The Port of Benton dedicated the Sail Park in memory of the service men stationed on submarines. Several submarines have been decommissioned in Bremerton and their nuclear reactor cores unloaded at the Port’s nearby barge slip for permanent storage at Hanford. The USS Triton was the first marine vessel to circumnavigate the world under water following the course Ferdinand Magellan set in the 16th century. It carried a crew of 16 officers, 156 enlisted and 8 scientific and technical personnel. During the 84-day 141,500-mile voyage, they conducted hydrographic, oceanographic, magnetic and gravitational surveys. The sail is the large tower-like structure located on top of a submarine. The USS Triton’s sail housed the conning tower, periscope, radar and communication masts. The conning tower could be used in an emergency to operate the submarine with only three men. The 447- foot, 5,900 ton Triton submarine was built by General Dynamics in Groton, Connecticut and commissioned in 1959. It is the only non-Russian submarine powered by two nuclear reactors and the last U.S. submarine to have a conning tower, a stern torpedo room and use twin screws.
Category:
Subcategory:
Subcategory Detail:
Keywords:
© GaryPaulson.net