Cobia vs. Winter 2014In our last issue I briefly described the issue we were having with the ice build up between the Riverwalk and the sub. Things were just getting started then…it got a lot worse in February…
In early February, we noticed the gangway had moved about 6 inches. This was not enough to cause concern, but worth keeping an eye on. Then a week later, it had moved another 4 inches. Much faster than we had anticipated! We began checking the gangway wheels daily and watched the boat slowly get pushed further away until the wheels moved just off the main plate in place to support the weight of the gangway. Thankfully a few years ago we had the Burger Boat Company add an extension plate in case this ever happened again (like it did back in 2009). At this point the soft lines (white ropes) were getting a good stretch along with the power and gas lines. The sub had also developed a 3° list to port. The lines held the top in place, but the ice continued to put pressure on the lower hull, pushing the keel further to starboard. This was around the end of February and there wasn’t a warm-up in sight yet, so we decided we’d better take action instead of waiting for something to happen! We called up McMullen and Pitz Construction Company, just up river, and they sent a guy over to drill holes in the ice. He drilled two holes and discovered the ice was about three feet thick! Pitz also loaned us an aerator to drop down one of the holes to see what would happen. Surprisingly, in the morning, there was a noticeable “improvement” in the ice! The ice had started to melt from the bubbling water. It wasn’t much, but at least we were headed in the right direction.
Over the next several days, the aerator continued to melt a small section of the ice and about a week later the temperatures finally warmed up enough to start melting and breaking up the ice around the boat. The gangway wheels slowly inched their way back onto the main plate and within a few days, the boat was actually back to normal, thanks to a much needed break in the cold temps. Once the boat was back into normal position, we had to tighten the sagging soft lines and the power line that had dipped into the river. We are now looking into permanently installing aerators along the boat in case we have another winter like this one! (Thank you Eric Pitz for your help all your help and support this winter!!)
Spring Cleaning On March 17-18, we had a group of sub vet volunteers from the Chicago area helping us out with a little spring cleaning on the sub. The extremely cold temps this winter had caused paint to peel and flake off in big chunks in a few areas around the boat. The guys cleaned up those areas and thankfully it was just barely warm enough to add a fresh coat of paint. They also helped out in the aft battery removing old, broken shelving units and replacing them with newer, stronger shelves, cleaned up the clutter, and reorganized all the spare parts that are stored in that compartment. Their help was greatly appreciated and we look forward to welcoming them back this summer!
Paul Rutherford and Karen Duvalle, with a little help from volunteer Pat Habel and the Chicago Vets when they were here, spent several weeks getting the boat ready for our Annual Navy inspections this month. This included the always fun job of cleaning bilges! We pumped out water and oil, vacuumed and scrubbed all the bilges, put away parts and tools from various projects, changed light bulbs, and vacuumed in all the little nooks and crannies. We even had a little help from a group of Sea Cadets who were here on March 22nd. They dusted, swept, and polished the boat from bow to stern! A big thank you to everyone who helped Cobia be “ship-shape” for another successful inspection! ?
Upcoming EventsSave-the-dates for these events that will take place aboard Cobia this year!
Saturday, May 24 @ 1:00 – USS Lagarto Remembrance Ceremony
Saturday, June 14th (Flag Day) – Star Spangled Banner Sing-Along aboard Cobia - in conjunction with the Smithsonian and in honor of the 200th anniversary of our National Anthem. Details are still in the works so keep an eye on our website for more information.
Saturday, June 14th @ 1:00 p.m. - Kaiten: Japan's Secret Manned Suicide Submarine And the First American Ship It Sank in WWII.
Mike Mair, author and presenter from Platteville, Wisconsin will share his research that started in 1995. He eventually gained the trust of the Japanese IJN veterans and became the first American that has had complete access to their previously little known story of the manned suicide torpedo Kaiten. You can hear his presentation and have him sign his newly released book which will be available in our museum store.
