Leaving Portsmouth

It’s always fascinating to pass through the Portsmouth – Norfolk, VA area because of the large number of Navy ships that are either undergoing maintenance or are stationed at Norfolk Navy Base.  Most of the maintenance and repair facilities are up the Elizabeth River directly across from Ocean Yacht Marina, which is where we stay when transiting the area.  Last October we hunkered down there to let Hurricane Matthew pass by.  And this May we stayed a week to let Nancy’s broken rib heal.

When we were in Portsmouth last fall, the USS Kearsarge (LHD-3) was docked opposite the marina being refitted.  This May it was the USS Wasp (LHD-1).  The Wasp and the Kearsarge are amphibious assault ships.  LHD stand for Landing Helicopter Dock.  They can carry a complete marine expeditionary unit (MEU), about 1900 soldiers plus all of their equipment.  The soldiers can be carried ashore using air cushioned landing craft (the ship can carry up to 2 LCACs in the well deck below the flight deck), conventional landing craft, CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters or the new V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft.  For self-protection and to provide close air support for the marines on shore, these ships also operate several AV-8B harrier “jump jets” (vertical takeoff and landing).  Because these ships look line mini air-craft carriers, they are often referred to as “helicopter carriers”.

                                                            USS WASP (LHD-1)

Another amphibious assault ship being worked on was the USS San Antonio (LPD-17).  Initially it was across the river from our marina, just upstream of the wasp.  But then they moved it to a dry dock most likely to work on the underwater surfaces.  LPD stands for landing Platform Dock.  These ships look less like carriers and more like conventional war ships except for the extra-large helicopter landing areas.  The San Antonio can carry and disembark up to 700 marines and their equipment, again using LCACs, conventional landing craft, CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters and V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft.  One interesting feature of this particular class of amphibious assault ships is that efforts were made to reduce the radar cross-section (radar signature) of the ship to make it stealthier (as is a 685 foot-long ship can be stealthy).  Still, in the photo below, note the angular surfaces on the superstructure that are designed to reflect radar waves.  Note also the angular panels up high on the forward mast.  These surround the many antennas on the ship; they provide weather protection for the antennas and also help to minimize radar returns.

                               USS SAN ANTONIO (LPD-17) in Titan Floating Dry Dock

In the picture above, the San Antonio is in the Titan Floating Dry Dock.  Its “well” is 950 feet long by 160 feet wide.  It has a maximum draft of 59 feet.  And is capable of lifting ships weighing up to 52,500 long tons.

When you leave Portsmouth for the Chesapeake Bay you travel right past Norfolk Navy base, the largest navy base in the world.  We passed a few guided missile destroyers and frigates well as several supply vessels.  We also saw an attack submarine along a pier; they are particularly difficult to photograph because they are not very big, they are black, and they float low in the water, even when they are along a pier.  As we turned the corner to head to the Chesapeake Bay we passed three Nimitz class aircraft carriers.  To me it’s unusual that they would all be in port at once, but there they were.  The Nimitz class carriers were CVN 69, the Dwight D. Eisenhower (commissioned in 1977), CVN 72, the Abraham Lincoln (commissioned in 1989), and CVN 73, the George Washington (commissioned in 1992).  The newest class of aircraft carrier is simply referred to as a “super carrier”.  In port that day was CVN 78, the Gerald R. Ford (commissioned in 2013).

                                                Nimitz Class Aircraft Carrier

                                              Roll-On / Roll-Off Supply Ships

It’s interesting to ponder the fact that when you are driving your boat past these enormous warships you are actually pretty close to them.  The warships are behind a row of floating buoys with nets that likely reach to the bottom of the sea floor (about 50 feet).  There are also radar units installed at the end of each pier, so you are being tracked as you pass by.  And there are armed patrol boats in the water 24-7 to chase away boaters who get too close.  In fact, a sailboat that was behind us wandered too close to the edge of the navigation channel and was chased away by a patrol boat.  If you stay in the center of the channel, as we did, you can pass the warships without difficulty and you can still get some neat pictures.

Also of interest . . . . warships no not use their names when communicating on the VHF radio.  Instead of “This is the USS San Antonio calling Tug LeeLoo.” it’s “This is Warship 17 calling Tug LeeLoo.”  So you know you are about to be run over, but not by whom.  And Navy vessels do not use AIS.