6/8/2006: Sinking of the USS Oriskany

mickja1 · 06-09-2006, 10:23 AM

A few thoughts from a retired Navy officer. First, the reason they don't keep these older ships and use them for casinos, hotels, etc. is that they take a tremendous amount of maintenance just to keep them floating, on the order of $20-30,000 a year on up, considering their condition. It is easier to build a new ship from the keel up than to renovate a warship like this.

Also, the idea that a ship 200' down is going to be a tourist site is nuts. Even professional wreck divers that dive more than about 150' are really pushing it.

The government probably spent several million dollars (around 15 million) getting this ship ready to be sunk. All the fuel tanks need to be emptied and sealed, the wiring (several hundred miles of wiring) needed to be removed (the insulation is toxic to the environment) for starters. The main reason to sink it is that the shipbreaking process is so expensive in the U.S.

A great book that covers this subject in depth is "The Outlaw Sea" by William Langewiesche (now available in paperback)--*truly fascinating*. The shipbreakers are typically third world businessmen who take the ship and drive it aground, then start cutting it apart with blowtorches. It takes several months to dismantle a ship. Usually there are casualties. The poor people go to work walking around iron shards in bare feet. Occasionally someone cuts into a fuel tank that still has diesel vapor, and a large explosion results. Greenpeace types would have a stroke if they saw their utter disregard for any type of respect for the environment.

Well that's my 2c.

milkfish · 06-09-2006, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mickja1

First, the reason they don't keep these older ships and use them for casinos, hotels, etc. is that they take a tremendous amount of maintenance just to keep them floating, on the order of $20-30,000 a year on up, considering their condition.

Aw, heck, why didn't they just ask their buddies over at the Air Force to fill the thing up with foam?

06-09-2006, 10:23 AM	#1
mickja1 I'm from the Midwest Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 19	A few thoughts from a retired Navy officer. First, the reason they don't keep these older ships and use them for casinos, hotels, etc. is that they take a tremendous amount of maintenance just to keep them floating, on the order of $20-30,000 a year on up, considering their condition. It is easier to build a new ship from the keel up than to renovate a warship like this. Also, the idea that a ship 200' down is going to be a tourist site is nuts. Even professional wreck divers that dive more than about 150' are really pushing it. The government probably spent several million dollars (around 15 million) getting this ship ready to be sunk. All the fuel tanks need to be emptied and sealed, the wiring (several hundred miles of wiring) needed to be removed (the insulation is toxic to the environment) for starters. The main reason to sink it is that the shipbreaking process is so expensive in the U.S. A great book that covers this subject in depth is "The Outlaw Sea" by William Langewiesche (now available in paperback)--truly fascinating. The shipbreakers are typically third world businessmen who take the ship and drive it aground, then start cutting it apart with blowtorches. It takes several months to dismantle a ship. Usually there are casualties. The poor people go to work walking around iron shards in bare feet. Occasionally someone cuts into a fuel tank that still has diesel vapor, and a large explosion results. Greenpeace types would have a stroke if they saw their utter disregard for any type of respect for the environment. Well that's my 2c.

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)