[nuconvert]

More photos Here....

http://scotthaefner.com/beyond/mothball-fleet-ghost-ships/

[ken5050]

Good piece, great pics..I wish they hadn’t used the word “squatters”..it conveys the wrong idea. These people wanted to take pics, capture history before it dissappears..that was their sole motive...not “squatting” as we usually understand the term.

[mad_as_he$$]

Someone will get fired over this.

[SoKatt]

Interesting article, thanks for posting.
I was fortunate enough to visit Normandy 6 years ago. For me, one of the best parts was the fact that there were actually pieces of what was used to build Mulberry Harbor still sitting on the beach at Arromanches. There’s something about being able to see and touch a piece of history that fascinates me. Exploring the German bunkers was pretty cool, too.

[DownInFlames]

First of all, the squatters are trespassing. These ships have been decommissioned by the US Navy awaiting to be either sold for scrap or prepared to be sunk as artificial reefs.

I have no problem of the US Navy scraping decommissioned ships. As for sinking these ships in the ocean as reefs; as long as they are cleaned of toxic waste, fuel, and ammo, go to it with a vengeance.

[Truth29]

For a moment I thought these were pictures of Obama’s dreams for our future.

[Axeslinger]

My ship, USS Sylvania, is located on the East coast version at the James River Reserve Fleet facility. I've spoken with one of the managers there about the possibility of going aboard her one last time and was basically told ain't no way, ain't no how.

I'd give my eyeteeth to go aboard the old girl one more time.

[dog breath]

The odd thought did occur to me that pictures like this could be used to make the Navy look like it's falling apart in the foreign press. The past glory of American power and other such bull with the photos taken out of context. A similar thing occurred with the old Soviet Navy with the critical difference being that some of their rusting ships were supposed to still be active.

[ExTexasRedhead]

PING

[commish]

ONe way to get on these ships — work for a military museum.

I was working for the Beale AFB Museum and we were given permission to go aboard one of the ships that was being ready to be sunk for an artificial reef.

We got a full day to remove any ‘artifacts’ we wanted to restore/display etc.

Can’t remember the name of the ship, only that it was a tender of some type.

[Last Dakotan]

I see all sorts of young people entering abandoned factories and what-not and then posting what they've found on the Internet.

My take is that they are exploring the rot to see in what became of American greatness. There is a great sense of something lost. Look at these ships, we no long have the shipyards and factories capable of producing them.

Here is another link to what became of one of the greatest machine tool plants the world ever knew - Warner & Swasey.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjA4d8EuPPc

[Charlespg]

what happens to the equipment like the radar screen /electronics, chairs ect?

can people buy those?

[snowrip]

bttt

[Last Dakotan]

Here's another link to someone who got aboard legally;

http://www.tendertale.com/tenders/132/132-2.html

Just look at the machine tools left aboard!