1. 

   gracie
   

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   Have been watching the parade of ships coming in and the Seattle Police fire boat doing a cool water greeting. Sigh - so many sailors, so little time! :-]

   Posted 9 months ago #
2. 

   iPlod
   

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   Watch out gracie, they're on a mission. :D

   Posted 9 months ago #
3. 

   VeganBiker
   

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   gracie - I noticed a very "stealth" looking ship moored at pier 91 as I rode home today!

   Posted 9 months ago #
4. 

   Pastafarian
   

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   That would be the USS New Orleans VB. It's an amphibious transport dock ship.

   Was it moored on the terminal 91 trail side of the pier?

   Posted 9 months ago #
5. 

   VeganBiker
   

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   Pastafarian - thanks for that info, that is the ship. Very stealthy! It was "parked" on the west side of the pier closest to the trail at terminal 91, if that makes any sense.

   Posted 9 months ago #
6. 

   Pastafarian
   

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   Thanks VB. I was hoping they would have moored her to pier 90 on the east side there directly across from the trail. Would have made for some great pictures. No such luck though from the sound of it.

   Posted 9 months ago #
7. 

   VeganBiker
   

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   Pastafarian - that would have been neat. But no, right now there are buildings between the ship and the trail. But there is a wonderful Osprey nest on one of the light fixtures right by the ship! :)

   Posted 9 months ago #
8. 

   Mondoman
   

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   VB - I'm hoping you don't mean the Marine Osprey tiltrotor, as just one would bend off and break the light!
   With sub base Bangor so close by, I keep hoping they'll bring over one of their subs. When I lived out in Boston, I often took the car ferry from New London CT to the east tip of Long Island. What with the plant building subs just across the river from the ferry terminal, and the sub base just upriver, we got to see a lot of subs heading out to sea or returning.

   Posted 9 months ago #
9. 

   Pastafarian
   

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   Hey Mondo. Years and years ago at Seafair they had a sub tied up at pier 91 in Magnolia where it couldn't really be seen. They hadn't announced it publicly at all. Just happened to be driving by and happened to see a tent with a line in front of it so decided to check it out. Turns out it was a line to get a tour of the sub. Got to climb down the ladder and go through the majority of the boat. They could "neither confirm nor deny" that there were weapons on board at the time, but there were quite a few heavily armed marines inside and outside the boat.

   Compared to that the surface ships were a letdown. I recall one of the squids calling the surface vessels "target practice".

   Posted 9 months ago #
10. 

    Ernie
    

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    There are two kinds of boats, submarines.... and targets.

    Pasta, if it was a Los Angeles class sub, and about 1994, I was there as well. We got a "custom" tour from a friend who was serving on the vessel at the time. They had live Tomahawks on board, carrying them around is the main purpose of the LA class.

    Posted 9 months ago #
11. 

    gracie
    

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    iPod - "they're on a mission". Me too! The guys in my office say "oh the Navy is in town, guess who won't be in." It started out as a joke long time ago & has stuck. But there is something about a man in a Navy uniform - that and a fireman - in his service pants with red suspenders, boots & no shirt. Yum - dessert time. (did I say this all outloud?) My bad :)

    Posted 9 months ago #
12. 

    iPlod
    

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    My old man was Navy, gracie.

    Posted 9 months ago #
13. 

    gracie
    

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    iPlod - so was my brother. And I was very popular with the girls in my neighborhood when he came home on leave & usually brought a buddy.

    Posted 9 months ago #
14. 

    iPlod
    

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    Bubblehead or Skimmer?

    Posted 9 months ago #
15. 

    gracie
    

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    Bubblehead or Skimmer? Not up on that lingo.

    Posted 9 months ago #
16. 

    Mondoman
    

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    Guessing:
    Bubblehead = submariner, from underwater up/down angle measured using a bubble in a level-like device
    Skimmer = surface ship sailor, in a ship skimming the surface

    Posted 9 months ago #
17. 

    gracie
    

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    Well then my brother was a "Skimmer". He was on aircraft carriers.

    Posted 9 months ago #
18. 

    iPlod
    

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    Well guessed, Mondo.
    Yeah, carriers floating cities, gracie.

    Posted 9 months ago #
19. 

    Pastafarian
    

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    There's a person on US flattops who just stocks vending machines all day. I think I'd blow my brains out if that was my job for hours on end every damn day. I'd rather run the risk of getting decapitated by a snapped arresting wire on deck.

    Five degrees down bubble. Take us to three-five-zero feet.

    Posted 9 months ago #
20. 

    gracie
    

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    My brother had a "war" injury while onboard the USSYorkTown. He was on deck when I plane coming in that was disabled. It hit the deck, came apart & he got hit in the head with a piece of the engine. He was airlifted off & taken to a hospital. For YEARS told my mom & family he hit his head on doorway while responding to a call onboard. He didn't want my mom to worry. He never told her the truth before she died & I found out when I was in my late 20's. He loved the Navy.

    Posted 9 months ago #

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