USNS COMFORT Departure

[fryedaze]

Any idea what this maneuver is for?

 

[ak-guy]

Maybe to set a heading sensor/electronic compass.

 

[Northern Spy]

Photo Op

 

[GFC]

Maybe to set a heading sensor/electronic compass.

+1

 

[fletch]

Yep

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Maybe someone forgot to bring the cat in...

 

[O C Diver]

Crazy Ivan.

Reference from the book "Hunt for Red October " by Tom Clancy.

Ted

 

[AlaskaProf]

"Who said that!? Who said I steamed across my own towline?"

 

[Eddie W]

Maybe to set a heading sensor/electronic compass.

I thought modern US Navy ships use SINS ( Ships inertial navigation system) and GPS

I agree with Northern Sky, photo op, wasn't the President supposed to give a speech at the send off?

 

[psneeld]

Pilot area....maybe a maneuver for best dropoff operations.

 

[menzies]

It's a message to anyone important watching; "see, this is how you really spin in circles!"

 

[psneeld]

I will bet everyone on that ship is pretty serious right now.

 

[fryedaze]

Crazy Ivan.



Reference from the book "Hunt for Red October " by Tom Clancy.



Ted

Maybe clearing baffles[emoji851]

 

[stubones99]

Looking to see if anyone is following them...

 

[Wayfarer]

Crazy Ivan.

Reference from the book "Hunt for Red October " by Tom Clancy.

Ted

Maybe clearing baffles[emoji851]

He always goes to starboard in the bottom half of the hour.

I'd guess either a photo op, or maybe they were updating their deviation table for the magnetic compass.

 

[menzies]

At 55 seconds...

 

[fractalphreak]

...Some likely video of the turn...

https://www.wavy.com/video/chopper-10/live-chopper-10-checks-in-with-the-usns-comfort/

I noticed it was right in front of Fort Story. Maybe a drive by to wave to family? Is there a customary salute done there by ships leaving Norfolk? Or just checking to see if the steering gear was still working?

 

[IH82BL8]

Forgot about the anchor?

 

[BeeJay]

Iceberg

 

[Jaxbchjohn]

Degaussing

 

[gilbertpark]

Missed getting the line ashore first time - we've all done it!

 

[jimisbell]

How about a holding pattern? I was told to circle by harbor control once. After circling several turns I abandoned my attempt to enter the harbor and went elsewhere.

 

[jimfrens]

It can't be easy to do a tight circle on a ship that large. There has to be a very good operational reason for doing it, although I can't imagine what it would be. Modern Navy ships shouldn't need to do that to set their Nav equipment, nor to take on or drop off a pilot.

 

[Billr2019]

Swing ship. Verify the magnetic compass, deviation caused by the magnetic field generated by the steel in the ship, against the electronic compass as a back up for possible electronic compass failure.

 

[dirtdoc1]

Forgot about the anchor?

 

[twotoots]

Concur with jaxbchjohn. Degaussing

Saw a naval vessel make several similar runs just inside Hampton Roads about 15 miles west of there...guess it was 25 years ago. Captain was questioned by others via vhf and replied degaussing runs.

 

[Billr2019]

We had to do that often to the minesweeper I was on.
Very, very necessary to have a minimum magnetic signature on a sweep!

 

[dbaoter]

Swing the compass, old fashioned compass, old way to do so. Modern ships still this maneuver regularly

 

[JP2]

Remindful of the Sam Houston, SSBN, trying to do a Williamson turn on the edge of an acoustic range, using only 5 degrees of rudder apparently by skipper's order! Distracted bridge did not heed depth alarms or the lookout advising land is looming large! Aground she went at 15 knots! Fortunately, it was a sandy bottom so minor damage. Took one tide cycle before she could be pulled off.

 

[AdkChris]

Wouldn't it be good to live in a world where there was some reason to believe they would not have wasted the time during a pandemic without a good reason? But that is not the world we live in is it?

Guess we should be thankful they didn't run aground and sink ala Costa Concordia