Navy warship runs aground near Honolulu airport
 

AP


HONOLULU – The Navy hopes a high tide due to reach Hawaii early Saturday will enable it to refloat a 9,600-ton warship that ran aground about a half mile off seaside Honolulu International Airport.

An initial effort by Navy tugs early Friday to free the guided missile cruiser USS Port Royal was unsuccessful. The $1 billion ship ran aground Thursday night while carrying guests that included a rear admiral.

"We're certainly working on bringing to bear the resources we have to move her off the current position. We're still putting that plan together," said Capt. W. Scott Gureck, a spokesman for U.S. Pacific Fleet. "Obviously, the high tide gives us an opportunity to do that."

Divers and the salvage ship USS Salvor would try to tow the 567-foot vessel, the Navy said.

The cause of the grounding on the sandy bottom and the extent of damage to the vessel were under investigation.

"I'm not going to speculate on what happened," Gureck said.

The Port Royal left Pearl Harbor on Thursday for sea trials after being dry-docked for routine maintenance. The ship ran aground while shore-based officials were being transferred to shore by small boat, the Navy said.

An oil recovery vessel, the Clean Islands, was positioned behind the warship as a precaution as the U.S. Coast Guard monitored the situation.

"We know that there is no oil spill at this point, and we're confident the Navy is doing everything it can," Coast Guard Lt. John Titchen said.

Commissioned in 1994, the Port Royal has a crew of about 360. The crew stayed aboard the ship, along with Navy officials such as Rear Adm. Dixon R. Smith, commander Navy Region Hawaii and Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific.






With the port of Honolulu in the foreground, the USS Port Royal, a Navy guided missile cruiser, sits grounded atop a reef about a half-mile south of the Honolulu airport's reef runway, Friday, Feb. 6, 2009 in Honolulu.

http://www.patriotfiles.com/forum/imgcache/11467.png

http://www.patriotfiles.com/forum/imgcache/11466.png

that CO can kiss his career goodbye

That was my first thought.

Here is his data:

http://www.port-royal.navy.mil/site%...s/co_small.JPG

Captain John Carroll was born and raised in Marshfield, Massachusetts. He graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in May 1984 and wascommissioned through Officer Candidate School in October 1984.

After completing nuclear power training and surface warfare basic training, he reported to Reactor Department in USS ENTERPRISE (CVN 65) in Alameda, California. During this tour, he deployed to the Arabian Gulf and participated in Operation PRAYING MANTIS. Following this, Captain Carroll reported as the ASW Officer to USS LUCE (DDG 38) homeported in Mayport, Florida, deploying on counter-drug operations in the Caribbean Sea and the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

From March 1991 to September 1993, he attended Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California , earning Masters of Science and Engineer Degrees in Mechanical Engineering.

Following Department Head School, Captain Carroll again reported to USS ENTERPRISE (CVN 65) in Norfolk, Virginia as Reactor Controls Assistant, part of the crew taking CVN 65 out of the shipyard following her complex nuclear refueling overhaul. From June 1996 to February 1998, Captain Carroll served as Combat Systems Officer on USS FORD (FFG 54) out of Everett, Washington, participating in a battle group deployment to the Arabian Gulf.

Captain Carroll reported to USS THACH (FFG 43) in May 1998 in Yokosuka, Japan, as Executive Officer. During this tour, he deployed again to the Arabian Gulf conducting maritime intercept operations as part of a Maritime Expeditionary Force Group. After returning to Yokosuka , he oversaw one of the first forward deployed crew/hull swaps, becoming XO of USS GARY (FFG 51).

In October 1999, Captain Carroll reported to the staff of Commander, Naval Air Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet as Deputy Force Nuclear Propulsion Officer and Officer-in-Charge of the Pacific Surface Nuclear Propulsion Mobile Training Team.

Captain Carroll took command of USS RODNEY M. DAVIS (FFG 60), homeported in Everett, Washington, in May 2002. He deployed to the Arabian Gulf as part of NIMITZ Strike Group supporting Operations IRAQI FREEDOM and ENDURING FREEDOM. During his tour, ending in March 2004, RODNEY M. DAVIS was the winner of the Battle Efficiency Award, the Golden Anchor and the CNO Safety Award.

Captain Carroll reported to the USS GEORGE WASHINGTON (CVN 73) in November 2004 where he served as the Reactor Officer until May 2007, completing two drydocking availabilities and preparing the ship for its transfer to Yokosuka, Japan.

He recently graduated from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. In October 2008, he assumed command of USS Port Royal (CG 73). His individual awards include the Meritorious Service Medal (four awards), the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (two awards), and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (two awards).

if he's court maritled his new rank will be seaman Carroll. they relieved a CO on a ship I served on Nam for this. he almost ran us aground on the Beach in Vietnam.

Navy takes off fuel, water, people to lighten ship
 

AP


HONOLULU – The Navy is moving fuel, water and personnel off a grounded, $1 billion cruiser so tugboats and a salvage ship can try again early Sunday morning to free the vessel from a rock and sand shoal.

The USS Port Royal, a guided missile cruiser, ran aground on Thursday evening, about a half-mile south of the Honolulu airport.

With less fresh water, fuel and crew, the ship should be 215 tons lighter and easier to move at high tide on Sunday.

Rear Admiral Joseph Walsh, deputy commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, says there is no structural damage from the grounding. But a rubber casing around sonar equipment at the bow may be taking in water.

No one was injured when the ship grounded and no oil or other contaminants have leaked.

so she goes right back in dry dock. at a cost of ?????

An impressive resume, but he can't steer worth a crap! Out of a $1Billion budget for the ship, they can't find it in the budget to purchase a depth-finder? Maybe it's in that 'stimulus' bill............

well maybe he was side tracked because of "guests" on board. all CO's know that Harbor from memory. its not like there's no charts available. on board guests caused a disaster on a US sub. USS Greeneville. which surfaced right under a touring boat causing fatalities. maybe the Navy should reconsider taking guests along for sight seeing.

archive: Civilians admit that they piloted crash submarine

story

these are warships. not pleasure cruisers !!!!

namvet
 

Commander Waddle's father is a personal friend of mine. That incident, which was imminently preventable, cost Waddle his career, and the Navy much more. I agree. Taking landlubbers on board is too much of a boondoggle and waste of our taxpayer dollars. Let them go the the PX of Base Exchange and then they can buy a friggin' video of the ship.

Don't mean to get too far off track...but wasn't there a US Sub than ran into an underwater mountain or something?

As I recall it damaged the sub significantly.

Have they been able to get PORT ROYAL off the reef yet?