and when they decommissioned her. My favorite "sea story" had to do with my last tour of duty onboard the USS Biddle CG-34 when the 16 ton rudder fell off out in the Red Sea. Long story short, we had to have a tug-boat take us at 8 knots all 1600 nautical miles to a drydock in Toulon france. At the time our sister ship the USS Wainwright was in drydock in Long Beach CA. so they shipped her 16 ton rudder to us via a cargo plane. I can still hear that gigantic jackhammer pounding away all night and day on the nut that held our new used rudder in place. What was funny about the whole incident was that the skipper wanted to save face by adjusting the rpm of each screw to navigate the canal. That idea didn't work out so well. About half ways up the canal we drifted into the mud much to the amusement of all the on lookers. I still have the cruise book showing a cartoon of the Chief Engineer dragging his toes in the water trying to steer the ship through the canal.
I must say you qualify for the "OLD SALT"... (
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Good story, thanks for sharing.