USS Kittyhawk in heavy seas.

ohms wrote: what is green water?

Not the spray but actual water from the wave over the bow, the ocean always appears more green than blue.

I believe they are talking about non-foam non-wash water. Essentially it means you are going under water, not being splashed by water.

When I worked near a navy base, one of the common believes was that the Coral Sea was the worst carrier. This was a while ago, and it was clearly an old carrier at that time. I would guess, the old ships are always the worst.

I am guessing the Enterprise (as iconic as it is) is in pretty bad shape these days.

aircooled wrote: I am guessing the Enterprise (as iconic as it is) is in pretty bad shape these days.

She's just turned 50 and is on her final deployment. The Big E will be decommissioned when she returns to port.

Christ! Look how long it takes for the spray to reach the island! I forgot just how big carriers are.

Reminds of this one. Kind of mind blowing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEkErF51Uxg

aircooled wrote: When I worked near a navy base, one of the common believes was that the Coral Sea was the worst carrier. This was a while ago, and it was clearly an old carrier at that time. I would guess, the old ships are always the worst.

Wasn't the Coral Sea a converted WW2 era carrier? "Converted" meaning they added the angled secondary take-off/landing deck after the ship was first built. I know they did that to a few carriers that were built towards the end of the war and weren't scrapped. I'm a bit rusty on my WW2 era ships. I used to know them all pretty well.

In reply to foxtrapper:

When where you on the Kennedy? My father was there from 87? till after the gulf war, including going through the 1991 Perfect Storm.

Ian F wrote:

aircooled wrote: When I worked near a navy base, one of the common believes was that the Coral Sea was the worst carrier. This was a while ago, and it was clearly an old carrier at that time. I would guess, the old ships are always the worst.

Wasn't the Coral Sea a converted WW2 era carrier? "Converted" meaning they added the angled secondary take-off/landing deck after the ship was first built. I know they did that to a few carriers that were built towards the end of the war and weren't scrapped. I'm a bit rusty on my WW2 era ships. I used to know them all pretty well.

The Coral Sea was started in WWII but finished afterward. It was converted to the angled deck in the 50s. Saw lots of action during Viet Nam.

I was on this ship ... notice the combined stack and mast ( actually called a mack) it made for a rather top heavy ship .... functioned much like a sail ( as it's called on a sub)

one time seas were a bit rough ( on a Med cruise ... circa 1969 ) it was too rough for the destroyers to get to the oiler so we (needing refueling also ) came along side and started taking fuel .... and on the other side a destroyer was taking fuel from us ... with us protecting her from the winds ( with that huge sail )

on many of the rolls we came fairly close to the bridge of the destroyer ( at least when it could be seen ) the sailors that were doing the line handling were tied to the handrails ... over and over the destroyers bow would lift so far out of the water that the sonar dome would be completely exposed .... when she would come back down the bridge would go completely under, and the line handlers would also go completely under water .... amazingly none of them drowned ....

an earlier poster said the tin can sailors deserved sub pay ... these guys certainly did

Silly targets. No waves below PD, although one time in the North Pacific during one of those Dangerous Catch type storms where the waves were cresting around 50' or so, it was fairly rough at 150'. Not a good time to go up to PD. Visibility was just to the nearest wave.

Duke wrote: Dang. I have never understood how really big ships stand up to those kinds of stresses. I mean, I know they're designed for it, and I also know that sometimes they don't, but still.

Classic song. All on Lake Superior.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgI8bta-7aw&feature=youtube_gdata_player

I just want to take a moment to thank you guys for enduring all that. Peace time or no, it must have been hell.

neon4891 wrote: In reply to foxtrapper: When where you on the Kennedy?

81-85.

Green water is more than just non-foam, it takes a fair number of feet of water to get it turning green. At least ~5-10'. Otherwise, it's just water. We would call it green water when it quite a bit more, and green.

And don't mistake the type of storms. Hurricanes are easy. You know about them for days, so you're well prepared. It's the squalls. Those are the ones that come from hell and can send you down. They blow up out of no where, and your hatches are open and things are loose on the deck.

foxtrapper wrote:

neon4891 wrote: In reply to foxtrapper: When where you on the Kennedy?

81-85. Green water is more than just non-foam, it takes a fair number of feet of water to get it turning green. At least ~5-10'. Otherwise, it's just water. We would call it green water when it quite a bit more, and green. And don't mistake the type of storms. Hurricanes are easy. You know about them for days, so you're well prepared. It's the squalls. Those are the ones that come from hell and can send you down. They blow up out of no where, and your hatches are open and things are loose on the deck.

It's funny... I have friends in the mid-west and west who are terrified of hurricanes.. yet live with massive brush fires, earthquakes, and tornados seasonally. At least with a hurricane you can put it on the calender and plan your life around it

+1 on all. I was on a Coast Guard 378 (tin can equivalent) on a deployment to the gulf in 99 with the Constellation. What a trip.