Bid to free $1 billion missile cruiser fails; crews will remove fuel next

updated 10:54 p.m. CT, Sat., Feb. 7, 2009

HONOLULU - The Navy offloaded fuel, water and personnel from a grounded, $1 billion guided missile cruiser so tugboats and a salvage ship can try again early Sunday morning to free it from a rock and sand shoal.

The USS Port Royal ran aground on Thursday evening, about a half-mile south of the Honolulu airport where it was visible from several vantage points on Oahu.

Just how in the hell does a US Navy skipper beach his boat???

With the US looking like complete morons due to foreign policy and the economy, things like this are the last thing we need to make the press circuit.

Anybody have a figure on how much the salvage tugs are going to make on this deal??

Something tells me that they can retire on this fee.

indeed a quite large ship.

I guess the captain will be fired.

more proof , that american equipment is junk and does not meet standards , This cruiser should be destroyed ,as it is a danger to marine life

Originally posted by sadchild01
more proof , that American equipment is junk and does not meet standards , This cruiser should be destroyed ,as it is a danger to marine life

I think that the captain should lose his command to be sure....but it should be destroyed as a marine hazard.

A you out of you mind??? Put down the kool aid and come back to reality!

reply to post by wolf241e


i don't need the kool aid , USA is the 'best' , while USA is becoming a third world nation and tethering the brink of collapse

Well I for one love "anti-America-angry-pseudo-Communist/Russian" net persona's.

Someone will have to be submitting some urine...


edit for clarity

[edit on 8-2-2009 by Lysergic]

reply to post by Lysergic


i am not russian ....

The Captain will be riding a desk at Pacfic Fleet HQ within the week. Then he'll be re-assigned to some desk job in DC. Possibly "encouraged" to take retirement.

His ship command days were over the second the Port Royal ran aground. Whoever the Quartermaster was or whomever charted the course is in trouble as well, not just the Captain. But since he's the Captain, he's ultimately responsible.

Any salvage vessels used will probably be Military Sealift Command (USNS) vessels.

Well it is a sand shoal and they can form in just a day or so.
This happen more times than you would think.

One can not keep them charted up to the minute for this very reason.
And in shallow water sonar does not work. So if they had a harbor guide on board he is the one that should have kept them off this.

We will just have to wait and see what is up.

This is not a new event and will happen again somewhere and to someone else.

Ive seen a submarine in a drydock after hitting a undwewater obstacle. Lots of nice scratches and dents in the hull of this boat.

Yes..the captain will be retired to a desk. This too is not a new occurence. Pretty much standard Navy proceedure in these events.

Also agree with the poster about sand shoals. Well said.

Also sadchild01, the primary function of this ship and others in the Navy is not for marine life. They have other more important functions.

Thanks,
Orangetom