USNS COMFORT Departure

[Long Island Boater]

Figawi

 

[psneeld]

Following procedures during wartime, life or death situations, pandemics, whatever is what ultimately saves lives in the long run.


I would guess there was a very good reason they did the turn.....at last that's what my military experience tells me.

 

[Boat]

Degaussing, swinging the compass are good thoughts. Imagine the equipment aboard, MRI, welders, whoknowswhatall?

 

[Dunrovin]

I can hear it now coming from the Captain “DON’T make me turn this ship around and go back home! Because you won’t like it”
that’s how to keep the crew in line. ?

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Welcome aboard.

 

[Codger2]

Degaussing, swinging the compass are good thoughts. Imagine the equipment aboard, MRI, welders, whoknowswhatall?

That's where my thoughts are at. God only knows how long she was inactive and a thorough testing of her nav gear was probably warranted.

 

[Northern Spy]

She just got back in November from the Caribbean Pretty busy ship.

 

[Northern Spy]

Degaussing involves placing cables around a ship. Except US subs have their own facilities they just pull into. Degaussed a few times in Middle Loch, Pearl Harbor.

 

[Billr2019]

The minesweeper had degaussing coils throughout the ship.
Despite the fact we were made of no-magnetic material; wood hull, stainless, aluminum, copper, bronze, etc.
Only iron were the cast iron sleeves in the alum. block engines (4).
Degaussing runs were no fun as all mag, material not on the allowed list had to be unloaded (including can goods) then reloaded after the tests.

 

[OldDan1943]

I can hear it now coming from the Captain “DON’T make me turn this ship around and go back home! Because you won’t like it”
that’s how to keep the crew in line. ?

I do wish them God's speed and a safe journey.

 

[Jimintheair3]

Family "Fly By"

ALL crew was required to be on board, ALL!!! This was a "fly by", for all family on shore. Who knows when they will be done? Stay Safe.

 

[rgano]

The degaussing range is at the Hampton Roads bridge tunnel area.
Navy subs have the inertial nav system called SINS, not surface ships.
There is an electronic countermeasures test range out there somewhere we used to run, but a hospital ship probably does not have that stuff.
Being such a huge unwieldy ship, I am seriously doubting the circle that close to shore is real.

 

[BruceK]

Pr bs.

 

[Jeff F]

It's a naval vessel. And if I recall it was pressed into service mid-refit. They were racing against the clock to get to NYC.

This could well be ship readiness work that was skipped earlier.

 

[Steve DAntonio]

I have it on good authority they were swinging the compass. Good landmark and easy for the adjuster to disembark when complete.

 

[Olebird]

Forgot to tighten the nut on the rudder post!

 

[Northern Spy]

I still maintain they were swinging the compass for a photo op. Just like we would transit on surface by Diamond Head and lo and behold a chopper would just happen to fly by and take our photo.

As far as deguassing goes here is the facility in middle loch. Nothing to do with SINS, it was the to remove the induced magnetic field of the hull so magnetometers wouldn't see the interruption in the magnetic flux of the earth. They have one at every sub base in the US.

But there is a very good chance it never happened. I've seen some unusual waypoints on marine traffic as well.

 

[Nickair]

Personell Roster verification delay.

 

[OldDan1943]

I still maintain they were swinging the compass for a photo op. Just like we would transit on surface by Diamond Head and lo and behold a chopper would just happen to fly by and take our photo.But there is a very good chance it never happened. I've seen some unusual waypoints on marine traffic as well.

Swing the compass?
Oh foolish me. I thought one would swing the compass in both directions.
Oh well, I learned something new today.... Saturday. (swing the compass in only one direction ) I guess I can go back to bed now. All this accomplished before 6AM.

 

[john-o]

Captain: My hat.... my hat... I can't captain without my hat! Turn this ship around!
First Officer: But sir, that will take us miles off course.
Captain: Well ... put Ryan and Nash in a raft, and we'll swing back and pick them up later.
First Officer: But sir, that'll take days!
Captain: Well .... put some food in the raft ...... my God man, do I have to think of everything!

 

[jimfrens]

Another 'good authority' post - the ship just underwent a refit and they were testing stability systems. That may or may not include nav and compass systems.

 

[exmaggiedrum]

Ship swinging

First of all, it was in port (and/or dry dock?) for months during which time a magnetic compass would have all kinds of opportunities to get out of alignment - lots of ferrous material near it, strong electrical currents from welders, etc.


Second, it is an old converted tanker and certainly not a ship-of-the-line and as such I doubt it has the latest/greatest electronic gear for navigation.



Third, it could be a holding pattern like you see ships occasionally do outside the Golden State Bridge going in to San Francisco. Not knowing if this is anywhere close to NYC harbor entrances this is probably not it.



My guess would be they were at least checking out the compass and/or making sure the rudder and helm and all the mechanicals actually work after being under maintenance for so long. They could have been doing rudder or control work there. Although it would be nice to turn both ways to check that out. So that's probably not it.


Photo op? They certainly were going for full PR on this whole thing.

 

[jimfrens]

The ship had just left the departure port (Norfolk), out past the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, then did the 360.

 

[Sailor of Fortune]

She is doing non corona virus care to make up for NYC hospital beds taken by virus patients. Arrived Last Monday. The company I work for did the emergency dredging of the cruise terminal berth so she could dock.

 

[La Sirena]

Maybe the captain did what I did once...placed a large metal object near the GPS's magnetic compass while on autopilot. I couldn't figure out why the boat made a complete circle until I moved the vacuum cleaner back out of the locker.

 

[Sailor of Fortune]

Maybe the captain did what I did once...placed a large metal object near the GPS's magnetic compass while on autopilot. I couldn't figure out why the boat made a complete circle until I moved the vacuum cleaner back out of the locker.

Naval ships in pilotage waters aren't on autopiliot, I assure you

 

[slowgoesit]

Forgot to tighten the nut on the rudder post!

Wrong nut. It was the loose nut behind the wheel!

 

[Ski in NC]

Maybe steaming in circles to meet the pilot boat. Steam engine easier to run at slow turns than to shut down.

 

[Nickair]

Maybe steaming in circles to meet the pilot boat. Steam engine easier to run at slow turns than to shut down.

This reads like a likely option if pilots are required here.

 

[BruceK]

Maybe steaming in circles to meet the pilot boat. Steam engine easier to run at slow turns than to shut down.

Steam Engine? How old is the ship?