OT: USS Sullivans Taking on Water

[Scottysabres]

21 hours ago, phil_soisson said:

It's a warship with transverse bulkheads and watertight doors. Assuming it's one breach, and those doors are closed, the flooding should be confined to one compartment. Obviously they were open.

The seals on the doors and dog handles go bad over time.

The ship hasn't had its hull serviced in a long long time. The epoxy patching isn't enough, it needs a shipyard. 

[RochesterExpat]

5 hours ago, Scottysabres said:

The seals on the doors and dog handles go bad over time.

The ship hasn't had its hull serviced in a long long time. The epoxy patching isn't enough, it needs a shipyard. 

I was under the impression the patching was necessary to tow it to a dry dock for further repairs, but now I can't find any real information regarding the repair plan. I might have been confusing the repairs with those of the USS Texas.

Honestly, there's not a ton of information out there about the long-term plan for the ship. 

[Scottysabres]

23 hours ago, RochesterExpat said:

I was under the impression the patching was necessary to tow it to a dry dock for further repairs, but now I can't find any real information regarding the repair plan. I might have been confusing the repairs with those of the USS Texas.

Honestly, there's not a ton of information out there about the long-term plan for the ship. 

From what little information there is, sounds like she's headed for the scrapyard.

[LGR4GM]

The US as a country should be embarrassed they can't save the Sullivans after what the Sullivan family sacrificed. Saving the ship is the equivalent of what? 5 less missiles purchased this year. 

[Contempt]

9 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

The US as a country should be embarrassed they can't save the Sullivans after what the Sullivan family sacrificed. Saving the ship is the equivalent of what? 5 less missiles purchased this year. 

I dont think the government owns the ship anymore do they?

[LGR4GM]

1 hour ago, Contempt said:

I dont think the government owns the ship anymore do they?

They don't but the government has no issue funneling money to other private entities when it wants to. 

[Marvin]

1 hour ago, Contempt said:

I dont think the government owns the ship anymore do they?

Welcome back!

[Contempt]

23 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

They don't but the government has no issue funneling money to other private entities when it wants to. 

That's fair, but there is another ship in the active fleet with that name so it's not like the Navy hasn't attempted to carry on the legacy.

[Doohickie]

Is there any feasibility in putting the ship on dry land as part of the museum?

[Weave]

9 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

Is there any feasibility in putting the ship on dry land as part of the museum?

I don’t think they have the real estate to fit it

[LGR4GM]

10 minutes ago, Weave said:

I don’t think they have the real estate to fit it

Could dam off that part of the river and make it a dry dock.

[Weave]

38 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Could dam off that part of the river and make it a dry dock.

1. Wow would that be expensive.

2. Probably would have significant environmental impact.

Its an 80 yr old ship that needs substantial repair.  The name has been passed on to another active duty ship.  It doesn’t make sense to put that much investment into a limited use museum that requires significant upkeep and maintenance.

She’s served well and honorably.  Her time has come.

[MattPie]

On 4/15/2022 at 10:42 AM, phil_soisson said:

It's a warship with transverse bulkheads and watertight doors. Assuming it's one breach, and those doors are closed, the flooding should be confined to one compartment. Obviously they were open.

I'm guessing the nightly close up doesn't include "make sure all the watertight doors are sealed just so we can open them in the morning".

On 4/15/2022 at 11:57 AM, Weave said:

Btw, it is USS Sullivans.  Plural.

It's improbably named "USS The Sullivans". On a tour when I was a kid I remember the tour guide saying it is the only ship in the history of the US Navy with "The" in the name. (funny what things stick in your head (and hopefully I'm not misremembering)).

I too did the Boy Scout camp out, but on the USS Little Rock.

[LGR4GM]

3 hours ago, Weave said:

1. Wow would that be expensive.

2. Probably would have significant environmental impact.

Its an 80 yr old ship that needs substantial repair.  The name has been passed on to another active duty ship.  It doesn’t make sense to put that much investment into a limited use museum that requires significant upkeep and maintenance.

She’s served well and honorably.  Her time has come.

We don't agree.

[Weave]

12 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

We don't agree.

There really is no cost effective solution for a ship who has exceeded her service life by a significant amount, and doesn’t have a deep pocketed source of funds to make her right.  She’s not a Navy vessel any longer so the Dept of the Navy isn’t going to pay to have her fixed, and Buffalo Naval Park budget surely can’t stand the cost of transport, dry dock, repair, and transport back.

Shes a great story, and an awesome piece of history.  But she’s way past her service lifespan.  And she just doesn’t generate the interest to justify some entity transporting and fixing her properly.

[Weave]

1 hour ago, MattPie said:

I'm guessing the nightly close up doesn't include "make sure all the watertight doors are sealed just so we can open them in the morning".

It's improbably named "USS The Sullivans". On a tour when I was a kid I remember the tour guide saying it is the only ship in the history of the US Navy with "The" in the name. (funny what things stick in your head (and hopefully I'm not misremembering)).

I too did the Boy Scout camp out, but on the USS Little Rock.

Correction noted.  And how ironic is it the the USS The Sullivans was made a home in the one region of the nation that prefaces all of their points of interest with “the”?

She was destined to finish out her time in Buffalo.

[LabattBlue]

Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a very very wealthy sports owner whose team played right next to the Naval Park, who could come in and save the day. 

Edited April 18, 2022 by LabattBlue

[MattPie]

1 hour ago, Weave said:

Correction noted.  And how ironic is it the the USS The Sullivans was made a home in the one region of the nation that prefaces all of their points of interest with “the”?

She was destined to finish out her time in Buffalo.

Just take The 190 to The Harborcenter to see The Sullivans.

[Taro T]

2 hours ago, MattPie said:

Just take The 190 to The Harborcenter to see The Sullivans.

Shouldn't it be the The Sullivans?  😉

 

[JohnC]

On 4/17/2022 at 4:26 PM, LGR4GM said:

The US as a country should be embarrassed they can't save the Sullivans after what the Sullivan family sacrificed. Saving the ship is the equivalent of what? 5 less missiles purchased this year. 

https://www.wgrz.com/article/news/local/senator-chuck-schumer-calling-on-federal-government-to-help-save-uss-the-sullivans/71-f2aa3993-cb09-458f-b3bc-c5c8cc8c81e6

[Pimlach]

On 4/17/2022 at 3:26 PM, LGR4GM said:

The US as a country should be embarrassed they can't save the Sullivans after what the Sullivan family sacrificed. Saving the ship is the equivalent of what? 5 less missiles purchased this year. 

Yes, but the money for something like this doesn’t come from the defense budget.  That money is earmarked for R&D, production, sustainment, etc  … very little for this kind of thing.  I must assume that USN no longer owns this asset, maybe Buffalo does? 
 

My company actually used company funds, to help the USAF mount an old and historic fighter jet on an airbase for a dedicated display.  In return they let use the jet to reverse engineer sections of it for a project they benefited from.  We borrowed the old beauty, we covered cost to move it back and forth, in return we cleaned it up and mounted it for them.  No dollars exchanged.   

Edited April 19, 2022 by Pimlach

[bob_sauve28]

On 4/15/2022 at 11:57 AM, Weave said:

Btw, it is USS Sullivans.  Plural.

So now there is more than one ship sinking there?? 

[WhenWillItEnd66]

No. Not sure if you are being serious or sarcastic....LOL 

The Sullivans are named after 5 brothers that all passed when the ship (Not boat) sank. This also started the rule that that at least 1 male child has to be left at home if there is a draft/war so that the family name can continue. 

 

As for fixing the ship, a serious amount of deflooding and patchwork would have to take place just to right the ship. I would assume if they closed the watertight doors (If they even are still watertight) they could deflood the compartments one at a time, until they came upon the compartment where the water was entering the hull. 

[Pimlach]

I have done the Buffalo River tour many times, I feel that I can almost be a tour guide.  It is a fantastic attraction in the summer.  On the tour you see a  distressed ship that is similar to the SS Canadiana  docked along the land near the old grain silos.  This is being held temporarily in Buffalo, to be shipped out for restoration and then it ends up in NYC.  

Decades ago the Canadiana went from Buffalo  to Crystal Beach to take people to the amusement park.  

Buffalo used to have a shipyard, a dry dock on Ganson street.  It still has a great location to do shipyard work and repairs, but lacks the infrastructure and people with know how.  

[Carmel Corn]

57 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

I have done the Buffalo River tour many times, I feel that I can almost be a tour guide.  It is a fantastic attraction in the summer.  On the tour you see a  distressed ship that is similar to the SS Canadiana  docked along the land near the old grain silos.  This is being held temporarily in Buffalo, to be shipped out for restoration and then it ends up in NYC.  

Decades ago the Canadiana went from Buffalo  to Crystal Beach to take people to the amusement park.  

Buffalo used to have a shipyard, a dry dock on Ganson street.  It still has a great location to do shipyard work and repairs, but lacks the infrastructure and people with know how.  

I love the river tour, I never realized it existed until after I moved away from the area.  It is a great reminder of the city's history and heritage.  With respect to the USS Sullivans, I personally am a fan of preserving our past whenever it is feasible to do so.  It would be nice if there could be some options identified with estimated price tags so that a strategy could formulated.