USS Independence departs for Brownsville scrapyard

I caught the ship leaving the Puget Sound into the Strait of Juan de Fuca.


Whidbey Island in view.


Off into the sunset.

a reply to: dreamingawake

Nice! Thanks for sharing those.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: dreamingawake

Nice! Thanks for sharing those.

No prob, have some short vids too. Basically it was a fluke finding it in the area at the moment as there was not much info to base it on time wise from Twitter posts but there it was and before it was too dark.

Always pulls a heartstring when I think of the ship I was on being scrapped(Newport class LST)....... must be so much bigger of a feeling for a carrier sailor ! Kinda sad, everything has its time, thanks for bringing this to us .

Got to see a carrier coming into Pearl back in... 2011 ish... caught it as we got off work, think I have some pictures somewhere... I was stunned at how fast that behemoth came through the channel.

a reply to: Irishhaf

We used to camp out behind the Officers Club, and watch the ships go in and out. It was always fun when a carrier went in and out.

a reply to: Zaphod58

I think these old carriers could be adapted for OTEC. I cringe a little inwardly every time one of them gets scrapped. What do you think? Would they work for it, or be too problematic to adapt? A note in the vid said only Kitty Hawk remains. Is that accurate? How many decommed carriers are left awaiting the scrap hammer? When do they come due for the scrapyard?

a reply to: TheBadCabbie

Kitty Hawk and JFK are the last two CVs, but the LHA fleet has just started decommissioning. Tarawa is sitting in Pearl Harbor awaiting disposition, and the others will go as the new America class comes online. You'd have to use the LHAs,because the CVNs can't be converted.

It would probably work, at least to a degree though.

a reply to: Irishhaf

My very first trip to Hawai'i I got to see the (I think) Forrestal come into Pearl. It's amazing to me that anything that big can even float!!

a reply to: seagull

We were there when Midway and Kittyhawk switched places, and Midway went CONUS to decommission. When Midway arrived, I couldn't believe how tiny she was.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Kinda like when you look at the Arizona, then right next door virtually, the Missouri--the difference is incredible.

I haven't had the opportunity to see any of the Nimitz plus carriers...yet. I'm told the differences are shocking as to the sizes in comparison to say the Enterprise (CVN-65, much less CV-6)

a reply to: seagull

You know that dock the carriers dock at in Pearl Harbor? That really long one by the Arizona Memorial?

A Nimitz Class CVN at that dock leaves about 40-50 feet of that open behind the stern. Just enough to see her name painted on the stern.

A CV covered MAYBE half that dock, probably closer to between a third and half.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Where is the JFK being put as a museum?

I think I got to go on board the JFK, or another kitty hawk class carrier, in the 80's during fleet week Ft. Lauderdale.

Walking through the hanger and taking the elevator to the deck was way cool.

a reply to: grey580

They haven't decided she is yet. I think a place in Rhode Island is trying to make a case for her though.

a reply to: Zaphod58

I've seen that dock up close, that one of the Nimitz's sticks that far out just boggles this mere mortals mind.

Boats that flippin' big should not float--it ain't natural.

a reply to: seagull

There are slight differences between the hulls of the Nimitz that make slight differences in how much dock they take up.

Those differences made it fun the first time they brought Lincoln in. They flew her air wing to Barbers Point and K-Bay, offloaded her jet fuel stores and a good chunk of her ammunition, and had less than 10 feet between the bottom of her hull and the bottom of the channel.

a reply to: Zaphod58

The fact that they can get them through that channel amazes me. The dredging operations must be extensive, and constantly ongoing.

Or those big ol' boats don't draw as much water as one might suppose...

I remember that summer well, We got a new car that summer as well. No more three speed on the column for that lady, no Siree Bob. !!

June , 9, 1958 It's kinda sad really.



Buck

P.S. That's also the year the great steam locomotives died.



Buck

a reply to: seagull

A little of both.

They were dredging near Ford Island one year, the guy pulled the bucket out of the water, and a Japanese torpedo was hanging from it.

a reply to: flatbush71

Nice video, thanks!!