Some Teak deck photos from USS Texas BB-35

There's an amusing anecdote in Ivan Musicant's Battleship at War.  Two different divisions were responsible for the port and starboard halves of the forward section.  Each division carefully avoided encroaching on the other's territory.  As a result, there was about a 1/8 inch dark "line" down the center that never got holystoned.

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There's an amusing anecdote in Ivan <i>Musicant's Battleship</i> at war.  Two different divisions were responsible for the port and starboard halves of the forward section.  Each division carefully avoided encroaching on the other's territory.  As a result, there was about a 1/8 inch dark "line" down the center that never got holystoned.

Always wondered why they did not just stow a bit of quarterdeck in the sail for when they tied up pier-side.  Figured there was some sort of New London tradition to it.  Or a Rickover thing..

On submarines today, we just sandblast the hull, prime and paint it black! No holystones there!

Looks like incentive to not reenlist.

CapnMac82

But, I'd be inclined to guess that using folio-sized blocks of sandstone ended with TR, either about the time he was SecNav, or the building of the modern steel Navy.

Nope. Here's a photo of Manchester's deck being holystoned in 1956, and I've got some of a USN battleship before WWII somewhere (as in 1940-ish). I don't know precisely when the practice was modernised, but it went a long longer than the big stick's time!

I'll have you know I was a very popular Division officer.  Why when I would lift the line from Ghostbusters, of "I'm from the private sector, we expect results" why, everyone laughed. <g>

When i gathered up the CPO and told them that I had learned that the Army TraDoc had an unofficial motto of "train hard, fight easy" that this had a number of applications to naval service, everyone nodded, even asked cogent questions, and said "Sir" an' e'rything <g>.

Ok, so, this could be complicated when other officers would "undo" my perfectly satisfactory work--and you just are not allowed to gundeck sundowners, REMFs, or Canoe-clubbers with delusions of grandeur (or divinity).

Oh well, it's all easy until they hand you that pin to stick over your starboard shirt pocket.

CapnMac, you would have been one popular SOB.

Ah, gotcha.  Just had a twitch--hard enough to get the deck ap-er-force to clean paint splatter <G>

Oh, there were times that, had I gone to the LCPO for the Deck Department and asked for 'volunteers' to scrub wooden decks with sandstone blocks . . .  but, the XO & CO would have objected to tying up that large a portion of the ship's complement <g>

I vividly remember the teak decks on the USS Fulton in New London as being close to uniform white. I will admit that, as a submariner, I never saw those decks being holystoned, but my comment was not meant to be period-specific. Whether by holystoning, power sanding, or any other method, those decks were nearly white.

Bill

Now, my familial knowledge of US Navy practices only goes back a short while, only three generations.  I've never heard from any of those refer to holystoning a deck.

Taking carbide scrapers and power sanders to the token wood quarterdecks to refresh their bright finish, yes.  Using a walk-behind planer or floor sander I know of personally.  But, I'd be inclined to guess that using folio-sized blocks of sandstone ended with TR, either about the time he was SecNav, or the building of the modern steel Navy.

Now, that's subjective conjecture on my part--I freely admit that.  But, I'll also admit to a practical corollary reasoning, in that coal-fired ships, with both cinders and bulk coal about the decks would not make for good stoning.   And, the only way to keep ash & cinders from falling out downwind of the stacks is to either tamp the fires, or engage in finicky maneuveringto put the stack gasses out over one or the other beam for as long s it took to get the deck stoned down.

It's a large enough detail to just call away "Sweepers, Sweepers, man your brooms!"  without having planned that in advance at Officer's Call that morning, just for all the bodies in the way.

I can't help but wonder about the appearance of  those decks when holystoned. No maintenance crew will go to that trouble, unlike  the U.S. Navy crews. It wouldn't look quite the same as un-holystoned decks.

Bill

Good tip, John. I bought my (hard to find) copy of Arizona by Stilwell from the PH monument gift shop, and a really nice aloha shirt with the 12/7/41 battleships, from the WW2 museum store in NOLA.

I encourage anyone who has the time to peruse these stores- it's for a good cause.

jtilley

The teak decks of the North Carolina got replaced several years ago.  Much of the teak was donated by the government of Burma/Myanmar, in one of that government's last civilized acts before it went off the Deep End.  The new stuff is beautiful.  The only problem is that the ship's caretakers apparently couldn't bring themselves to paint it deck blue, to fit in with the late-war dazzle scheme the rest of the ship now wears.  It's hard to blame them.  Small pieces of the original teak are now for sale for $35.00 each in the ship's gift shop.  (Go to www.battleshipnc.com , then click on "Shop," then "Teak and Hymnals."  The hymnals in question are genuine Army-Navy Hymnals from WWII; also of interest.  The site has quite a few good books, prints, etc. for sale as well.)

 

Thanks, John, I got a hankering to do just that.

Lee

One of my first eBay purchases was an Army-Navy Song  Book, and one of the Hymnals.

That was long ago--before PayPal even.

Found the NC page on f/b, have to admire the Lego model they have <G>.

The teak decks of the North Carolina got replaced several years ago.  Much of the teak was donated by the government of Burma/Myanmar, in one of that government's last civilized acts before it went off the Deep End.  The new stuff is beautiful.  The only problem is that the ship's caretakers apparently couldn't bring themselves to paint it deck blue, to fit in with the late-war dazzle scheme the rest of the ship now wears.  It's hard to blame them.  Small pieces of the original teak are now for sale for $35.00 each in the ship's gift shop.  (Go to www.battleshipnc.com , then click on "Shop," then "Teak and Hymnals."  The hymnals in question are genuine Army-Navy Hymnals from WWII; also of interest.  The site has quite a few good books, prints, etc. for sale as well.)

Nice! I sure wish that I could get a few lengths of the scrap teak for my boat.