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Old Salt
Posts: 272
Location: Vista, Ca. | Subject: Watch Temperatures
A couple of guys were shooting the breeze the other day. Somehow got on the subject of topside watches in cold weather. Ultimately it got to the who stood watch in colder weather type discussion. I thought it was funny and then did some research. Now I remember Sub School and I remember always bitchin' due to being so damn cold. I remember topside watch as a SN in Yokosuka, Pusan and Chinhae bitchin' due to being so damn cold. then I find the average temperature in January for New London is 39 and Yokosuka etc. is around 37. Now I'm laughing 'cause I have nowhere that it was "the coldest". |
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Great Sage of the Sea
Posts: 715
Location: Conway, NH | Subject: RE: Watch Temperatures
It had to be Hawai'i! I swear on the midwatch I would freeze to death!   |
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Master and Commander
Posts: 1323
Location: Oxnard, CA | Subject: RE: Watch Temperatures
Worst cold/flu (whatever) I ever caught was in the evening, July, 1975, Waikiki Beach, Honolulu. Damn it was cold. |
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COMSUBBBS
Posts: 3667
Location: Kansas City Missouri | Subject: RE: Watch Temperatures
How can one determine a lowest temperature by only looking at the average temperature? |
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COMSUBBBS
Posts: 2672
Location: New Jersey | Subject: RE: Watch Temperatures
That's easy Gary...If your feet feel like they're gonna fall off due to the cold, that means the temps are below average, or visa versa...
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Master and Commander
Posts: 1454
| Subject: RE: Watch Temperatures
I've said it before. It's hard to beat, in CONUS, a March mid watch at EB on deck around 3am when the wind blows off the sound and the temperatures are double digits below zero. |
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Master and Commander
Posts: 1269
Location: Hopewell Junction NY | Subject: RE: Watch Temperatures
Tom McNulty - 2017-11-07 9:02 AMI've said it before. It's hard to beat, in CONUS, a March mid watch at EB on deck around 3am when the wind blows off the sound and the temperatures are double digits below zero.
PORTSMOUTH Shipyard was brutal. The steam line that was used to heat our living barge froze solid. Blocks of ice in the commodes. |
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Plankowner
Posts: 9164
Location: Upper lefthand corner of the map. | Subject: RE: Watch Temperatures
Gotta agree, damned cold in New London. Constant wind blowing down the river. Remember seeing ice in the river frozen solid to the shore and going out 20 to 50 feet. House we lived in while at EB had newspaper taped over the window, I mean whole sections not just a sheet. Then we taped the blinds to the window frame THEN we taped the drapes to the wall. Hardly helped at all. |
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Master and Commander
Posts: 1454
| Subject: RE: Watch Temperatures
Winter with the 599 at EB I bought a 1961 TR3. Rag top with cardboard side curtains. Used to use Duct Tape all over the top and sides to keep out the cold while hitting the CT Turnpike. Still had to wear a few layers since the little can heater in the center really just served to eliminate leg hair on one side. Stopped at a rest area for hot coffee and I was shaking so bad a guy paid for my coffee and offered me a ride to NYC. Thought I was hitch hiking. Damn that car was cold in the Winter. |
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Master and Commander
Posts: 1796
Location: Albany, GA. | Subject: RE: Watch Temperatures
Cold is all in the eye of the beholder. There have been cold watches in Charleston, just no where near as often as New London. I will note no one claimed frost bite. In February, that water in the flooding trainer in New London was cold by anyone!s standard. I think it came from that froze over pond up the hill. Now if you want real cold, try a deer stand in Saskatchewan. |
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Plankowner
Posts: 9164
Location: Upper lefthand corner of the map. | Subject: RE: Watch Temperatures
No doubt that is cold. Never been there but I have been to Anchorage in December and -20 below and on a dog sled in that weather. That was cold to me. Cold enough to freeze the you know whats off a well digger, etc, etc, etc....
Now out at sea on one of our "temperature controlled" SSN's in the far north was a laugh. How many clothes could you wear? We loved it when the hot clinkers came out of the O2 furnaces. We'd fight for position around the buckets and soak in that multi-hundred degree heat source. If you were right under the ventilation ducts you would get some heat but the ice in the bilges told you it was cold through out. |
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Great Sage of the Sea
Posts: 715
Location: Conway, NH | Subject: RE: Watch Temperatures
I dressed the same under ice as I did cruising around Hawai'i. So I don't understand your comment about "temperature controlled"; unless boats prior to 637 class had a issue with maintaining livable climate conditions. |
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Plankowner
Posts: 9164
Location: Upper lefthand corner of the map. | Subject: RE: Watch Temperatures
The Thresher class had air conditioning but we were a larger boat than the original. We had been framed and almost 14 feet added midships. Essentially were were a 637 in size but with a smaller boats air conditioning system. It got hot in the tropics and cold in the north in winter. A lot of the time we were fine. A lot happened after Thresher sank. Flasher had many firsts, first SUBSAFE boat, Framming, larger sail, added AUX tanks. Larger torpedo room with more fish. Separate laundry room. Added 9 man berthing and head meant bigger crew. CO and XO got their own staterooms a with a shared head. Because our marker buoy popped loose everyone got to weld down theirs before patrol. And we got to do what you did but with a thinner hull! |
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Old Salt
Posts: 438
Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL | Subject: RE: Watch Temperatures
Tom McNulty - 2017-11-07 9:02 AMI've said it before. It's hard to beat, in CONUS, a March mid watch at EB on deck around 3am when the wind blows off the sound and the temperatures are double digits below zero.
1969 we had a snake ranch in Niantic and I had an Austin Healy 100-6 also with side curtains and no heat. It was pretty chilly driving to the base.
One day in March I was visiting my parents and told dad about how cold the car was. He opened the hood and opened a valve which sent hot water to the heating coil. When open there was constant heat so it needed to be secured in the warmer months.
I froze for nothing.
LOL
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Master and Commander
Posts: 1602
| Subject: RE: Watch Temperatures
I had never experience snowfall before January of 1968. We were in Yokosuka with four boats tied together and I had topside watch and was freezing. I couldn't help myself when an open bottle of Seagram 7 was offered for a swig by a sympathetic pie eyed shipmate, besides Seagram 7 was not listed in the 11 General Orders.
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Great Sage of the Sea
Posts: 619
| Subject: RE: Watch Temperatures
Not actually related to winter topside watch but close enough to warrant some attention.
Feb 2001, IC A School GLakes. Had the weekend off and hitched to Milwaukee. Wore just about everything I had, Jersey, Blues, scarf, flat hat, Pea coat, gloves, etc.
Weekend was a Yuge success I just can't give some of the details here. Had been snowing and boy was it cold as I got a couple of rather quick rides down US 41. Had to walk thru North Chicago to get to the gate, which at that time was directly across from downtown and the RR tracks. As I was about to cross the red lights went on, the gates came down and there came the longest slowest freight I had ever seen, and I lived across form the NY Central main line. I ducked into a closed store entrance across the street. I counted while I froze, I counted three diesels and gave up after 100+ freight cars.Anyway it finally passed and the gates went up and I crossed and went thru the gate. One of the Marines in the guard shack grabbed me by the lapels and pulled me in. They rubbed my face with snow, and poured hot coffee into me. They kept me there till I warmed up a little and showed some signs of life and humanity.
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Admin
Posts: 2297
Location: Renton, WA | Subject: RE: Watch Temperatures
USS Ray in New London
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Plankowner
Posts: 9164
Location: Upper lefthand corner of the map. | Subject: RE: Watch Temperatures
DAMN!!! That looks cold!!!!!! I remember those. |
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Great Sage of the Sea
Posts: 997
Location: NE Florida | Subject: RE: Watch Temperatures
Seadragon, 1960. Fire watch in Drydock 1, Portsmouth NH Naval Shipyard for welders in MBT2. Wind out of the north, snow, yuk.
Coyote |
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COMSUBBBS
Posts: 2672
Location: New Jersey | Subject: RE: Watch Temperatures
Never have been to Hawaii and am damned surprised by you guys that relate how cold Hawaii gets. Amazing, I thought it was always sun and fun and warm in Hawaii...Who knew! 
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Great Sage of the Sea
Posts: 715
Location: Conway, NH | Subject: RE: Watch Temperatures
Runner485 - 2017-11-14 8:51 AM
Never have been to Hawaii and am damned surprised by you guys that relate how cold Hawaii gets. Amazing, I thought it was always sun and fun and warm in Hawaii...Who knew!
Yup it gets darn cold in winter there. The low is around 65! BRRRR. |
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Master and Commander
Posts: 1454
| Subject: RE: Watch Temperatures
That's some fo the crap weather I remember. If that's the 599 on the left, I was there at the time. |
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Plankowner
Posts: 9164
Location: Upper lefthand corner of the map. | Subject: RE: Watch Temperatures
When I lived in Hawaii after I got out one November day it had been raining for about a week and the temps had gotten down to 50F. The locals were wearing ski parkas. I just wore a flannel shirt. When it rained many locals would stand outside with as bar of soap and shower and wash their hair. Interesting what you learn if you live in the neighborhoods. |
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Plankowner
Posts: 9164
Location: Upper lefthand corner of the map. | Subject: RE: Watch Temperatures
It is a Skipjack class. Last number is blocked mostly. Could be 590. |
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Plankowner
Posts: 9164
Location: Upper lefthand corner of the map. | Subject: RE: Watch Temperatures Burrrrrrrrrrrr
A Nasty day to be topside watch aboard the USS R-13. This photo is taken sometime in the mid 1930's while the R-13 operated as a training submarine at New London Submarine Base in Groton, Conn. It is a nasty, rainy day and the morning topside watch has to perform "colors".
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Watch Temperatures
