Batfish

**subdude** · 05-23-2019, 01:53 PM

She's certainly not floating, but sure looks good surrounded by water once again. I still remember the first time I visited her in 93, thinking how strange a mighty Fleet Boat looked sitting on dry land. DBF!

**greg w** · 05-23-2019, 03:31 PM

For what it's worth the article says the she is afloat and was listing such that they pumped water into the ballast tanks. I was still looking for Jim to be standing there with a radio ready to run it

**subdude** · 05-23-2019, 03:42 PM

I guess I should have taken the time to read the article before posting. Duh.

It's good to know that she's still capable of lifting off the bottom, I've wondered what decades of sitting in the dirt had done to the lower hull. I haven't been there since around 2005 or so, but the hull still looked okay then from what I could see.

I would seriously love to be standing on the deck with her floating.

**sam reichart** · 05-23-2019, 04:49 PM

Originally posted by subdude View Post

I guess I should have taken the time to read the article before posting. Duh.

It's good to know that she's still capable of lifting off the bottom, I've wondered what decades of sitting in the dirt had done to the lower hull. I haven't been there since around 2005 or so, but the hull still looked okay then from what I could see.

I would seriously love to be standing on the deck with her floating.

you can do that on the Pampanito.

**subdude** · 05-23-2019, 06:23 PM

Hi Sam,

Well, yes, I have been fortunate to have been able to walk the decks of Pampanito while floating.

And Torsk, Razorback, Silversides, Cod, Croaker, Lionfish, Clamagore, Nautilus (yeah, I know, not a fleet boat), Becuna, Drum, Blueback (not fleet, but still DBF), Cobia, Blenny, Espadon (Fr), K77 (Ru)

;-)

And, a bunch on dry land, even U352 on the bottom at 117 ft.

But Batfish still holds my heart...........

**eckloss** · 05-23-2019, 10:09 PM

481 Requin is an easy detour on the way to Indy on the shore of Pittsburgh. The science center it's part of is also well worth the stop.

**scott t** · 06-24-2019, 09:41 PM

https://www.muskogeephoenix.com/news/batfish-begins-road-to-recovery/article_e47adec8-e3d2-580e-b0b3-c0fd4f7baf33.html?fbclid=IwAR2OW9nJNA0qN7JrE9Yuc4-PRejdotk8G-E813zesOpKzXpFccldtr63p8E

**goose814** · 06-25-2019, 07:06 PM

Interesting how the article in the first post has an undated photo of the Batfish at sea that's definitely not the Batfish. It is, however, a photo of an Electric Boat Gato. Also. it mentions the Batfish was launched from Kittery, Maine. I thought this was another mistake but after checking, I realized that it was true. Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is actually located in Kittery, Maine and not in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. As the saying goes, you learn something new every day.

**scott t** · 08-22-2019, 02:09 PM

Visited the Batfish last Friday. Everything has greened up since the last photo.
The boat is cabled to trees and cleat. Saw a man with a level maybe seeing if
the boat is moving. The front of the boat lays across a large washed out hole.
They are still in the process of figuring out how to stabilize or mount the boat.
You can visit the museum at no cost but no touring the boat.
They plan to have a grand reopening July 4, 2020.