Maritimo 48

Here’s are some photo updates from what’s now left of the USS Guardian at Tubbataha Reefs. The Salvage crews have been making good progress with the chainsaw’s.

To date they have removed all of the ship superstructure the bridge deck and most of the main deck level !

The USS Guardian Bridge Deck, where the on watch crew set the fateful course for the vessel that led her to founder on the Tubbataha Reef is now seen on the deck of the Crane Vessel, the Jascon 25.

It’s from one of those consoles that the on watch crew declined to heed the radio warnings from the Park Rangers, that the ship had entered the restricted reef area, and famously reportedly radioed back to “bring [their] complaint to the U.S. Embassy.”  A sad tale and a sad outcome for the USS Guardian.

Whilst the ship was being cut up, the US Navy held a USS Guardian Valedictory at the ship base in Japan. The following are extracts from the ceremony.

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Vice Adm. Tom Copeman , Commander Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet fittingly remembers USS Guardian, now being scrapped.

“During times of war and while operating in international exercises for nearly a quarter of a century, the crew and ship remained at the highest levels of readiness, serving our nation well,” noted Admiral Copeman. He continued:

“A significant moment during a ship commissioning ceremony occurs when there is a call to ‘bring this ship to life,’ and the crew sprints from their positions pierside, across the brow and into the ship itself, effectively adding life to what was once cold iron.

Equally momentous for a ship is when she is decommissioned, stricken from the fleet and returned to cold iron; the crew and former crewmembers left with their memories and reminders of serving our nation and multiple missions on an endless sea.

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Well in this case it is wet wood not cold iron as she is a minesweeper, but we get the point.

The Salvage crew have made good progress and they will be keen to complete the job as quickly as posible before bad weather like this sweeps in again.

With the superstructure and bridge deck gone the ship structure will be weak and any large swell and waves like above could break up the vessel hull and scatter the contents around the reef. I’m sure they will be “buzzing” to get things completed, and get the job done.