Submarine tour of the Titanic goes missing

[miguel]

My sub was designed for 100 dive/surfaces.

I was onboard as we exceeded it, and we just kept going after that.
As long as the "goes up" equals the "goes down", then you're okay.

So, how many voyages/trips do you have to make to get to 100 dives/surfaces? 50 or less?

And are they "supposed" to retire the ship after that? No wonder the USA is broke.

 

[actaeon277]

So, how many voyages/trips do you have to make to get to 100 dives/surfaces? 50 or less?

And are they "supposed" to retire the ship after that? No wonder the USA is broke.

My mistake.
1,000 "dive cycles".

The sub had a design life of 30 years.
It was within the last 3 they exceeded it.
Probably because we were designed as a "boomer" and boomers aren't supposed to be cycling.
But in the 80s, due to SALT II treaty, they took the ICBMs off, and modified us.
And then we "cycled" a BUNCH .


Also, in 30 years, they refueled once.
And we were not quite, but approaching" the end of core life on our second core.
Once again, because we were moving around doing stuff at a higher rate than it was conceived of initially.

Since all criteria were built around the 30 year life, with a safety margin, extending beyond 30 was "cost ineffective".
Cheaper to modify an older sub (but newer than us)
Then, you get the benefit of newer (relatively)tech. In equipment, hull, and power plant.

I think classes are now designed for 50 year life, though I could be wrong.
Equipment can be upgraded, to a point
Hull and reactors, not so much.

The reactor we had, was one of the first mass produced (not THE first reactor)
Tech was changing rapidly.
Why build a 50 year life then?

And the boat was the FIRST class if subs designed from the ground up as an ICBM launcher. The Ethan Allen class.
The prior George Washington class, were attack boat designs, stretched with missile compartment
Because of "lessons learned' they only built 5 of the class.
When I forgot there, there were only 2. And they decomm'd the other shortly after.

 

[actaeon277]

So, how many voyages/trips do you have to make to get to 100 dives/surfaces? 50 or less?

And are they "supposed" to retire the ship after that? No wonder the USA is broke.

No, they don't retire after that.
We kept going
But, if we died, General Dynamics could say, warranty expired.

If we picked up micro-fractures, they would restrict depth and speed
Providing Davey Jones didn't call your name first.

Our only restriction was a speed limit when carrying one DDS.
Carrying 2 was okay, they balanced.
But just one, warped the propeller shaft.
Since we were the first to carry 2, we found that out.

The warped shaft caused us to have a terrible shimmy at full or flank speed.
Bend a screw just a bit.
Use a drill to turn the screw..
That's what it was like.


We were an old boat.
If they lost us while trying out stuff, it's cheaper than losing a new boat.
Kind of rough on the crew, but we were always undermanned.
Some said it's because we were neither attack or boomer. And then those were the only classes.
(Now they added cruise missile boats).
Some said we were undermanned because of what we did, less crew means less dying.

Could just be, bureaucracies just suck.

 

[actaeon277]

And, you got your monies worth out of us.

 

[actaeon277]

Edited post from 100 dives, to 1,000.

Oops

 

[Doug]

DDS?

 

[actaeon277]

Oddly, it came out on October 1, 1984. At least that's what the interweb tells me.

Probably took awhile to take off.
USNI is a small publisher

 

[radar8756]

I considered Submarine Training - until they showed us the Escape Tower Training film ---

Navy Sub Escape Tower training

 

[Tryin']

No, they don't retire after that.
We kept going
But, if we died, General Dynamics could say, warranty expired.

If we picked up micro-fractures, they would restrict depth and speed
Providing Davey Jones didn't call your name first.

Our only restriction was a speed limit when carrying one DDS.
Carrying 2 was okay, they balanced.
But just one, warped the propeller shaft.
Since we were the first to carry 2, we found that out.

The warped shaft caused us to have a terrible shimmy at full or flank speed.
Bend a screw just a bit.
Use a drill to turn the screw..
That's what it was like.


We were an old boat.
If they lost us while trying out stuff, it's cheaper than losing a new boat.
Kind of rough on the crew, but we were always undermanned.
Some said it's because we were neither attack or boomer. And then those were the only classes.
(Now they added cruise missile boats).
Some said we were undermanned because of what we did, less crew means less dying.

Could just be, bureaucracies just suck.

I just love when you post about your submarine experience. I never fail to pick up new info, and I really appreciate it.

 

[actaeon277]

DDS?

Dry Deck Shelter.
Used to carry/deploy "mission personnel" in mini subs (SDV), or small boats.

Dry deck shelter - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

If you look up the boats fitted for them, you'll see USS John Marshall SSN-611
(Prior to 1985 it was SSBN-611)
We were replaced with the sub with the real long Hawaiian name I can't spell.

The attack boats were cramped BEFORE attaching more equipment and adding Riders.

The converted boomers offered HUGE benefits for equipment and personnel.


I still find it funny finding this stuff on internet .
The first time shocked me.
But then I remember I am a dinosaur.
Sigh.

 

[actaeon277]

SEAL Delivery Vehicle - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[actaeon277]

 

[BigRed]

But then I remember I am a dinosaur.

Were you there when the Turtle submersible was being tested?
How about the Hunley?

 

[actaeon277]

Ex-Navy Seal on SDV Submarine - Joe Rogan #shorts #military

Trevor Thompson is a Former Navy Seal. He explains his experience training underwater with mini-submarines. Joe is amazed and terrified at what the SDV is ca...

youtube.com

 

[actaeon277]

Were you there when the Turtle submersible was being tested?
How about the Hunley?

Hunley yes,
Turtle no.
How old do you think I am?

 

[KG1]

I've had submarine experience too when I was younger. Had to watch out for the brown sharks though.

 

[actaeon277]

I considered Submarine Training - until they showed us the Escape Tower Training film ---

Navy Sub Escape Tower training

Simple.
Be nuke.
Because of the length of training, we didn't go to sub school.
On the job training.


Or maybe they didn't want nukes rescued by "opposing forces"

 

[actaeon277]

Well, you guys are spared.
3 separate pics wouldn't post from Facebook.

 

[BiscuitsandGravy]

From 'Beyond the press' channel...

 

[Creedmoor]

So, how many voyages/trips do you have to make to get to 100 dives/surfaces? 50 or less?

And are they "supposed" to retire the ship after that? No wonder the USA is broke.

I don't know now, but one of my Uncles was in a Franklin Class Boomer (SSBN-655) in the 64's - 80? and he said they normally then didn't surface while on there patrols (75 days ) then.
I believe all of the Franklin Class, were scraped between 92 and 2002.