Goodbye, USS Enterprise

Originally posted by zedVSzardoz
damn it, that sucks. I would make it a point to go see it.

Why can't they cut the side of the ship instead?

On account that the reactors are below the waterline, and huge amounts of seawater would flood in and sink the vessel.

The fuel will be removed from these reactors...slowly and carefully...by proceedure.

I dont think they will be removing the reactor vessels at that shipyard. More likely the reactor vessels themselves will be removed at the yard where the boat will be finally scrapped. But first the olde fuel needs to be removed from these reactor veseels.

There are certainly heavy lift cranes at Newport News sufficient to raise the reactor vessels out of the ship but that is more likely a job to be done where the ship will be finally scrapped. It is the fuel removal in which they are initially interested..removing the olde spent fuel.

The holes currently cut in the decks are to accomodate the heavy shielded equipment used in removing the spent fuel.

There are also other holes cut into the decks to remove large equipments usable on other ships. It is the easiest, quickest, and safest way to remove much of this equipment.

You have to be very very careful walking around a ship with so many holes cut into it..particularly at night or in compartments with little lighting. You never go around without a light source on you....mag light, light stick, cylume etc etc, head lamp. People have fallen through many decks and been killed in this manner.



I believe this ship will be towed around the horn to Bremerton to await final disposition as is the Kitty Hawk, Connie, and other carriers.


It is indeed a sight to see from Google Earth.. these olde ships and submarines tied up to the piers at Bremerton Navy Yard..and there are alot of them.

There are some 12 submarines tied up side to side..like sardines in a can awaiting final scrapping. They seem to be mostly early 688 class boats and one olde or what looks like a 637 class or Sturgeon Class boat.

It is indeed a sight to see.

Enterprise looks sad from the interstate as compared to her former self. They have removed the masts from the top of the Island house. She looks quite barren.


Thanks,

Orangetom

originally posted by: truttseeker
So I'm currently on the USS Enterprise and she will be officially inactivated on the first. It's a crazy ship with a very storied history. Anyway, curious if there are current or former members of the crew on here. Im curious what reactor department was like back in the day

Lemme guess they will sell her to a millionaire for a $1?

Lemme guess they will sell her to a millionaire for a $1?

I dont think so. I believe they will have to pay someone much much more than $1 to take her.


I believe she will be sunk for a reef somewhere. The best thing they can do with her. Put her underneath some of the best shielding possible..the deep six.


Orangetom

Current plan is to remove fuel, then towing around South America to be scrapped at puget sound. It is very depressing, and we make progress toward killing her everyday. That ship was my home for a long time and to see it the way it is now is definitely a sad sight. Still need to meet up with you sometime orangetom.

a reply to: truttseeker

PM on its way Truttseeker,

Orangetom

originally posted by: schuyler
reply to post by Zaphod58

 

Yup, it's gonna be scrapped. The reason is that to get the reactors out they have to cut up the flight deck and lift them straight out. The newer CVN designs have two reactors instead of eight and can more easily be salvaged. But with this massive surgery there's not enough left to create a museum. It would be too costly to put it back together. As I understand it, after the reactors are removed it will be towed to the Inactive Ships Command in Bremerton. To me that seems like an unnecessary expense, but that was what I was told.

Not going to the Inactive Ships Command in Bremerton if she is in Norfolk, Virginia and going to be cut up for scrap.
The only US ship scrapyards are in Texas and the cost of towing from Norfolk, Virginia to Bremerton, Washington through the panama canal then back through the canal to Texas would be stupid.

My understanding was only 4 of the reactors were ever fueled. and 4 were never used and are still "clean".

That's not remotely true. They're towing it after defueling to puget sound. Not going through the Panama Canal, because the ship is too wide. All 8 reactors were fueled and we ran them all the entire time. Source of info: me, a nuke currently on enterprise.

Sorry..deleted ..double post

Orangetom

That's not remotely true. They're towing it after defueling to puget sound. Not going through the Panama Canal, because the ship is too wide. All 8 reactors were fueled and we ran them all the entire time. Source of info: me, a nuke currently on enterprise.

That is also my understanding and I am on one of the teams who are going to be defueling her... arriving after August.


I believe she will sit at the pier at Bremerton for years before final disposition ..ie..funds ..to be scrapped or sunk as a reef. This is the same as the ships ..non nuclear ..currently tied up there.





Orangetom

a reply to: orangetom1999

She won't be sunk as a reef due to radcon concerns I believe. I'm pretty sure they're Hey im gonna be a couple mins late. They're just gonna scrap her. Word on the street is a lot of the steel is being melted down and out into cvn-80

a reply to: truttseeker


Another PM on it's way.

Orangetom