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At random: "Like the destroyer, the submarine has created its own type of officer and man with language and traditions apart from the rest of the service, and yet at the heart unchangingly of the Service” -- Rudyard Kipling, The Fringes of the Fleet, 1915

Do these modern boats have topside gangs and linehandlers? Moderators: Jump to page : 1 Now viewing page 1 [25 messages per page]
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Posted 2009-06-26 5:19 AM (#28016)

COMSUBBBS

Posts: 3202

Location: Alexandria, Virginia

Subject: Do these modern boats have topside gangs and linehandlers?

I was talking with an old boatsailor who rode boats in the early fifties. He said..."With the hull shape of the modern boats, how do the lads who maintain the exterior surfaces of their boats? How do they maintain their footing? Same for linehandlers...how do they put their lines over? Where do they stow their lines and topside gear? Do they still have "Leading Seamen"?" Do they still use chipping hammers and paint scrapers...knuckle busters? Paint pots and MEK (Methyl Etheyl Keytone)? Do they still mask out the hull numbers and paint them white? How about the raised lettering of the ship's name...do they still paint them in? Both Jack and I served as Leading Seamen and we were wondering if Topside Gangs have become another cold page in the history of undersea service....Anyone who knows, please hop in here. Thanks DEX

Posted 2009-06-26 9:26 AM (#28021 - in reply to #28016)

Great Sage of the Sea

Posts: 781

Location: Port Orchard WA

Subject: RE: Do these modern boats have topside gangs and linehandlers?

When I left and last time I was there

Yes to topside gang (only they are called Seaman Gang or Deck division)

Yes there are line handlers there is non skid on deck, they are safety harnessed and wear sneaker (Still have men overboard)

Lines proper are stowed in line lockers that are located topside between deck and hull (just like DBF)

Yes to leading Seaman somewhat for chirping hammers and scrappers (more inside than out since hull is coated with Rubber sound absorption panels

No to hull numbers only painted on normally for building and very very special events Lettering nope use a wood plank on brow if there is a history (I am sure the early T boats still have theirs Michigan for example), but it is almost always a cloth banner

Posted 2009-06-26 9:53 AM (#28024 - in reply to #28021)

Plankowner

Posts: 9164

Location: Upper lefthand corner of the map.

Subject: RE: Do these modern boats have topside gangs and linehandlers?

All our lines were stowed in the escape trunks since we knew we'd never be using them.

Posted 2009-06-26 11:53 AM (#28030 - in reply to #28016)

Great Sage of the Sea

Posts: 781

Location: Port Orchard WA

Subject: RE: Do these modern boats have topside gangs and linehandlers?

Mine were all 726 637 or 608 class and all had line lockers topside all tools like the capstan wrench, heavies and t handles for line locker and cleats were kept in fan room I was normally line 6 (or equivalant) PO had a knack of hitting the pier first time from quite far out. Hit more than the pier a few times

Donald L. Johnson

Posted 2009-06-26 12:08 PM (#28031 - in reply to #28016)

Great Sage of the Sea

Posts: 602

Location: Visalia, Ca.

Subject: RE: Do these modern boats have topside gangs and linehandlers?

All the boats I rode had line lockers in the superstructure near the capstans for lines and topside safety line stantions.

Deck was coated with non-skid paint from about 2 feet above the waterline, below that was anechoic rubber to kill active sonar returns.

As Bear said, no Name or Numbers welded or engraved into hull or sail. We had a set of plexiglass numbers we hung for special occasions. The Boat's Name and Hull Number were also mounted on a mahogany board that could be hung on the sail handrail (when we had one) near the brow. We had canvas or vinyl banners we hung from either side of the brow in port.

Donald

SSN-584, SSBN-622B, SSN-715, SSN-595 (Decom), SSN-591 (Decom)

Posted 2009-06-26 4:34 PM (#28036 - in reply to #28016)

Crew

Posts: 50

Subject: RE: Do these modern boats have topside gangs and linehandlers?

Donald, When you were on USS Buffalo (SSN-715) there were no line lockers topside. All lines were received from the pier. We did carry a set of lines, for emergency, usually stowed in the tunnel to the sonar sphere.

DBF Former COB ssn-715

Posted 2009-06-26 5:33 PM (#28037 - in reply to #28030)

Plankowner

Posts: 9164

Location: Upper lefthand corner of the map.

Subject: RE: Do these modern boats have topside gangs and linehandlers?

We had the lockers too but they were free flood and after two months submerged they were a mess to handle and we had to do that in whites. It was decided to use the escape trunks instead. We could actually still open them from inside, we didn't pile anything on the lower hatch.

Posted 2009-06-26 10:15 PM (#28042 - in reply to #28016)

Great Sage of the Sea

Posts: 561

Location: Belleview, Fl

Subject: RE: Do these modern boats have topside gangs and linehandlers?

Dave when were you on the Buffy??? I was on Hono '91-94 amongst other boats as a TAD rider

Darrin

Posted 2009-06-27 11:08 AM (#28052 - in reply to #28016)

Crew

Posts: 50

Subject: RE: Do these modern boats have topside gangs and linehandlers?

USS Buffalo '86-'89.

DBF

Posted 2009-06-27 11:11 AM (#28053 - in reply to #28016)

Great Sage of the Sea

Posts: 561

Location: Belleview, Fl

Subject: RE: Do these modern boats have topside gangs and linehandlers?

Cool, yes Hono had part of her lines in the sonar dome trunk and the rest were kept outboard of the mains, it was a pain in the arse to get them all out to use them and very rarely did we use them (Change of command or a ceremony @ Pearl) although we did use them once on deployment and the guy who slept in the bunk next to the access trunk was pissed because the lines were wet when we put them back and so was his bunk

Posted 2009-06-27 11:16 AM (#28054 - in reply to #28016)

Great Sage of the Sea

Posts: 781

Location: Port Orchard WA

Subject: RE: Do these modern boats have topside gangs and linehandlers?

only time we handled lines in dress uniform was for ceremonial (I never did in my 20 years) they are in white for first arrival in Pearl for the Aspro but I am sure everyone was different. It took us years before they finally told us we did not have to paint hull numbers on sail when we were in homeport.

Posted 2009-06-27 12:04 PM (#28055 - in reply to #28054)

Plankowner

Posts: 9164

Location: Upper lefthand corner of the map.

Subject: RE: Do these modern boats have topside gangs and linehandlers?

Uniform for Flasher while I was aboard was always, (except sea trials at EB), tropical whites with sneakers. The pic shows us entering Pearl the first time but other than the Hula Girls we looked pretty much like this each time we came in. What they did after June, 1968 I couldn't say.

Posted 2009-06-27 2:25 PM (#28065 - in reply to #28055)

COMSUBBBS

Posts: 6180

Location: Summerville, SC

Subject: RE: Do these modern boats have topside gangs and linehandlers?

Ric, Which one of those dancers was Stoops? I can't tell with the wigs.

Posted 2009-06-27 11:07 PM (#28080 - in reply to #28065)

Master and Commander

Posts: 1107

Location: Tucson AZ

Subject: RE: Do these modern boats have topside gangs and linehandlers?

Ralph Luther - 2009-06-27 3:25 PMRic, Which one of those dancers was Stoops? I can't tell with the wigs.

I figure the one on the right ... got a couple of incipient fat rolls starting to show. It's 45 years, give or take, since that photo was taken, so I figure she is now one of those XXXL Hawai'ian grandmas that is only seen out in one of those Omar-the-tentmaker mumus.

Posted 2009-06-28 5:36 AM (#28082 - in reply to #28080)

COMSUBBBS

Posts: 6180

Location: Summerville, SC

Subject: RE: Do these modern boats have topside gangs and linehandlers?

Dog-gone, Bob, I think you're right. I took a closer look and noticed that "Gal's" ears resemble Dave's also. Without that wig hat on he/she would look like a Ford going down the road with the doors open

If I'm lyin, I'm dyin.

Sorry Dex, really didn't mean to jump into your parade, but, some things about Shipmates just has to be set out there. Cheers

Edited by Ralph Luther 2009-06-28 5:38 AM

Donald L. Johnson

Posted 2009-06-28 11:57 PM (#28129 - in reply to #28036)

Great Sage of the Sea

Posts: 602

Location: Visalia, Ca.

Subject: RE: Do these modern boats have topside gangs and linehandlers?

Dave Follo - 2009-06-26 2:34 PM

Donald, When you were on USS Buffalo (SSN-715) there were no line lockers topside. All lines were received from the pier. We did carry a set of lines, for emergency, usually stowed in the tunnel to the sonar sphere.

DBF Former COB ssn-715

85-88. You were COB when I left to go to Plunger.

You're right, I mis-remembered.

All that stuff was stowed below-decks on the LA-class, but all the older boats I rode had topside/deck lockers.

Edited by Donald L. Johnson 2009-06-28 11:59 PM

Posted 2009-06-29 6:47 AM (#28135 - in reply to #28016)

Old Salt

Posts: 338

Location: Oak Island, NC

Subject: RE: Do these modern boats have topside gangs and linehandlers?

Line handling in Squadron Eight in Norfolk, at least while I was onboard ATLANTA in 98-99, was done in service dress uniform when returning from deployment. I always thought that was a dumb idea. It particularly galled me, since Squadron Six did not have the same requirement. You would have thought the two Commodores could come to a consensus.

BTW, we stowed lines for ATLANTA in the Sonar Sphere as well. We hardly ever used them, lines typically came from the pier.

Posted 2009-06-29 7:24 AM (#28136 - in reply to #28135)

COMSUBBBS

Posts: 6180

Location: Summerville, SC

Subject: RE: Do these modern boats have topside gangs and linehandlers?

You would have thought the two Commodores could come to a consensus.

Chuck, some things in the Navy and life never change.

Posted 2009-06-29 7:46 AM (#28138 - in reply to #28135)

Master and Commander

Posts: 2253

Location: Foothills of the Ozarks

Subject: RE: Do these modern boats have topside gangs and linehandlers?

rjs2005 - 2009-06-29 9:47 AM

Line handling in Squadron Eight in Norfolk, at least while I was onboard ATLANTA in 98-99, was done in service dress uniform when returning from deployment. I always thought that was a dumb idea. It particularly galled me, since Squadron Six did not have the same requirement. You would have thought the two Commodores could come to a consensus.

BTW, we stowed lines for ATLANTA in the Sonar Sphere as well. We hardly ever used them, lines typically came from the pier.

You actually took dress uniforms to sea? When I was on Skipjack (1964-1965) the only time we took anything but dungarees with us was when we were scheduled for some foreign liberty and that didn't happen too often. Uniform of the day was "steaming" dungarees. When we returned to State Pier we did line handling in dungarees (clean if possible) and white hats if we didn't lose them to the wind. These were the days when I was still a deckape prior to becoming a corpsman.

Posted 2009-06-29 10:55 AM (#28142 - in reply to #28016)

Old Salt

Posts: 338

Location: Oak Island, NC

Subject: RE: Do these modern boats have topside gangs and linehandlers?

Yes, we certainly did! In fact, I had to hide one of my EM's when we returned from Med Run 98 because he had forgotten his dress blue jumper. I kept him in the Engine Room until after we had brought on shore power, and then snuck him ashore. Apparently, appearance trumped performance in Squadron 8 those days.

Posted 2009-06-29 10:58 AM (#28143 - in reply to #28136)

Old Salt

Posts: 338

Location: Oak Island, NC

Subject: RE: Do these modern boats have topside gangs and linehandlers?

Ralph Luther - 2009-06-29 10:24 AM

You would have thought the two Commodores could come to a consensus.

Chuck, some things in the Navy and life never change.

I hear ya. It was particularly annoying, since Squadron 6 and 8 shared:

1. A pier
2. Support staff
3. Office space

Just another way to say "the left hand doesn't know what the right hand's up to."

Posted 2009-06-29 2:21 PM (#28154 - in reply to #28135)

Master and Commander

Posts: 2253

Location: Foothills of the Ozarks

Subject: RE: Do these modern boats have topside gangs and linehandlers?

You would have thought the two Commodores could come to a consensus.

BTW, we stowed lines for ATLANTA in the Sonar Sphere as well. We hardly ever used them, lines typically came from the pier.

Let me hazard a guess as to which Commodore was senior? Squadron 6?

I got to thinking about mooring line stowing and if I remember correctly on the long runs to you know where we left them behind in the storage cages at State Pier; that left the escape trunk available for fresh spuds.
I love these old memories; I just lookd at my posting total; 5 more posts and I'll have to retire this user name at 585 and start all over.

Edited by Doc Gardner 2009-06-29 2:22 PM

Posted 2009-06-29 3:33 PM (#28155 - in reply to #28016)

Crew

Posts: 92

Subject: RE: Do these modern boats have topside gangs and linehandlers?

The last time I was in Kings Bay and visited one of the Tridents, there was a guy under the missle deck using air driven chipping hammer. So, at least on the boomers they still use such things.

Posted 2009-06-29 4:52 PM (#28156 - in reply to #28138)

Great Sage of the Sea

Posts: 811

Location: NW Connecticut

Subject: RE: Do these modern boats have topside gangs and linehandlers?

Doc Gardner - 2009-06-29 10:46 AM

rjs2005 - 2009-06-29 9:47 AM

Line handling in Squadron Eight in Norfolk, at least while I was onboard ATLANTA in 98-99, was done in service dress uniform when returning from deployment. I always thought that was a dumb idea. It particularly galled me, since Squadron Six did not have the same requirement. You would have thought the two Commodores could come to a consensus.

BTW, we stowed lines for ATLANTA in the Sonar Sphere as well. We hardly ever used them, lines typically came from the pier.

You actually took dress uniforms to sea? When I was on Skipjack (1964-1965) the only time we took anything but dungarees with us was when we were scheduled for some foreign liberty and that didn't happen too often. Uniform of the day was "steaming" dungarees. When we returned to State Pier we did line handling in dungarees (clean if possible) and white hats if we didn't lose them to the wind. These were the days when I was still a deckape prior to becoming a corpsman.

Doc~ Like you we didn't take anything but dungarees and a few poopie suits to sea.. Where, or how could you keep a dress uniform in any condition for wear on a Boat?
We needed the extra space for tobacco and porn.
In my 6 and 1/2 years I wore my blues 3 times I think.. two or three change of commands and my EAOS day. ( In which I wore a shipmates jumper and white socks)..I remember wearing my whites for travel a few times ..until they allowed travel in civies around 1973 or 74..

Donald L. Johnson

Posted 2009-06-29 9:47 PM (#28164 - in reply to #28142)

Great Sage of the Sea

Posts: 602

Location: Visalia, Ca.

Subject: RE: Do these modern boats have topside gangs and linehandlers?

rjs2005 - 2009-06-29 8:55 AM

Yes, we certainly did! In fact, I had to hide one of my EM's when we returned from Med Run 98 because he had forgotten his dress blue jumper. I kept him in the Engine Room until after we had brought on shore power, and then snuck him ashore. Apparently, appearance trumped performance in Squadron 8 those days.

Reminds me of the Bull Nuke we had on Buffalo when I reported in '85 - EMCM(SS) Lyle Halvorsen.

His motto seemed to be: "Run it May, Shine it Must".

He was also a rabid anti-smoker ('cause he quit). Used to threaten smokers with a CO2 bottle when he had the EWS. REALLY hated my pipe. Everyone else seemed to love it, said it smelled like chocolate, but he wouldn't come near Maneuvering if I had EO or Throttles and my pipe lit.

His relief used rum-soaked crooks to simulate electrical fires.

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