Norfolk-based Navy ship runs aground in Black Sea port

The Virginian-Pilot ^ | 24 Oct 08 | Matthew Jones

[ASA Vet]

A harbor pilot was on board at the time

[SmithL]

Navigation by Braille is rarely career-enhancing.

[CholeraJoe]

Thanks for the lesson.

[ladtx]

USS Barry

[WorkerbeeCitizen]

Silt in a poorly maintained, marked and charted harbor, without accurate information in a coastal/harbor/pilot guide? Silt happens.

lol - yes it does. Didn't know about the pilot.

[pabianice]

Wrong Barry. DD-933 was decommissioned in 1969.

DDG-52, USS Barry

[MIchaelTArchangel]

Well, I guess the Navy will be promoting a commander to captain early this year.

[kenmcg]

Inasmusch as it is a tin can, the Captain could have a problem.

[wally_bert]

So much for that career.

One story I heard about but never knew if it was true was that some CO got his ship stuck on a reef and waited a day or two hoping the tide would lift him off. During that time apparently there was little or no communications with higher authority. Needless to say the tide didn't come but a replacement CO did. Of course, that depends if the story is true.

[meyer]

The destroyer Barry ran aground Thursday...

Let's hope that the same thing happens to the true destroyer "Barry", who's socialist ideals threaten to destroy what was once the greatest, most prosperous nation on earth.

[GATOR NAVY]

Certainly the fact that a pilot was onboard will be considered in the investigation, it just won’t absolve the CO of his responsibility.

I’ve seen some pilots in some ports that scared the hell out of me. There are still many places in the world where it’s obvious that nepotism and/or bribery will still get one far.

[G Larry]

Hmmm...

“Barry”....the “Destroyer”.....ran aground???

In a Black Sea port???

[Cicero]

I doubt they would relieve the captain?

Shouldn’t be much if any damage done from running aground on silt (soft mud). And although the captain is ultimately responsible, it would seem reasonable enough to let the pilot do his work.

The only alternative would probably be to spend extra hours sending people out to sound the bottom before maneuvering in. And showing that you don’t trust the local pilot isn’t a good way to make friends on a port visit.

As long as they were keeping it reasonably slow, I should think the captain would be exonerated, although you can’t always second guess what the chain of command will come up with.

[stuartcr]

???

[Blood of Tyrants]

No, he was not at the helm, nor was any Navy officer. The helmsman was following the orders of the harbor pilot at the time.

[PeterFinn]

Didn't the Missouri or some carrier run aground in San Francisco Bay back in the 1980's? I recall the Captain was exonerated because the channel was charted and certified safe by the Navy for navigation by a ship with the noted draft. I would hope the same thing happens here, but the Navy being what it is, it'll all depend on the politics of the courts martial whether or not the skipper of the Barry gets promoted to permanent shore duty.

[GATOR NAVY]

You make some good points and I should also add that there are many otherwise competent pilots who are just plain unfamiliar with the handling characteristics of high powered warships. It’s a different ball game than a low speed diesel single screw bulk carrier.

[Old Sarge]

Barry... the destroyer... BLACK sea...

[GATOR NAVY]

It was USS Enterprise, coming home after an 8 month deployment with all the families waiting on the pier.

IIRC in that case it was determined that heavier than normal rains the previous winter had contributed to abnormal silting in the channel.

[cva66snipe]

ruh rohhhh - there goes another captains career.

Not likely. But the Pilot {required} likely has a lot of explaining to do. BTW I think Chester Nimitz grounded a ship about mid career. Not always an unforgivable act but depends a lot on the circumstances.