USS IOWA

[dilvoy]

The Coast Guard has canceled the tow so don't waste your time waiting for a ship that won't come. The person I spoke with said that there were going to be gail force winds in central ca when the ship reached there and they would not allow the ship to be towed through that. This Thursday or Friday are likley departure days.

[John Neuenburg]

Might be after Friday. There is a good story about the expected tow on their website: http://pacificbattleship.com/page/updates

[dilvoy]

[dilvoy]

[Mike McCrea]

Great pic!!! Here is Battleship Tracking. http://pacificbattleship.com/page/track

[John Neuenburg]

Tour Manager wants MVs for display at the grand opening July 7. Interested people in SoCal should get on Dave's radar screen to hear about this and other special events at and aboard Iowa. Here is his info:
David Way
Curator / Tour Manager
USS IOWA BB 61
Pacific Battleship Center
877-446-9261 xt. 713
mailto:dway@LAbattleship.com

[dilvoy]

I went on a MV parts delivery and pick up trip and passed by to see the Iowa. Looks pretty nice, but the wood on the deck is in the same condition that is was when it was in Richmond. They have opened up the bridge and officers and crew mess areas for visitors. Here are some random fotos that I snapped.

[dilvoy]

Here is a shot of the famous bathtub that was installed for President Roosevelt.

[dilvoy]

Another shot of the famous bath tub with the curtain pulled away.

[dilvoy]

The elevator that was installed for President Roosevelt to be able to go to the Bridge is no longer there. The space was used for other things and aparantly has no evidence of the elevator ever being there, but I did snap a foto of the Captain's Head, because................

[dilvoy]

Here is a shot of the starboard side of the Bridge.

[dilvoy]

Here is a closeup of which must be one of the two mothers of all doors. There is one on each side of the conning room.

[dilvoy]

Inside the conning room. Two periscopes. I wonder where the wheel went.

[John Neuenburg]

What no photo of the C.O. chair? Here it is:

Yours truly in command at the final, final open house in Richmond, still full of myself after landing on the helo deck in the Huey.

"You may fire when you are ready Gridley!"

And what it looks like forward


EMU-309 pilot and MVCCer Randy Parent is also full of himself after nailing the landing with the lifelines still up around the helo deck. Note the ship's wheel is missing in this shot and Randy's pockets appear empty. Mine too. It happened before we got in there.


The conning station has armor about 18" thick. It's amazing what they designed to insure survivability. The ship is basically an armored box designed to allow the guns to fire until the last gun director is knocked out AND the last gun is offline. Then the bow and stern were attached.

[dilvoy]

Youre lucky you did that then, because they have ropes now to keep the kiddies from having too much fun.