Not a sub-but related-Glomar Explorer to be scrapped?

[southern or]

http://www.foxnews.com/science/2015/09/11/cia-ship-at-center-strangest-covert-operation-to-meet-its-end/

[tom dougherty]

Actually, it IS sub related, as the K-129 was originally built to recover the front end of the Golf class K-129 wreck from 16,400 feet underwater in the North Pacific.
Yep-it will be scrapped. Realize that the Glomar Explorer is now 40+ years old. She was stored for 20+ years and then converted to an oil drilling ship. The moon pool was sealed over, and the pipe string gyro platform, the docking leg system and other items were removed. The hull looks the same but the overall look is vey different. See images of original CIA sponsored Glomar Explorer (L) and the revamped Santa Fe Explorer (R).

[southern or]

Yeah, that's why I posted it. Still seems a shame to scrap it, but 20 years of work tends to wear out most exploratory ships. I found it slightly amusing that they dropped a nuke when they were bringing it up. I mean, after all the time and effort that went into that project (the barge is also being scrapped) and to run the risk of loosing it all in an accidental nuclear blast.

[southern or]

You might like this Tom

http://oilpro.com/post/11967/gsf-explorer-steeped-past-intrigue-modern-discovery

[tom dougherty]

I found it slightly amusing that they dropped a nuke when they were bringing it up. I mean, after all the time and effort that went into that project (the barge is also being scrapped) and to run the risk of loosing it all in an accidental nuclear blast.

Umm, no they didn't drop a nuke. That is one of the many myths that have grown up around the recovery. There was only one R-21 missile still relatively intact in the forward section of K-129, which was the target object for recovery. Photos from the CV video show that this remaining missile tube was twisted. No missile warhead was dropped during the attempt.

The barge (HMB-1) is not being scrapped; it has been refurbished and is employed by a company as a repair facility.
See: http://aviationintel.com/update-hugh...estored-glory/

[tom dougherty]

More info on the above (tried to edited the last post but time expired):

Here's a link to a photo and diagram of the K-129 section that was the object of the lift taken from our book & film:

https://afternoonslive.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/salvaging_5.gif

On the right hand side of the diagram, there are two "stubs" which are the remnants of the two aft missile tubes. The sort of bent, twisted structure behind what is left of the sail is the remaining missile tube. The submarine was in three pieces: the forward section (what you see in the diagram) and the engineering and stern sections, some distance away.

Here's a link to the intact Golf II (Project 629A) diagram with missile tubes. The missiles shown ar the R-21s, with 750 nm range and a 1 megaton warhead.

http://www.deepstorm.ru/DeepStorm.files/45-92/dbrs/629(629a)/629_a.jpg

[southern or]

Nice! Last thing I had read was that the HMB was to be scrapped along with the Sea Shadow.

[tom dougherty]

No, Sea Shadow HAD to be scrapped and pieces disposed of as specified by the government so that whatever radar absorbent hull treatment was used did not fall into the wrong hands.

HMB-1 was housing Sea Shadow at the time but was not required to be scrapped. Interestingly, the HMB-1 is now at a site, right off of Alameda, about 30 miles north of Redwood City. It was in Redwood City that the Capture Vehicle CV ("claw") was built by Lockheed and transferred (with some difficulty!) into the HMB-1. HMB-1 was then towed to Santa Catalina Island just off of Avalon Bay, where she submerged and the Glomar Explorer docked overhead and retrieved the CV into the Glomar's moon pool. It was done at night, and the intense lights in the moon pool attracted tens of thousands of small squid. When the moon pool doors were closed, most were trapped and when the moon pool was drained, the crew had to use shovels and garbage cans to get rid of thousands of dead (and increasingly smelly) squid. Don't think they served calamari on the Glomar Explorer for some time afterwards….

[Covert Shores]

Interesting thread