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

[ellie1145]

 

 

 

 

 

The wireless room, the heart of communications.

 

The galley, which although very small seems well organised and well equipped. 

 

A  place for everything and everything in its place.

 

There is a photo of one of the crew holding a freshly baked loaf. 

 

This is where the majority of the crew ate. 

 

 

 

[ellie1145]

USS Bowfin's Final Patrol of WWII

 

In December,1944, and following an overhaul in the Mare Island Navy Yard, Commander Alexander K. Tyree took over command of the submarine, USS Bowfin. He was still in command on her ninth and last patrol of the war. He had already commanded several other patrols.

 

 

Bowfin was, by now, protected by the newly developed mine-detecting sonar, and entered the dangerous waters of the Sea of Japan. They made their way through the Tsushima Strait which was defended by dangerous mine-fields.

 

The Bowfin had to proceed with great caution to avoid hitting either the mines, or the cables which attached them to the sea bed. 

 

 

It must have been a terrifying experience, which took 16 hours, during which time they had to maintain complete silence to prevent their discovery by the enemy. She made contact and sank two ships, a freighter and a cargo ship, before heading back to Hawaii.

 

A replica shell.

 

 

The majority of the crew slept in areas like this with bunks in three tiers. There was little to no privacy and it must have been very claustrophobic.

 

Space is at a premium on a submarine and USS Bowfin was no different. 

 

Here you can see the blue bags which hung from the bunks, and which contained all the men's belongings.  The bunks would be folded up against the hull when not in use, to give more space. 

 

 

 

 

A narrow corridor leads to the toilets and wash area. 

 

 

 

 

Even in the 'smallest room' there are cables and pipes. 

 

 

Edited December 19, 2020 by ellie1145

[DUCHESSRN]

Ellie I hope you are OK over there in UK .I spoke to my family in Winchester and their Christmas plans are now cancelled , I believe they are in Tier 2 and 2 of their children in Tier 4 ...loads of food and little freezer space . Most will be donated .

Stay healthy and Merry Christmas .

[ellie1145]

2 hours ago, DUCHESSRN said:

Ellie I hope you are OK over there in UK .I spoke to my family in Winchester and their Christmas plans are now cancelled , I believe they are in Tier 2 and 2 of their children in Tier 4 ...loads of food and little freezer space . Most will be donated .

Stay healthy and Merry Christmas .

Thank you so much for asking, DUCHESSRN. We are ok thank you, just a little busy. Our boiler packed up over the weekend, and we have had no hot water or heating since then. We are expecting an engineer this morning so fingers crossed. We take the availability of hot water for granted, but I cannot tell you how much we have missed it!. Thankfully it is still pretty mild, but we also miss our central heating.

 

Yes, we are in the throes of a more severe lock down. We are in Tier 4. This dreadful virus has mutated and we are struggling with its increased ability to infect. I cannot believe that this new mutation will not spread across the world. We just hope that the vaccine will still work. I wonder what the unbelievers will think of this latest development. 

 

Although the vast majority of people here have been sensible there are some people who maintain their right to do as they like. Sadly, we have had youngsters (who think they won’t get it so badly, but the virus is proving them wrong) who have gathered in large numbers to drink together before our bars shut down. And there have been demonstrators who rail against efforts to curb the infections. But no man is an island, and what we do affects others. 

 

The more this pandemic goes on the more I realise that we just don’t know what is ahead. 

 

Yes, Christmas is going to be very different for most people, but the main thing is to stay safe and well. 

 

I hope that you and your family will have a peaceful and safe Christmas. 

[ellie1145]

We heard this morning on the news that Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano erupted on Sunday night. We hope that it settles down and does not cause any problems for the islanders. 

 

[ellie1145]

Hope to be back later today, to finish our tour of the Bowfin, after I have finished icing my Christmas cakes.

 

Luckily they last a long time and don’t have to be eaten immediately. And luckily I don’t like Christmas cake so I won’t be tempted to eat them all! 🤣

[ROWSE]

5 hours ago, ellie1145 said:

Thank you so much for asking, DUCHESSRN. We are ok thank you, just a little busy. Our boiler packed up over the weekend, and we have had no hot water or heating since then. We are expecting an engineer this morning so fingers crossed. We take the availability of hot water for granted, but I cannot tell you how much we have missed it!. Thankfully it is still pretty mild, but we also miss our central heating.

 

Yes, we are in the throes of a more severe lock down. We are in Tier 4. This dreadful virus has mutated and we are struggling with its increased ability to infect. I cannot believe that this new mutation will not spread across the world. We just hope that the vaccine will still work. I wonder what the unbelievers will think of this latest development. 

 

Although the vast majority of people here have been sensible there are some people who maintain their right to do as they like. Sadly, we have had youngsters (who think they won’t get it so badly, but the virus is proving them wrong) who have gathered in large numbers to drink together before our bars shut down. And there have been demonstrators who rail against efforts to curb the infections. But no man is an island, and what we do affects others. 

 

The more this pandemic goes on the more I realise that we just don’t know what is ahead. 

 

Yes, Christmas is going to be very different for most people, but the main thing is to stay safe and well. 

 

I hope that you and your family will have a peaceful and safe Christmas. 

“Stay safe and Healthy!”  That is our ending to most correspondence lately and I wish it for you and your family.  
Your description above could be written about our area of Washington which is next to Idaho.  There are so many who believe masks are an infringement on their rights.  We shake our head in disbelief as we watch news of people gathering in groups to protest all this, maskless and spreading it more and more.  
It was scary to have a daughter pregnant and baby born during this pandemic,  and I know you are in this category.  Our little Lucy is 4 months old now and thankfully my daughter did not catch anything and, knock on wood, it stays that way, and it all happens that way for your girl as well.  

I am so sorry your area is facing that mutation, and who knows it may already be in the US and elsewhere.  They say the vaccine will work anyway in our news!

Yesterday I cancelled our May 2, British Isles cruise and booked a few months forward for Aug. 30, 2021.  We hope to get the vaccine by then but we are way down the list in line to do so.  Every time I move it forward I think this will be gone or safer by then, and then it isn’t.  

Thank you for your writings which gives a lot of us some joy and hope that we can be doing this all again in the not to distant future. 

 

Merry Christmas and Happy 2021!!!
 

 

[ellie1145]

7 hours ago, ROWSE said:

“Stay safe and Healthy!”  That is our ending to most correspondence lately and I wish it for you and your family.  
Your description above could be written about our area of Washington which is next to Idaho.  There are so many who believe masks are an infringement on their rights.  We shake our head in disbelief as we watch news of people gathering in groups to protest all this, maskless and spreading it more and more.  
It was scary to have a daughter pregnant and baby born during this pandemic,  and I know you are in this category.  Our little Lucy is 4 months old now and thankfully my daughter did not catch anything and, knock on wood, it stays that way, and it all happens that way for your girl as well.  

I am so sorry your area is facing that mutation, and who knows it may already be in the US and elsewhere.  They say the vaccine will work anyway in our news!

Yesterday I cancelled our May 2, British Isles cruise and booked a few months forward for Aug. 30, 2021.  We hope to get the vaccine by then but we are way down the list in line to do so.  Every time I move it forward I think this will be gone or safer by then, and then it isn’t.  

Thank you for your writings which gives a lot of us some joy and hope that we can be doing this all again in the not to distant future. 

 

Merry Christmas and Happy 2021!!!
 

 

 

Thank you for your good wishes. I wish you and your family a safe and happy Christmas and hopefully a better 2021. 

 

I am sorry to hear that you had to cancel your cruise but completely understand why you did so. I’m afraid that when people talk about the light at the end of the tunnel it really is a very long tunnel and a very small pinprick of light. The scientists have done a phenomenal job, and it’s a great achievement but it’s only part of the story as, of course, we must still wear masks and do everything we can to avoid getting the virus.

 

I, too, cannot understand why people regard the wearing of masks as some sort of infringement of their personal liberty. As they say repeatedly on CNN, (which we watch in preference to the BBC or British news channels as they are so negative, and CNN gives us a window on the world), a mask is a a mask, it’s not a political statement. 

 

I am so glad that your daughter kept safe during her pregnancy and that the baby was fine. What a joy that is. We are extremely concerned about the safety of our daughter and the baby. She is 28 weeks and still a way to go, but we hope all will be well. 

 

Things are looking worse each day and we will most likely be in a full countrywide lockdown after Christmas. We feel so sad for those who have already lost jobs and homes. At our ages we are protected from that at least.

 

I am pleased that our virtual adventure has given you pleasure. Let’s hope that one day we will be able to cruise again for real.

 

Keep safe. 🤗

 

[ellie1145]

We  move through the body of the submarine and see some of the mechanics of the vessel. Bowfin is just over 311 ft long, and 27ft wide. Her displacement on the surface is 1,562 tons, and 2,415 tons when submerged. She has a speed of 20 knots when on the surface and just under 9 knots when submerged. 

 

 

 

Bowfin can operate at a depth of up to 400 ft, and has ten 21" torpedo tubes, four aft and six forward. She also carries 24 torpedoes, plus a deck gun, one 40mm gun and two machine guns. She could patrol for up to 75 days.

 

Bowfin is powered by four  General Motors main generator diesel engines, and it can hold a total of 94,400 gallons of fuel.

 

She has two 126 cell main storage batteries, as of course, when she is submerged she relies of battery power.

 

 

 

 

 

Bowfin took part in nine war patrols in the Pacific, and it is believed that she sank 179,646 tons of enemy shipping. This included 34 large vessels and 10 smaller boats. If you include the ships which were damaged, then the total is a staggering  213,580 tons.

 

She certainly was a legend. 

 

Edited December 22, 2020 by ellie1145

[ellie1145]

Captain Alexander K Tyree

 

 

Bowfin's fourth and final wartime commanding officer, Captain Alexander K Tyree, was in charge for the 4th to 9th patrols. 

 

 

He was one of the youngest submarine commanders in the US Navy during World War II, and commanded three submarines in total. 

 

Bowfin was one of nine submarines who were known, collectively, as 'The Hellcats.' Their task was to sever Japan's lifeline with the Asian mainland by destroying what remained of its merchant fleet. It was a very dangerous job as the Tsushima Strait was protected by an almost impenetrable minefield. 

 

 

Commander Tyree was give the Navy Cross twice during his command of the Bowfin. After serving 3- years in the navy he went on to receive a Master's Degree from Duke University, and became a maths professor at Mary Washington College until 1979. He died in 2006.

 

Edited December 22, 2020 by ellie1145

[ellie1145]

We pass through the various areas of the submarine, and it brings home how complex this vessel is. Working in such a confined space, and under battle conditions it must have been a difficult and dangerous task. 

 

It is extraordinary that we have been able to move freely about this fascinating submarine, and to see at close quarters how the crew would have lived. It is an experience we won't forget. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back in the torpedo room, we take a last look at the huge black torpedoes, lying ready for action in their cradles.

 

Here we see the torpedo tubes, ready and waiting for the primed torpedoes to be loaded into them, before they are fired and sent on their way towards their target. Once all the torpedoes have been deployed the submarine must return to base. 

 

 

 

[AF-1]

Merry Christmas Ellie

[azbirdmom]

Merry Christmas Ellie!  Thank you for being a rare bright spot in this awful year.

[chipz]

Merry Christmas, Ellie, and to all my fellow virtual cruisers. 🎄

[trbarton]

On 12/17/2020 at 6:00 AM, 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. 

 

 

 

Correct dancing position by both. What a great photo. Priceless. 

[trbarton]

On 12/18/2020 at 2:59 PM, ellie1145 said:

 

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.

As a US Navy veteran it was a humbling experience to be there knowing what had happened. I made a prayer for all persons that we’re effected. 
 

Tom😀

[RLK33853]

Hoping everyone is making the most of their holiday season.  And definitely thanks to Ellie for keeping us entertained this past year - your virtual cruises have been a welcome distraction.

[CruzinNoony]

Hi Ellie, I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas.  

[TeaBag]

Merry Christmas,  to you and yours, Ellie.  Here's to a fabulous 2021 and maybe a cruise in there?

[ellie1145]

On 12/23/2020 at 5:13 PM, AF-1 said:

Merry Christmas Ellie

 

Thank you AF-1. I wish you a very happy Christmas, and hopefully a cruising 2021! 🚢

[ellie1145]

On 12/24/2020 at 12:41 AM, azbirdmom said:

Merry Christmas Ellie!  Thank you for being a rare bright spot in this awful year.

 

Thank you azbirdmom. Happy Christmas to you, too, and to the little bird. I hope she got lots of presents....

 

Here’s to a return to cruising eventually in 2021. 

[ellie1145]

On 12/24/2020 at 12:50 AM, chipz said:

Merry Christmas, Ellie, and to all my fellow virtual cruisers. 🎄

 

Happy Christmas to you, too, chipz. 🎅

[ellie1145]

On 12/24/2020 at 7:23 AM, trbarton said:

Correct dancing position by both. What a great photo. Priceless. 

 

Diana was a superb dancer. She once arranged secretly to dance with Wayne Sleep to celebrate her husband’s birthday. They were at a charity gala at the Royal Opera House. Diana had always loved dancing and wanted to be a ballerina, but she was too tall. 

 

She gave a stunning performance but Charles was shocked and was frigidly disapproving of her. She never reprised this performance and as it was before the days of phone cameras, sadly,  no recording exists of her wonderful performance.  

[ellie1145]

On 12/24/2020 at 7:40 AM, trbarton said:

As a US Navy veteran it was a humbling experience to be there knowing what had happened. I made a prayer for all persons that we’re effected. 
 

Tom😀

 

We are not American, but it was a very moving day, especially being taken out to the memorial. 

[ellie1145]

On 12/24/2020 at 1:36 PM, RLK33853 said:

Hoping everyone is making the most of their holiday season.  And definitely thanks to Ellie for keeping us entertained this past year - your virtual cruises have been a welcome distraction.

 

A very happy Christmas to you and your family. I’m glad I’ve been able to keep you all entertained. It has been a welcome distraction for me, too. 

 

Hope 2021 is a much better year.