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I agree with the posts that wish the USN had saved the Enterprise as a museum. If any ship from WW2 deserved such a fate, she did.

Ships I can recall having visited:

USS New Jersey (after recommissioning prior to leaving for Vietnam)
USS Constellation (the civil war sloop, though at the time they were trying to pass her off as the Yankee Racehorse)
USS Olympia (C-6)
USS Halfbeak (Gato class, i think, as she was being prepared to be sold to Turkey)
USS Nimitz (just after commissioning)
USS North Carolina
USS Pampanito
USS Olympia (SSN ???)
Cutty Sark (not a naval vessel, but truly cool!)

Ok, now you guys are in for some sea stories.

I am a former merchant seaman. (SIU) and in the 70s worked on two WWII vintage ships. The first was the Alex Stevens (Waterman SS lines) an old C4 troop transport/cargo ship. She still had a brig back aft which we used as a paint locker. Sailed on her through the Suez canal to India. That is another story altogether.

The other was the Mohawk. Another C4 but with two houses-one forward and one aft. The Mohawk was a rusty old bitch that had not been modernized. I rode her to Egypt to pick up some grain. That was her last trip before heading to the boneyard and the shipping company refused to put any money into her for upkeep. Three men to a room and the old fashion washing machines with roller type wringers. Really old school. I loved it because you had to learn some seamanship to work a ship like that.

We hit a storm in the Med and it was the worst storm I ever saw. (this is from a guy who mostly sailed on the North Atlantic). That old rust bucket groaned and creaked so bad. I really thought we were not going to make it.

On a trip to Valpriaso Chile, the Chillean navy had a old Brooklyn class cruiser tied up next to us. They let us on board and showed us around. Pretty fine ship. Very close to how she looked after the war. Not much in the way of modern equipment on her.

Don't get me started. I got a lot of sea stories. Some of them are true.

WWII Vintage:

USS North Carolina
USS Yorktown

Modern Warship:

USS Anzio (Ticonderoga Class - CG-68)

The list maybe short, but the memories are long! [:D]

BB New Jersey
BB Missouri
BB Arizaona (Memorial)
CV Intrepid
SS Torsk

I'm the one on the right in the hat [8D]. Not the best picture of me and some family members but the ship looks great!

Yorktown- Patriots Point in Charleston
Laffey - Patriot's Point
the sub and cutter also at Patriot's Point
Arizona memorial
Bowfin
U202??- the one that used to be at the Museum of Science and Technology in Chicago
a Perry class at Navy Pier in Chicago
and I just got back from San Diego and got on the Midway!!! What a ship. Man that flight deck is sure COLD.

I stayed at the Embassy Suites downtown and from my bayview window I could see the Midway, Stennis and Nimitz. My 5 year old son was in seventh heaven. So was his dad[:D]. We got to see the Stennis leave port at 8:00. We got about 15 pics taken through the hotel window. We got a late start that morning.[:D][:D]

Having been on both the Yorktown and Midway I would have to say the Yorktown is a far better tour. But the Midway is far more awesome.

Quark

Sailed on:

USS San Bernardino (LST) To the philippines in '93
USS Beleau Wood (LHA) RIMPAC '90

Visited:

USS Arizona (BB) (memorial)
USS Missouri (BB)
USS Nimitz (CV)
USS Kidd (CL?)
USS Texas (BB)
USS Bowfin (SS)
USS Utah (BB/AG) (memorial)

USS Massachussetts
USS Intrepid
USS Constitution
HMS Victory
HMS Warrior
HMS Belfast
Soviet "Foxtrot" class Submarine
USS Turner Joy
USS Little Rock
USS The Sullivans
USS Texas
Ex East German Missle boat
Gato class sub (cant recall name)

highlight of experience......Visiting the Texas....world's last Dreadnought era battleship (old school Dreadnought)....and slipping up into the formast for a photo shoot. hoo!

future wish list

USS Arizona
HIJMS Mikasa
HMAS Cerebus (turret ship)

USS MS - in Pearl Harbor

A WWII sub in Gand Haven, MI. Drawing a blank on the name. The Boy Scout Troop I was a leader at spend the night there in January. Awesome experience spending the night aboard one of these. The smell, sounds, and touch was wonderful.

A DD in London, do not remeber the name.

The CV in NYC, do not rember that name either.

My name, I can not remeber that either ......[;)]

Served onboard USS Charles F Adams DDG2
Sailed onboard HMCS Skeena & HMS Aurora
Worked onboard USS Albany (CG), USS Saratoga,
USS Canisteo, USS Yosemite & USS Yellowstone to repair some gear on which I was a specialist.

Visited
USS Iowa (while in commission)
USS Alabama
USS North Carolina
USS Yorktown
USS Laffey
USS Constitution
USS Constellation (Sloop)
Both Subs at the Alabama and Yorktown
USS Nebraska (The Boomer- for a tour - in commission)
HMS Victory
HMS Belfast
USS Tattnall
USS Kidd (The modified Spruance for the Shah)

Right now, my winger and I are planning a trip to see the USS Kidd in Baton Rouge, and the USS Texas. May get to do that this fall. And I am waiting to see if the Charlie Deuce winds up being made into a modern museum.

Charles F. Adams DDGs are some of my favorite ships of all time. I think they look like they belong at sea in a battle...

I forgot I've been aboard the WW2 SS at Pearl. Can't remember the name. And the Growler was the sub in the Intrepid memorial I've been on. Also, USS Fulton, last of the ww2 era Sub Tenders. She was based in New London when I lived in the area - my uncle worked at Electric Boat, so I got a tour...

And for whomever it was who said they worked at Phila. Navy Yard - I'm living out in Bryn Mawr and I see that CA all the time. I think she's a Des Moines or Baltimore class. I can never get a good enough view from the I95 bridge without crashing!

Humm... Served onboard:
USS FRANCIS SCOTT KEY SSBN 657
USS KENTUCKY SSBN 737
USS WYOMING SSBN 742 (Chief of the Boat)

Just received orders to USS THE SULLIVANS DDG68 (Command Master Chief)

been onboard commissioned ships:
USS CONSTITUTION
USS TOLEDO SSN-769
USS DALLAS SSN-700
USS CONNECTICUT SSN-22
USS TENNESSEE SSBN-734
USS PENNSYLVANIA SSBN-735
USS WEST VIRGINIA SSBN-736
USS MARYLAND SSBN-738
USS NEBRASKA SSBN-739
USS RHODE ISLAND SSBN-740
USS MAIN SSBN-741
USS LOUISIANNA SSBN-743
USS NIMITZ CVN-68
USS KENNEDY CV-67
USS DEWERT FFG-45
USS CHIEF MCM-14
USS CANOPUS AS-34
USS EMORY S LAND AS-39
USS DIXON AS-37
HMS TRAFALGAR S107
HMS VANGUARD S28
HMS VENGENCE S31
CHERVONA UKRAINA (Soviet SLAVA class cruiser) (positive about the class but not the name)
OKRYLENNY (Soviet SOVREMENNY Class destroyer) (positive about the class but not the name)
BAP ANGAMOS S31 (Peruvian submarine) (German type 209)

Decommissioned ships:
USS NORTH CAROLINA BB-55
USS YORKTOWN CV-10
USS LAFFEY DD-724
USS CALAMAGORE SS-343
USCG INGHAM WHEC-35
U-505

And for whomever it was who said they worked at Phila. Navy Yard - I'm living out in Bryn Mawr and I see that CA all the time. I think she's a Des Moines or Baltimore class. I can never get a good enough view from the I95 bridge without crashing!

That never stopped anyone else I'm always dodging lookers. I like to get behind someone with Jersey plates, they drive real slow, they're not used to big bridges in Jersey.

The WW I DD was moved somewhere else in the yard, they snuck a sub in where it was tied up. I can't find it I'll have take cruise around the base sometime. They've been moving some ships around latley plus quite a few FFG's in yard now. For a closed base there's a lot going on.

I like going over to Kaverner watch em build the new RoRo, you should be able to see that one in the dry dock from the bridge. Have you've been on the BB New Jersey yet.

thanks. i will look into that. is the f8f the bearcat? seen one at an airshow.

when i was at ft hood we went to harlingen (sp?) for the confederate air force everything flies weekend. think it was a labor day. was wandering along south padre island in the early morning and saw a couple of b-25's on the deck parallel to the beach. that was cool.

going on a harbor cruise on uss constitution in july. also get behind the scene tours as part of winning the contest. given that i belong to rocky mountain shipwrights (www.rkymtnshipwrights.org) and we build wooden ship models thsis will be very exciting.

is Rose, the ship in Master and Commander now based at san diego? if so is she open for tours?

Point Luck -
I have not made it to the New Jersey yet. I keep passing her as well - one day I'll get there when I have a free afternoon.

I've seen that Ro-Ro being built - is she for the Pre-Positioning force or a private carrier?

I'd love to walk around the yard there - between the FFG-7s and the Iwo class LPH, all the way to the CA and the DD you're talking about, there's got to be 70 years of naval history in that back anchorage...

Hi, I spent 7 years at sea. USS Fahrion FFG-22 and USS Halyburton FFG-40. ALso I was Assitant Ship Supervisor for Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) for USS Independance and USS Kitty Hawk. I rode on an LST while in Marines (USS Cauyoga COunty I think but I'm not certain.) During the 1st Gulf War I was a passanger onboard the USS Detroit for a while. I've been on the U-boat in Chicago and Deweys flag ship in Philly.

I hate the ocean, sea food and sea gulls. (The smell of fish makes me sick)

Ditto on wanting to see the New Jersey up close.... I live right across the water from her in Old City. Ever since I was a kid I was driving by the Philly yard and dreaming about what those old ships have seen!

Is thr Kraverner yard building those new fast transport ships I keep hearing about?

ORIGINAL: waynec

is Rose, the ship in Master and Commander now based at san diego? if so is she open for tours?

Yes, she is. Here is a link for you about the ship and tours:

HMS Surprise/Rose

The Adams Class DDG bridged the gap between the WW2 and the modern tin cans. It had missiles, guns and ASW weapons(useless sonar but we had them none the less). I spent 3 1/2 years one and we consistently outperformed the other classes including some cruisers. It was a great class but like everything else it just slowly became obsolete.