Non-Recreational Boating

[angus99]

I was fishing near Fort Moultrie, SC, in the late '80s when I saw a strange thing entering the harbor. It was the USS Bonefish being towed back to its homeport in Charleston after a fire broke out during exercises killing 3 people. As I recall, it was strung between two ocean-going tugs for the part of the journey I witnessed and made a bizarre sight when it appeared on the horizon. I did a little research and was astonished at how many dozens of subs have been damaged and lost over the years.

[sbu22]

For the US - four lost since WWII;none since 1968. Pretty good record for an inherently dangerous business.

[angus99]

And glad I am that it's been so few lost. The number of groundings and collisions, however, was surprising. Wikipedia lists 68. Makes me feel less like a klutz when I occasionally touch bottom to know that it happens to the best.