Not all battle ships were given a chance to tell their story in person, if only through its bunk beds, beaten bridge, used corridors, and worn out watertight hatches. The USS Hornet (CV-12) is lucky enough to be transformed from being a defender of freedom at sea to being a museum that entertains and educates people about the significance of battleships—a living ambassador of the thousands of others that are decommissioned or accepted defeat during service.

The Legacy of “The USS Hornet”

The USS Hornets belonged to the Essex class aircraft carriers; there were 8 USS Hornets commissioned from 1775 to 1943: the first Hornet served during the Revolutionary War, and the eighth, the USS Hornet (CV-12), serve from WWII until the writing of this piece as a private museum. The seventh USS Hornet played a key role during the “Doolittle Raid” and fought during the “Battle of Midway” and the “Battle of Santa Cruz” where it was overwhelmed by air attacks and was laid to rest where it last stood its coordinates in the Guadalcanal.

The Contributions of “USS Hornet (CV-12)”

Among the 8 USS Hornets, the most celebrated is USS Hornet (CV-12) who participated not just in war but also in scientific endeavors that shot the United States atop other countries in terms of outer space exploration. The USS Hornet survived 59 heavy air attacks; it has a hand in destroying 1,410 Japanese warplanes and 1,269,710 tons of enemy warships.

But perhaps the ship’s crowning glory where the world watched with much anticipation and awe happened when USS Hornet (CV-12) retrieved Apollo 11′s Command Module from the sea after its successful mission to land man on the moon. The C-12 also participated in the succeeding space mission of the Apollo 12.

Saving “The USS Hornet (CV-12)”

After its decommissioning in 1970, the USS Hornet (CV-12) laid dormant in its berth in Bremerton, Washington. In 1997, the historic warship was scheduled to be scrapped in the San Francisco Bay Area; it would have been a tragic end of such a significant battle ship had it not been for Captain James Dodge who brought her back to the attention of the masses during the 50th WWII anniversary celebration in Alameda, California.

The Aircraft Carrier Hornet Foundation raised $2.4 million dollars of private funds, and in 1998, the historic ship became a full fledge museum earning money from gate admissions and store sales.

USS Hornet (CV-12)’s Peace Time Role

Today, the USS Hornet (CV-12) serves a different kind of role: it serves as the ambassador to other warships at sea, floating or not, educating people from all over the world about the price of freedom. At its berth in Alameda, the Hornet Museum is a popular destination of school children and tourists; it’s also popular among corporations that hold great pride and honor of their country—there’s no shortage of bookings to hold corporate events on the ship’s flight deck. You can check the Hornet Museum for upcoming events, which you and your family and friends can participate.

Not Everyone is Silent Onboard the Ship

If you like mystery and the prospect of experiencing ghostly phenomena, the ship is not short of stories to tell too. Perhaps because of the ship’s long history of enemy violence and deaths onboard, not everyone, including the departed, are silent onboard the USS Hornet (CV-12) today. Witnesses say ghostly phenomena such as sightings and unexplained noise and moving objects are common in Hornet Museum. So if you see a shadowy image moving across a hall or hear clanging where there shouldn’t be in Hornet Museum, just remind yourself of the ship’s significance that not everyone is willing to disembark long after they departed.

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Curious about what happens to old ships? The fate of old ships going to scrap yards or deliberately sunk for a quick burial is pretty common among lay people. What’s uncommon is the way these old ships are scrapped, sunk, or recycled for whatever purpose the ships’ parts may serve – some purpose you might never thought existed. However, one thing is certain about old ships disposal: it’s a pretty big business in developing worlds in the expense of its people and the environment.

Taking care of dirty business

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Most old ships are sold for scrap, gutted and cut into sections of raw steel that can be used for other purpose aside from re-melting. The pieces of metal that doesn’t fit the bill are sold to iron smelters to be re-melted into new blocks of metal ready for whatever purpose it may serve – even ready to go for a new ship or to a new skyscraper. Another popular way of resting old ships is by deliberate sinking in shallow waters to become underwater attractions and manmade reef system. The widely publicized old ship that’s sank for this purpose was the USS Oriskany which was sunk off the coast of Florida and is now home to hundreds of fish and coral species.

Unusual fate of old ships

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For some old ships parts, people’s creativity and sheer need breathe new life to them such as the parts of the old HMS Resolute. Certainly you’ve seen the table used by several presidents in the Oval Office for several decades now: the Resolute Desk. But did you know that the famous presidential table, which has a twin table in the Buckingham Palace, is constructed from an old HMS ship, HMS Resolute? That’s how the table got its famous name, the Resolute Desk. Another peculiar used of an old ship, the German Tirpitz, steel slab is a road patch in Norway. If you happen to drive down Norway’s streets, lookout for steel plates patches on the road because you’ve just spotted one of Germany’s belligerent ships during WWII.

The old ships hazards

Although scrapping old ships is a big business, it’s a dirty business nonetheless. Several developing countries like Bangladesh, China, and India are plagued by ship scrapping yards that do not only pose real dangers to their workers but to the environment too. The working conditions in these old ships scrap yards are appalling; cloud of cancerous fumes constantly fills the air and workers either die or maimed almost every day by clashing heavy steel. Air, soil, and water pollutants, too, escape into the environment 24/7. It’s truly a matter of concern not just by these countries, but countries that ship old ships to them too.

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Model ships serve two purposes: for testing and for collection. Model ships for testing are confined to ship model basins and model ships for collection belonged to the display of some avid ships fan. Each serves different purposes, one as important as the other depending on the person you ask. For instance, construction of anything from yacht to megaships can’t begin if its model ship equivalent has not been tested in a ship model basin, and a collector’s model ship costing as much as 8,000 bucks is an item that deserves recognition.

model ships for testing

Before a steel plate is cut to construct a ship, several months have been dedicated to study the ship design’s hydrodynamism using model ships. The testing is done under the watchful eyes of engineers that design, polish, and approves a ship’s design for water safety and efficiency. The hull, keel, wave breaker, propeller, and rudder are tested to determine whether the ship will sink or swim on water. Aside from the propeller which is tested in a cavitation tunnel, the rest of the ship’s parts are tested on a towing tank that are several meters wide and hundreds of meters long. Depending on the ships model basin’s facilities, it can also have maneuvering and seakeeping basin to test model ships turning capability and wave maneuverability; and it can have ice tank to test the hull’s ice breaking capacity – which is imperative for icebreaker ships.

Model ships collector’s item

But if laypeople talk of model ships, they almost always mean the expensive collector’s item of model tall ships, battle, merchant, pirate, and navigation ships that adorn the collector’s office or study. These model ships can range anywhere from a thousand to as high as 10,000 bucks making them one of the most expensive items to collect. The most expensive ones are replicas of famous ancient ships that made a mark in history. The wood and everything that goes into making these model ships are top of the line; these model ships are investments.

Model ships kits

For really gifted hobbyist who likes to construct his or her own model ships, there are model ships kits available. However, don’t expect the price to be significantly less than the readymade ones because they’re not. Still they can be expensive ranging anywhere from 800 to several thousand bucks. Constructing your own model ships from these kits is a fun activity that you can do with your kid, and there are competitions for the most beautiful, personally made model ships in any major cities nowadays, too.

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Have you wondered what’s it like to work off and onboard nuclear military ships? Setting aside the other equally important ship jobs like the captain and the deckhand’s jobs and concentrating more on nuclear military ships jobs that directly influence how the reactors work, how challenging at the same time exiting do you think it is? Some nuclear military ships officers might tell you that working on floating nuclear reactors are both a calling and a passion. It takes tremendous strength of character, and physicist-level of IQ, to ensure that nuclear military ships are safely operated as it fulfills their mission on the high seas.

Naval reactors engineer

The naval reactors engineers are in the frontlines when it comes to ensuring the safety and proper operation of U.S. military ships nuclear reactors. And ensuring safety alone is no easy feat. There’s a lot that could go wrong in operating a ship’s nuclear reactor, and the repercussions of even a single mistake could be widely catastrophic. The naval reactors engineers’ job is to ensure that naval officers in charge of operating the reactors are prepared and capable of doing their jobs. They make sure that all safety protocols are followed and the equipments and software running the reactors are in tip-top shape.

Don’t think though that there’s one naval reactors engineer onboard each nuclear military ships. There’s none. All U.S. naval reactors engineer (not a lot of them) work at headquarters only to board the ships for inspection and maintenance.

The Military Ship job description

A nuclear military ships officer is responsible for running multi-million dollars worth of equipment and safeguarding civilian and military lives. The task is enormous, but it can be done by the right people. The specifics include directing, maintaining, design planning, and implementing nuclear protocols and nuclear equipments. The Research and Development is a big area and a big responsibility in the U.S. Navy nuclear power program. And all officers are expected to contribute one way or another to the program.

What does it take to work on nuclear military ships

The U.S. Navy nuclear power program is the finest in the world, so there’s a careful selection process if you want to be part of the esteemed military group. Aside from strong character and sense of achievement, you have to excel in science and math. College courses on and off navy school like mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and nuclear physics are all great passes to enter the U.S. Navy nuclear power program. And if you’re lucky to get bachelor’s or a master’s degree in the Naval Nuclear Power School, you’ll start receiving salary while you study.

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A similar ship of Christopher Columbus' fleet

Did you know that when Christopher Columbus sailed to America he had two other ships on his fleet? Although many historians refused to name Columbus as the first explorer to discover America, he was, nonetheless, the first explorer who came to America from a modern, established civilization. When Columbus embarked on a voyage that was supposed to head to India on August 3, 1492, he sailed on his flagship, Santa Maria, and brought two other ships on his fleet, the Niña and Pinta. The band was composed of Columbus commanding the Santa Maria; Vicente Yanez Pinzon, captain of the Niña; and Martin Alonzo Pinzon, captain of the Pinta together with 90 other men.

The Santa Maria, Niña, and Pinta

The Santa Maria was the largest in the fleet; she was sluggish weighing between 200 to 600 tons measuring 18 meters in length, 12 meters in keel length, 6 meters beam, and 2 meters draft. However, she can carry a lot more cargo compared to the other two that were designed to explore close to shore and into inland rivers. The Pinta was a caravel about 70 tons and 17 meters in length, and the Niña was the smallest in the fleet, which was another caravel weighing about 50 to 60 tons.

Onboard Christopher Columbus ships

Of all the three ships, the Santa Maria would have carried a lot more treats (mostly wine) for the captain and the sailors. Nonetheless, there were wines onboard the other two ships to make the sailors company in a lonely journey at sea. The accommodation would have been very dismal for the able-bodied sailors, a little comfortable for the captains. The food would consist of fresh caught fish, cheese, some provisions from the live animals below deck, dried peas and some grains, and occasional salted meat. But the wine was pretty abundant.

Some interesting facts about Christopher Columbus Ships and the sailors

All three Christopher Columbus ships used primitive navigation system: primitive charts, compasses, hourglass, sundial, navigation cross-staffs, and the like were used to guide the fleet across the Atlantic. The crew that was put together by Martin Pinzon, the captain of the Pinta, included four prisoners pardoned by the Spanish throne because they agreed to take part in the voyage. Santa Maria was wrecked during her return trip from Hispaniola (now Dominican Republic and Haiti) and Cuba, and Columbus had to return to Spain onboard the Niña on March 15, 1493. Columbus managed to return twice to Southern America since then until his death on May 20, 1506; to his death, Columbus really thought he was exploring Asia instead of America.

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Replica of the Viking ships

The history of the sailing ships goes back to the Viking era when the ships were built to conquer new worlds. The sailing ships then were pretty basic consisting of only a clinker-built hull, a side oar for steering, and several oars on either side for propelling. They were a far cry from today’s sailing ships propelled by the wind blowing on sails and steered by ship wheels that can be operated by one person. Nonetheless, the early sailing ships serve their purpose, which was mainly to conquer new worlds to colonize.

the Viking ships history

Although the Vikings were not the first to build sailing ships, the Vikings came up with the significant change in early sailing ships, and they were the first to extensively use sailing ships. According to ships history, the earliest Viking sailing ships called Knorrs were clinker-built. The ships resemble more like a canoe: two pointy ends making it difficult to distinguish the bow from the stern and with long, narrow, shallow hull. About the 13th century, the Vikings design castles mounted on the bow and stern mainly for fighting. Sometimes the Knorrs would also carry a castle on the mast for bowmen to take good aim from. And in the middle of the 14th century, the Vikings designed a larger sailing ship with high hull, and the rudder was used for steering.

the Mediterranean ships history

About the same time the Vikings experimented on the sailing ships design, the merchants in the Mediterranean were also making their own ships history. The traders used to sail on single-masted lanteen rigged ship on calmer Mediterranean waters. These lanteeners were bigger compared to the Viking’s Knorrs, but they sailed fast on Mediterranean waters even when heavy with cargo because the waters are calmer and the winds are pretty steady being closed to Africa and Asia.

Ships history leading to Columbus fleet

In Southern Europe particularly Spain, the dominating sailing ships was carvel-built. Carvel ships were built by fitting two smooth-sided wood planks nailed on a frame; the seams were sealed by caulking. The design allowed the southerners to build big ships with tall mast; however, the calver-built ships were very slow and water constantly seeps in. The sailing ships were also pretty open exposing the sailors and the cargo on it. The breakthrough came when the Northern, Mediterranean, and Southern sailing ships design were combined. The combination ushered the Columbus ships era making possible the discovery of new worlds including the Americas.

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Have you wondered what the different ship horn meant? When approaching or leaving a dock, coming close to another ship, or entering a narrow channel, ships blow their horn or whistle to signal something to the port or to other ships. And if the signal goes out to another ship nearby, that ship has to respond by also blowing the same horn or whistle to indicate that she understood the first ship’s intentions. You may notice when you’re in a port that the ships ensue a deafening horn battle of some kind, but the truth is they’re not just competing who can honk the loudest. They are communicating.

Different ship horn meaning

The ship horn meaning is the same throughout the world as set by the International Maritime Organization, Collision Avoidance at Sea Regulations. And the organization set two pulses of ship horn: short blast, which is about a second duration, and prolonged blast, which is about 4 to 6 seconds duration.

Here are the meanings of ship horn when two ships are approaching within close range:

One short blast – “I am changing course to starboard.”
Two short blasts – “I am changing course to port.”
Two prolonged blasts and one short blast – “I intend to overtake you on your starboard side.”
Two prolonged blasts and two short blasts – “I intend to overtake you on your port side.”
And the overtaken ship is expected to reply with one prolonged blast, one short, another prolonged blast and another short in exact order.

ship horn when departing

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When a ship is leaving port, it makes ship horn signals too that the closest ship has to respond copying the ship horn signal. Before departure, the ship will signal to the closest ship as to what side is she leaving.

One short blast – “I intend to leave you on my port side.”
Two short blasts – “I intend to leave you on my starboard side.”
And as the ship starts her engine, she lets out three prolonged blasts to tell the other ships that she’s operating astern propulsion.

ship horn battle

Photo courtesy of http://www.startedbyamouse.com

Because the closest ship has to respond to the ship horn signal copying the same or responding with another signal, two ships coming close or at port seem to instigate a ship horn battle. The best ship horn battle you could ever experience is when a Disney Cruise Line is around. When the two ships are in an agreement and they’re both out of danger, the Disney Cruise Line lets out her ID ship horn to the tune of “When you wish upon a star”! The moment is magical to say the least.

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Although they were no less than thugs at sea, what make pirate ships and their captains so famous that pirate movies are blockbusters in tinsel town. It’s got something to do with history dating back as far as the 15th century when pirates are understood as part of the shipping dangers. The pirate ships then were nimble and heavily armed manned by their famous captains. The four most famous pirate ships and their captains were Queens Anne’s Revenge, Captain Blackbeard; Adventure Galley, Captain Kidd; Fancy, Captain Every; and The Golden Hind, Captain Drake.

Queen Anne’s Revenge

The number one famous pirate ship was the Queen Anne’s Revenge with her equally famous captain, Blackbeard. The ship was originally made by the British, captured by the French, captured again by pirate Captain Horninghold, and given to Edward Teach, Captain Blackbeard. In less than a year since his command of Queen Anne’s Revenge, Blackbeard raided British, Dutch, and Portuguese ships and blockaded Charleston capturing 8 valuable ships. After the blockade, Queen Anne’s Revenge ran aground in Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina while Blackbeard slipped behind the troops leaving some of his crew behind.

Adventure galley

The Adventure Galley was given to Captain Kidd to operate as a privateer ship to raid other pirate ships in the East Indian seas. In January 1698, Adventure Galley with her captain William Kidd raided an Armenian ship, Quedah Merchant. The ship was loaded with expensive fabrics making the raid the biggest Captain Kidd loot since. When Captain Kidd returned to New York, he was captured and sent to prison for his crimes. He was returned to England and later was hanged on May 23, 1701.

Fancy

The Fancy was Captain Henry Every’s ship from May 1694 to late 1695. Captain Every was the most notorious pirate in the Indian Ocean during his time raiding every ship he spotted. The biggest capture by Captain Every was the Great Mughal flagship, the Gang-Sawai, with 40 guns; the Fancy had 46 guns and 140 crew. Every retired when his crew returned home to Nassau, and he returned home to Britain aboard the Isaac. Although the fate of the Fancy was unclear, some say Captain Every gave her to the Governor of Nassau as a bribe.

The Golden Hind

Sir Frances Drake was a privateer during the Elizabethan period. Captain Drake onboard the Pelican, which he later renamed into The Golden Hind, was ordered by Queen Elizabeth herself to revenge English sailors from the Spaniards. And on March 1579, Captain Drake captured Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de la Concepcion which carried large treasure. It was the greatest loot of the time up to 360,000 pesos. On his return to England, Queen Elizabeth knighted Frances Drake because of his great contribution, some to Queen Elizabeth’s pocket itself.

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Merchant ships and their sailors are giving valuable service not just to their country of origin but to the world. Now that they are not auxiliaries to their countries’ navy (at least not yet), merchant ships are still vital to keep the world economy flowing. Their sailors too constantly endure grueling tests of character from the seas; without these sailors, merchant ships would remain floating ironclads without real purpose. That’s why it’s important to recognize the merchant ships and their sailors for their contribution to society in times of peace.

Moving the world’s commerce

Merchant ships move the world’s commerce from exotic food items to products that make living bearable to items that save lives. Without the world’s merchant vessels, economies would come to a screeching halt; in fact, 80 percent of the world’s commerce is exchanged through merchant ships. The world’s oceans have become highways for the goods from America to the rest of the world and vice versa. Cargo ships, container ships, oil tankers, car ships, reefers, etc. all fulfills important roles of their own taking head-on the tempest of the sea just to bring their cargo to the country in need.

Disaster relief

Merchant ships are also vital in disaster relief when aid from the military is not enough to save lives. Nowhere else has this been proven but during the latest disaster relief for the earthquake-torn Haiti. U.S. merchant ships were sent to deliver vital food, medical, and other aid to Haiti where they were needed most. Commercial ships also help in the relief effort in war-torn countries in Africa and Asia transporting food and medical supplies without which a whole community could perish. Wherever they’re needed most, merchant ships are ready to render service even during this time of peace.

Sailors at sea

Equally hard at work are the sailors manning these merchant ships, facing perils of the sea, enduring many days away from their families. Without them, the merchant ships would be useless; they’ll just remain floating steels slowly eaten away by the ocean elements. The sailors are equally vital in moving the world’s commerce protecting important cargos and making sure they reach their destination in good shape. Every time they set on a voyage they and their family know that the sea could be unforgiving and they may not return home alive or well. Still they endure the thought to fulfill the vital roles that merchant ships and sailors play in today’s modern world.

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Ship chartering is popular among cargo owners and holiday goers who want to have the whole ship for their own use during a specified period. Ship chartering is the act of signing a contract between a charterer and a ship owner to use the ship under rights and privileges during the entire duration of the charter. It’s an expensive agreement, but once you chartered the ship, you have full control as to the ship’s itinerary. It’s like owning a ship of your own for a limited period.

Cargo ship chartering

Ship chartering is very popular in the cargo industry where large cargo owners would want flexibility and pace about moving their cargo around the world. If you’re a cargo owner, you can charter a ship on any of these arrangements: voyage charter, time charter, bareboat charter, and demise charter. Voyage charter is hiring a ship for one way: from load port to discharge port. Time charter is when you’re allowed to use the ship for specified period of time. Bareboat and demise charter are closely similar where they can take a year or more, and the charterer basically own the ship during the charter. That is to say you hire and pay for the crew and the other pertinent shipping costs.

Cruise ship chartering

Small cruise ships, particularly yachts, are open for chartering also. Cruise ship chartering is the best way to go for company vacations where a company treats several of its employees for a trip. It gives the charterer flexibility and exclusivity for the important company event. The two most popular charter arrangements for cruise ship chartering are the voyage and the time charters. It can be expensive on the part of the charterer, but a charter basically gives you the right to dictate the ships port of calls and accommodation arrangements.

Important Ship chartering reminders

If you’re planning to charter a ship, there are few reminders you have to keep in mind. First, you have to book or arrange the charter at least a year before your schedule. This is especially true for cruise ships because liners plan their itineraries at least a year before to give them time to market the cruise. So booking ahead of their schedule ensures you get the ship. And the second reminder applies to both cargo and cruise ships charterer; know all the rights and privileges accorded to you including customs and immigration arrangements for smooth operation.

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