Come sail with me on a virtual cruise to Hawaii on Ruby Princess

[ellie1145]

1 minute ago, AF-1 said:

Sure I can order you a blizzard;  right now Dairy Queen has the peppermint stick blizzard for Christmas.  I had it last year and it is very good

 

Anything with chocolate would be fantastic! Double chocolate would be even better! 🤣

[AF-1]

When I order a blizzard; I always tell them to add an extra pump of chocolate syrup;  which makes it even better.  Heath Blizzard is my fav. 

[JF - retired RRT]

14 hours ago, mustgo said:

Another person's review with pictures of their bus trip around the island.  To get the senior all day fare, pay in cash to the driver and show your medicare card.  Their trip had stops.

https://www.wikihow.com/Take-an-Oahu-Scenic-Bus-Ride

It had good information, but doesn't mention the "day pass". The pass would be much easier than asking for transfers and worrying about the start/stop times.

Also, says to take a taxi to Ala Moana, cheaper to catch one of the free shopping shuttles and leave the group when you see the bus stop. When we did it, we stayed at the back of the "tour" and dropped out at the bus stop.

[ellie1145]

An Apology...

 

Dont know what I was thinking about last night but I must correct my mistake in calling the USS Bowfin the Blowfish! 

 

Anyway, we are going to visit USS Bowfin. 🥴

[JF - retired RRT]

5 minutes ago, ellie1145 said:

An Apology...

 

Dont know what I was thinking about last night but I must correct my mistake in calling the USS Bowfin the Blowfish! 

 

Anyway, we are going to visit USS Bowfin. 🥴

Blowfish was OK with me. Makes more sense than bowfin...what's a bowfin anyway?

Mr. Google to the rescue: Bowfin (Amia calva) are bony fish related to gars in the infraclass Holostei. Common names include mudfish, mud pike, dogfish, griddle, grinnel, swamp trout, and choupique.

Swamp trout???😆

Edited December 16, 2020 by JF - retired RRT

[ellie1145]

 

 

‘The Pearl Harbour Avenger’
The USS Bowfin, a Balao Class Submarine

 

Today we are going to visit this famous submarine, which was named for the bowfin fish, a freshwater fish found across the eastern USA.

 

 

We walk through the entrance and see the harbour before us. It is an awesome sight, and far bigger than we had anticipated. The harbour is huge and we walk across a grassed area to the Bowfin Museum and Shop.

 

 

We purchase the audio tour and make our way to where the submarine is docked.

 

One of my favourite photos - sometimes it just works!

 

There aren’t many people around and we are able to walk up the gangway and straight onto the vessel. There is no  doubt that you need to be able bodied to do this tour.

 

 

Many years ago, when I was a child, we used to visit the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard in the UK, for what was called ‘Navy Days.’

 

 

Portsmouth is a few miles from where we live, and each year visitors could explore many naval craft and take part in various activities. I clearly remember clambering around a submarine, but that is centuries ago. Of course, those were the days when we actually HAD a navy. So seeing the Bowfin is going to be fascinating. 

 

USS Bowfin, a fleet attack submarine which fought in the Pacific, was built at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Maine, USA. She was launched in December 1942, a year after the attack on Pearl Harbour. She spent much of her time patrolling for enemy Japanese ships. Together with the USS Bilfish, she frequently conducted  co-ordinated operations against Japanese convoys, and on her numerous patrols, she succeeded in sinking many enemy ships.

Edited December 16, 2020 by ellie1145

[ellie1145]

7 hours ago, JF - retired RRT said:

Blowfish was OK with me. Makes more sense than bowfin...what's a bowfin anyway?

Mr. Google to the rescue: Bowfin (Amia calva) are bony fish related to gars in the infraclass Holostei. Common names include mudfish, mud pike, dogfish, griddle, grinnel, swamp trout, and choupique.

Swamp trout???😆

 

Thank you for that. I was concerned that, knowing how many Veterans there are out there, I might inadvertently upset them with my mistake.😉

 

The Bowfin is certainly not a very nice looking fish I must say! Very prehistoric!  It has a mouth full of pretty fierce looking teeth! But I guess the USS Bowfin was pretty dangerous too.

 

[ellie1145]

 

 

We climb carefully down the precipitous steps and immediately before us we can see the area where torpedoes were stored.

 

 

The submarine is unexpectedly narrow and claustrophobic and one wonders how the submariners onboard ever got used to being in such a confined space. 

 

The first thing which strikes you is the amazing way this submarine has been preserved. There is brass everywhere and all of it shines. It’s an impressive sight.

 

Above the torpedoes are the bunks where the sailors used to sleep. It is a very small area, and the bunks themselves are on chains so that they can fold up into the wall to save space. There is very little room for personal belongings.

 

 

There are dials and knobs everywhere you look.  On the ceiling there is a fan which shows how hot and stuffy it must have been down here when the submarine was submerged. 

 

This is a close up of the huge and powerful propellers which were used to thrust the torpedoes through the water.

 

Between 70 and 80 submariners lived onboard this submarine, 7 to 8 officers and 63 to 72 men.

 

Edited December 16, 2020 by ellie1145

[cr8tiv1]

Again, compliments on your photos.  I haven't visited this site yet (nor the USS Missouri).  I have the best of both worlds.  I often play "tourist" but also am able to slip into the Kama'aina mode easily.  Love taking this tour with you.

 

[AF-1]

ellie 1145;  I have been to Portsmouth many times.  When I flew President Bush#41 we landed at Pease AFB, which is located in Portsmouth, New Hampshire; which is right across the water from the shipyard.  President Bush would take Marine One helicopter to his house in Kennebunkport, Maine

[ellie1145]

11 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

Again, compliments on your photos.  I haven't visited this site yet (nor the USS Missouri).  I have the best of both worlds.  I often play "tourist" but also am able to slip into the Kama'aina mode easily.  Love taking this tour with you.

 

 

Thank you very much cr8tiv1. 

 

I am learning such a lot as I write this. Thanks to Mr G, I now know what ‘Kama’aina’ mode is! 😉

 

Love having you along! 

[ellie1145]

24 minutes ago, AF-1 said:

ellie 1145;  I have been to Portsmouth many times.  When I flew President Bush#41 we landed at Pease AFB, which is located in Portsmouth, New Hampshire; which is right across the water from the shipyard.  President Bush would take Marine One helicopter to his house in Kennebunkport, Maine

 

You have led such an interesting life, AF-1. I would love to meet you one day so you could reminisce. 

 

I wonder which President was your favourite and which ones were the ‘good, the bad, and the ugly.’

 

I have to admit that, as a Brit, and with absolutely no knowledge of the politics, I have always had a soft spot for Ronald Reagan. He appeared to be a real gentleman. And, of course, he once danced with our own beautiful and much missed Princess Diana. What a wonderful moment that was. 

 

 

 

[JF - retired RRT]

15 hours ago, ellie1145 said:

The submarine is unexpectedly narrow and claustrophobic and one wonders how the submariners onboard ever got used to being in such a confined space. 

DH & his best friend from childhood joined the Navy at the same time to beat the Vietnam draft. DH was assigned to an "attack tug" and his friend who is 6'8" tall (!!) was assigned to a submarine.

We've often commented on how difficult it must have been for him.

[Yehootu]

On 12/12/2020 at 9:23 AM, AF-1 said:

Yehootu;  I was there when you graduated.  I was at Hickam from 75-80

Uh-oh.😀. Those were some good times.

[ellie1145]

3 hours ago, AF-1 said:r to his house in Kennebunkport, Maine

 

Duplicate post. Sorry

Edited December 17, 2020 by ellie1145

[AF-1]

4 hours ago, ellie1145 said:

 

You have led such an interesting life, AF-1. I would love to meet you one day so you could reminisce. 

 

I wonder which President was your favourite and which ones were the ‘good, the bad, and the ugly.’

 

I have to admit that, as a Brit, and with absolutely no knowledge of the politics, I have always had a soft spot for Ronald Reagan. He appeared to be a real gentleman. And, of course, he once danced with our own beautiful and much missed Princess Diana. What a wonderful moment that was. 

 

 

 

This picture was from same party where Princess Diana danced with John Travolta.  My daughter met Princess Diana and Prince Charles at Andrews AFB; when they arrived for a visit.  

[AF-1]

2 hours ago, Yehootu said:

Uh-oh.😀. Those were some good times.

They were great times;  the island of Oahu was not totally built up.  When I arrived in 1975; there was no H1 or H2 highways.  We took Kam highway downtown; going to north shore we cut thru the Pali;  I had to go to Barbers Point NAS once a year and we took the regular road past Pearl City and then headed west. 

Edited December 17, 2020 by AF-1

[ellie1145]

3 hours ago, AF-1 said:

This picture was from same party where Princess Diana danced with John Travolta.  My daughter met Princess Diana and Prince Charles at Andrews AFB; when they arrived for a visit.  

 

Yes, it was an amazing moment when she danced with him, but sadly her husband was too jealous of her popularity to recognise what a great addition she was to the Royal Family.

[ellie1145]

This is a bathroom area. You can see a wash unit with a basin which folds down.

 

 

This is a shower.

 

I'm sure I don't need to tell you what this is....

 

An area where meals were taken by the officers. Space is at a premium, so everything has its place, and is stowed securely away.

 

 

 

 

 

Another sleeping area. Even here there are electric cables, and pipes and dials and gauges. Every inch of space is used. 

 

The captain's sleeping quarters. On the side is a picture of him and his wife. Even here there are dials and pipework

 

[ellie1145]

We make our way through the tiny openings, from one watertight area to the next. It is quite a feat of limbo dancing. It is easy to imagine how, when battle stations were called,  the crew would rush through these tiny spaces, ready to do whatever was necessary. It must have been organised chaos.

 

 

 

 

 

Everywhere there are switches and levers, and pipework and dials. Every  part of this submarine sparkles, and looks ready for action. What an extraordinarily complex piece of equipment a submarine is. So much crammed into such a tiny space. 

 

 

 

Edited December 17, 2020 by ellie1145

[cr8tiv1]

Here are a few "archived" photos of the USS Arizona (Memorial).  Story has it that when the last member of the crew passes, the oil from the fuel tanks will cease.  Each underwater urn placement is done with much honor and ceremony.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 18, 2020 by cr8tiv1

[DUCHESSRN]

On 12/15/2020 at 3:49 AM, ellie1145 said:

 

I’ve got everything crossed for you! 

 

Where are you going?

Hawaii ...cannot wait .

[katisdale]

We were there in December 2019. The launches were running then. It is a very sobering tour. 

[ellie1145]

21 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

Here are a few "archived" photos of the USS Arizona (Memorial).  Story has it that when the last member of the crew passes, the oil from the fuel tanks will cease.  Each underwater urn placement is done with much honor and ceremony.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for posting those photos, cr8tiv1. We were unable to step onto the memorial site so it is very helpful to see what it is like. What an amazing sight. To actually visit it must be very moving.

[ellie1145]

2 hours ago, katisdale said:

We were there in December 2019. The launches were running then. It is a very sobering tour. 

 

It certainly is, katisdale. Even though we were unable to land it was still extremely poignant.