If this was a normal transit route employed by numerouse submarines previously (heck, maybe the SF had done it before) and your OPS ordered you to transit and gave you the schedule, you would be toast if you didn't get there in time.
Precisely, WT! Early threads brought out that this transit was probably run 1 or 2 times a year by various boats. Don't know if the S. F. had done it before.
My take is that all of the previous boats were just lucky. I think the guy you were responding to is off base; i.e., define "in the area". To my knowledge, based on inputs from other threads, the charts showed nothing less than deep water for at least miles on either side of the track in the region.
My experience is that a skipper would have to have very good reasons for NOT following the precise depth/course/speed ordered by OPS - in this case SUBPAC Yokosuka.
A fellow ex-nuke
If this sub had been 30 feet to right, we would still not know about the mount.
There was a couple of time out on patrol that the Schullers would pop out of nowhere and the soundings would be significantly off. Charts are pretty accurate but they are not accurately accurate.
I always hated shooting the transit box. the game was to always be on the front end of the box because 1 trip to PD would easily cause the boat to suddenly find itself at the back end of the box, especially if a new opord was coming in.
Heroes the crew is. I can't imagine the fright and the what the f*#$ was that.
I am shocked the pressure hull held up. I can't imagine wha would have happended if it was a VLS hull....
Good read brings back a lot of memories..
Scott
Nav ET (before the rate consolidation)