IB - BSaT style Department: Ops Author: Ron Eureka Era: 1987 Date: 04/06/06 Reading these sea stories really brings back some memories. (And thx for hosting the site, Peter). Toward the end of my tour on IKE during the Caribbean cruise, I was laying in my rack trying to get some sleep. I tossed / turned over and somehow cut my hand or forearm on the housing to my rack light. I was immediately smokin' pissed off (serious short-timers attitude suddenly got multiplied expoentially), and was bleeding pretty good. On the overhead of my rack, against the gray paint, I wrote out 'IKE BITES' ... in blood. Made me feel just a TOUCH better.

UA ... kind of Department: Ops Author: Ron Eureka Era: 1986 Date: 04/06/06 There was a guy back in my OI division that *almost* joined me TAD in fire watch during the yards. As I recall, you had to have had the 3 day fire fighter training (held somewhere in Norfolk or VB) before you could become TAD to fire watch. Well, OI div. sent this guy down, and we said, "You got your fire fighting quals?" "Nope" was his answer. "Go back to your parent division". Except he didn't. He simply did nothing for the next 6 months, except play Dungeons and Dragons over on the USNS Darby (brought along side for berthing). He collected his paychecks, and got away with it until his number came up toward the end of the yard period for a piss test. OI told MAA he's in Fire Watch. Fire Watch told MAA he's in OI. I would've paid money to see the smoke coming out of the respective Chief's ears as the gears turned and they figured it out. He pulled a fast one, and from what I heard, they couldn't get him for UA, but they did get him for dereliction of duty.

another fast one Department: Ops Author: Ron Eureka Era: 1986 Date: 04/06/06 There was an RP assigned to Chaplain while I was onboard that had to go to mast for some reason (pretty sure he got popped for weed). The Old Man (Dick Macke) did the standard 45 days extra duty, 45 days restriction, took a stripe / pay, and OTH discharge. After the mast, the RP somehow manged to change into civvies (we were pier side in Norfolk), and walked up to the Chief at the brow, "Permission to go ashore". "Granted". He went down the gangplank and never came back, deserted. After that, they started taking your liberty card immediately following the mast, I heard.

More Deep 6's Department: VA-65 Author: Era: 1985 Date: 04/07/06 Greetings from an airdale! Love this site! On the 84-85 Med cruise, one morning, during one of the many stops in Naples. The Deck division was using the cherry-picker on Elevator 3 to try and lift an F-14 engine off a barge and onto the elevator. Didn't see how they did it, but did see the results. The engine was still resting comfortably on the barge, and the cherry-picker was resting comfortably on the bottom of the bay. The operator barely got wet as the liberty boats were tied up right there and the coxswains yanked him out of the water.

Stabilizers Department: Rx Author: Flounder Era: 1985 Date: 04/09/06 Sol the Bull and Bisonhead - how you guys doing? Those "stabilizers" you refer to are commonly known as "bilge keels." They are indeed placed at the turn of the bilge to stabilize the roll of a ship. They are common on both Navy and merchant ships. End of today's marine architecture lesson.

How to go UA Department: Engr Author: Sol The Bull Era: 1996 Date: 04/10/06 Flounder, that is what I thought they were for, I just did not know the proper name for them. Anyway, since the subject of going UA came up I think that one of our guys did it best. They had a conveyor that went from the peir to elevator 3's platform to carry cargo into the ship with. One of our guys that was on restriction decided he could just walk down the conveyor. I never thought it would work but he did it at night and it worked. We did not see him again until someone spotted him working at Wal-Mart and called the Ship. After he did that they started taking the conveyor down after the workday.

How not to go UA Department: Rx Author: Charlie Era: 1983 Date: 04/10/06 I know most everyone in the early 80's remembered an ELT we called Schoon. He was always mellow, even when not in an altered state. He went UA back to FLA and was gone quite a while. I think his sister-in-law ratted him out. Anyway, when the cops picked him up and asked him for an ID, he produced his Navy and Ike ID cards like he was requesting permission to come aboard. They brought him back and he did time in the Ike brig. I saw him chipping paint one day and he was still in a very mellow state even then. I always wondered what happened to him. Anyone know?

Thanks Flounder Department: Rx Author: Bisonhead Era: 1987 Date: 04/11/06 I'm doing well, thank you. Being on the high seas must suit you. thanks for clearing up the stabilizer thing. I believe some CPO told me that. And as usual you can't believe what a khaki lifer dog tells you.

tunes Department: Ops Author: Ron Eureka Era: 1986 Date: 04/12/06 I'm surprised that no one has mentioned the USO show during Med '84-85. Pretty good show, and I got to meet Cheap Trick, most of Kansas, and Steven Stills after the show.

To all IKE Bites Department: Air Author: ABH1 Era: 2006 Date: 04/14/06 Easter is upon us and we should be thankful we don't have duty or have to stand a watch, while the rest of the boat is off! I was on IKE 4 years and I'd think man this sucks, this is a stupid watch. It'd be something STUPID like watching non skid dry in the freezing cold,(knowing they should of never put it down at that tempature) Had to be a Kaki thunk this one up. I don't miss the watches...I do miss being underway and the smell of jet exhaust and seeing the cats early in the morning with steam rolling up off them and a bird coming on spot by some kid who's only 20 & he's confident and cocky lovin his job cause he's in control. Then to see it shoot off and the pretty colors of the afterburner kicking-in as he flies off, now that my friend is an awsome site and cool feeling of power and I can can been there done that way too many times! Happy Easter, Ikenites!