aircraft carrier jfk

They say a boat is a hole in the water that you pour money into.

A ship is just a larger hole into which more money must be poured.

While it would be great to see significant ships preserved (and I will let you define significant for yourself),  the current economic situation just will not allow it.   The Yorktown in Patriots Point, SC is falling apart due to lack of funds.  (Hey Gov Sanford - how 'bout asking for a stimulus check!).   The Hornet in SanFrancisco is in bad shape.   The Texas is in need of a drydocking.   The Stewart & Cavalla were ravaged by Hurricane Ike and haven't been made right.    I fear that putting the Kennedy at Fall River or Quincy would draw from the volunteer staff needed to support their existing ships.  

To support an aircraft carrier you need a large-enough tourist base that will pay their admission fee to keep the thing painted and turn on the lights.  Boston, perhaps.  New York has the Intrepid, they're full.   Philly, no.  The JFK is too big for Baltimore's Inner Harbor,  .  Norfolk/Newport News wouldn't be bad.  They already have the Wisconsin, but ex-Navy might just support a carrier.      Wilmington - nope.  Charleston - nope.  Savannah - nope.  Perhaps Jacksonville/Mayport.

The funding to support a retired ship museum is an extensive and expensive proposition that needs to be thoroughly explored well in advance.  It may be better to let it go than do a half-a**ed job.

My wet blanket opinions

subfixer wrote:

And Lexington is at Corpus Christi, Texas. What kind of shape is she in? I have also heard that Ranger is to go to a city in Oregon. Portland?

As of a few months ago the Lexington is in pretty good shape.. the airplanes on deck are another story. 

i know voluteers are a major part of upkeep and are hard to get too.

a Possible solution to me would be prisoners  most states have those ones you see cleaning highways or citiy streets ( either min sec types , or guys in for 2 bit stuff, or the pre release ones)

BTW   edgrune  your options are not wet blanket  they make total sense

subfixer wrote:

The Kennedy never has neen a very popular ship anyway. I don't know any former crewmen that ever talked affectionately about her. I know a lot of other carrier crewmen that talk derisively about how her frequent breakdowns affected them in a negative way. The "Can Opener" won't be terribly missed.

I know a few of the survivors of the Bellknap's "fling with Kennedy", who would cheer the passing of that ship, and would give up shaving if they thought she'd been used to make razor blades.

John F. Kennedy, the man, with his "Man-on-the-moon-this-decade" program, did more for modern technology than most know of, and should be remembered long and well. The ship that bears his name, perhaps, should be "let go of".  As a Destroyerman, I was never comfortable in "her" prescence.

Regarding the Midway-I highly recommend it as a worthwhile visit. I visited it last year on a trip to San D. It is set up as it was just before decommissioning, and is a good way to see how the crew lived and worked. Some of the displays are a bit cheesy plastic (like the trays of fake bacon, eggs, french toast in the galley)but they really made a good effort to portray the working life of the ship. Very different from the Intrepid, for example by comparison.Plus, if you have never done the harbor tour, it is basically next door and IMHO very worth the money.

Regards,

Stenscience

stenscience wrote:

Some of the displays are a bit cheesy plastic (like the trays of fake bacon, eggs, french toast in the galley)but they really made a good effort to portray the working life of the ship.

Hey! What makes you think that the chow on those trays wasn't authentic?

subfixer wrote:

stenscience wrote: Some of the displays are a bit cheesy plastic (like the trays of fake bacon, eggs, french toast in the galley)but they really made a good effort to portray the working life of the ship.   Hey! What makes you think that the chow on those trays wasn't authentic?

.....and.....the powdered eggs have bits of old egg shell in them to "fool the troops" into thinking the eggs are fresh!!!

subfixer wrote:

I know that you meant to say CVN-79, CVN-69 is the Eisenhower. You are correct in saying that the Big E wold be extremely expensive to maintain as a museum. The Nautilus was hard enough to transform into an exhibit and it is tiny compared to Enterprise. She only had one little reactor while the Prize has eight big ones.

if Big Navy had thought of it ahead of time, they would've decommissioned Big "E" and turned it into the Nuclear Power School down in Charleston. they could've anchored it in the river (or rather could've sunk it down into the mud) and transformed the hanger bay into a "school house". with that set up they could've had the "A" School, Power School, and Prototype school all onboard, plus all the berthings could have been used as well as the galley's

navypitsnipe wrote:

that's why i said "if big navy thought about it ahead of time", as in before they built the new complex. now it would be pointless, they already have the school house for "A" school and power school, and yes, they do give housing allowances to those in prototype while they're in school. they have 2 converted boomers in charleston for prototype, as well as the civilian plant up in Balston Spa, NY near saratoga springs. a great program but very difficult, the attrition rate is pretty high

C'mon, would you want that deal? It's bad enough going to a school and then going to a ship, but starting off on a ship (a broken down and worn out one at that!) for what, two years?, and then go out to the fleet. That would suck.

I have been down to see the Midway 4 times, plus one overnight trip with my dad and my son. I love wandering around and each time we have gone they have had more areas restored and opened to the public. The display in the control tower replaying the opening of Desert Storm when she served as the command ship is very cool. Spending the night on her was very cool, and I have a new appreciation for anyone that goes to sea after trying to sleep in the crew compartment. Man those beds are tiny in the enlisted crew quarters. It was summer time and was warm, and we were sleeping in the forward crew berths, I cannot imagine trying to sleep in there with the pipes for the cats charged with steam. It must have been a sauna in there. Miday is well worth the trip down to see.

Steve 

subfixer wrote:

It woould be a good thing to name CVN-79 Enterprise, but with the Navy trying to appease politicians by naming CVs after them (take Forrestal, Vinson and Stennis for instance) the odds are probably stacked against it.