N.S. Savannah on drydock, BAE Systems, Norfolk Ship Repair, Maryland, January 19, 2008
Photo by MARAD

Drydock: January 19, 2008

At 0858 in the morning, the last line holding the N.S. Savannah to Pier 6 was let go, and moments later the long-awaited move was on.  It was a cold and rainy morning, but spirits were riding high as three tugs took Savannah under tow for the short voyage downriver to the TITAN drydock.

N.S. SAVANNAH enroute to drydock; January 19, 2008
Photo by MARAD

By 0930 the Savannah had sailed past the drydock, and was being turned around so that she could enter stern-first. At 0954 her stern crossed the dock sill to begin the physical drydocking process. As with any ship entering a floating drydock, great care and attention to detail was exercised to avoid accidents. By 1330 the dock was empty and Savannah was sitting “high and dry” for the first time in nearly 14 years.

N.S. SAVANNAH over the sill; January 19, 2008
Photo by MARAD

Just because it was a cold and rainy Saturday afternoon didn’t mean that the day’s work was complete. Inspections of the ship’s hull began almost immediately, including the important radiological survey to measure and confirm that radiation levels were well within the permissible limits for workers. The highest readings were found at the ship’s bottom plating beneath the contaminated waste tanks. These tanks were emptied long ago – in the mid 1970’s – but some residual materials in the tanks continue to emit radiation at very low levels. It is this type of material that will eventually be removed during the decommissioning process. For the yard workers at BAE, the radiation levels are well below the limits established for industrial personnel.

N.S. SAVANNAH on drydock, January 19., 2008
Photo by MARAD

The ship’s underwater hull was found to be in good condition.  The coatings applied in 1994 were intact, and no substantial degradation from the conditions at the end of the last drydocking was noted.  In particular, the welded butts and seams that join the hull plating sections, and clad-welded repairs to hull pits are tight.  This means that the combination of the coatings systems and the cathodic protection systems employed since 1994 have done their job to maintain the exterior hull envelope, which serves as the outermost barrier of the nuclear facility.

N.S. SAVANNAH on drydock at BAE Systems, Norfolk, VA
after initial pressure washing of the ship's hull
January 2008
Photo by MARAD

On January 22 the Savannah staff and BAE workers were treated to an historic first as the USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER, CVN 69 sailed past the drydock enroute to the nearby Norfolk Naval Shipyard. This is likely the first meeting of these two ships, which enjoy such close association with Dwight Eisenhower. President Eisenhower first proposed the “atomic peace ship” that would become the N.S. Savannah in 1955. The Savannah and the “IKE” were both christened by Mamie Eisenhower; ironically, the IKE was christened in 1975 at almost the same time that the Savannah was completing initial mothballing activities after the decision was made in late 1972 that she would not be refueled and returned to service.

USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER and Nuclear Ship SAVANNAH
Norfolk Virginia, January 22, 2008
Photo by MARAD

Savannah will remain on the TITAN for about 50 days, during which time she will be prominently visible from both the Portsmouth and downtown Norfolk waterfronts. Plans at the moment include a period of layberthing at BAE after the drydocking is completed, roughly until the end of April. In the meantime the staff will also be gearing up for the 2008 National Maritime Day observance, which will mark the fiftieth anniversary of the ship’s keel-laying ceremony. Details will be posted to the website as they become available.

Patricia Nixon and Edward Teale, president of New York Shipbuilding Corp.
May 22, 1958
From the collection of William Teale

 

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