Author Topic: Touring two Dutch subs!  (Read 21560 times)

Offline Paul Farace

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Touring two Dutch subs!
« on: March 21, 2010, 01:51:48 PM »
My wife has a short term business trip to the Netherlands next week and I get to tag along. One of the points of interest I plan to visit is the Dutch Naval Museum at Den Helder. My assistant curator is Dutch and just hooked me up with the right person at the Dutch Navy Base so I will get to visit their submarine heritage site and tour an active Walrus class sub!!!   :smitten:    Then I will check out their memorial sub up on blocks at the musuem, the Tonijn -- three hulls! Cool!  I will provide pictures as soon as possible.
 
And hopefully get some of the folks there to join this site!

-- signed:  One very lucky bastard!   :crazy2:
Johnny Cash's third cousin, twice removed

Offline Karen D.

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Re: Touring two Dutch subs!
« Reply #1 on: March 22, 2010, 03:16:32 PM »
Have fun! Beats my trip in May. I'm just going to some old boat in Cleveland that's run by this weird guy named...oops! ;) ;D

Hey BTW, did you know the some of the Cobia vols and staff are is still planning to visit? Looks like we'll be there the first weekend May. They're even letting me tag along... :)

Offline Darrin

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Re: Touring two Dutch subs!
« Reply #2 on: March 22, 2010, 05:56:33 PM »
Hmmmmmmm me thinks a road trip is due to go to the COD  :knuppel2:  hopefully one of the "keeper's of the boat" will be gone and I will have a free day to steal ahem I mean pilliage damn I mean acquire uhhhhhh I mean :-X :-X :-X

Be AFWAID COD be vewy, vewy afwaid because I'm huntin MUSEUM SUBMAWINE'S :2funny: :2funny:

Paul,

For some reason I have to be back in Ohio here shortly and I would like to see the COD when it is actually WARM outside :coolsmiley: and I am NOT going to give you the time line so you will now be on your toes for the next few months :2funny:

Remember my friend who loves ya  :knuppel2:

(((((((PING))))))

Offline Paul Farace

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Re: Touring two Dutch subs!
« Reply #3 on: March 22, 2010, 10:43:04 PM »
Karen:

We are certainly looking forward to your visit (the skipper, Dr. John, and I have been planning it since we heard about it. You'll have the Elizabeth (Torsk) suite at your disposal (but not the silver water pitcher!  Long story, don't want to go into it here...   :buck2:

It is the start to what should be a great year!

Now only if Darrin were to get lost in Parma, Ohio where the cops fund the city coffers with speed trap tickets!  Buwwwhaa hhaaa hhaaa!!!  :knuppel2:
Johnny Cash's third cousin, twice removed

Offline Darrin

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Re: Touring two Dutch subs!
« Reply #4 on: March 23, 2010, 12:51:45 AM »
Awwweeee Geeeez  Paul, you don't want to discuss the "Elizabeth pitcher" with any of the newcombers :2funny:

You my friend however are in for a round of fun on me here shortly, 

Here is a pic of me back when I was a SUBMARINE TORPEDOMAN and lovin life circa '92

Offline Karen D.

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Re: Touring two Dutch subs!
« Reply #5 on: March 23, 2010, 12:37:26 PM »
Ooooo a suite!  :) Sounds better than the hard bench and chair combo I used to sleep on in the Ward Room when I worked Overnight Program way back when. Should be an interesting weekend...

Offline Paul Farace

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Re: Touring two Dutch subs!
« Reply #6 on: March 23, 2010, 05:35:00 PM »
Karin:

Listen, what you will find aboard COD will be at LEAST one and a half stars in the Mobile Travel Guide rating!!!  Well maybe not, but it will be better than a chair and hard bench in the wardroom!    :angel:

Darrin:  that is you in the Navy?  I thought it was a picture of that freaky three-headed kid who was always on the cover of the Weekly World Star (almost as popular as the BatBoy from Space who used to consult with Bill Clinton.

 :buck2:
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Offline Gil Bohannon

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Re: Touring two Dutch subs!
« Reply #7 on: March 23, 2010, 06:50:18 PM »
AHHH The Elizabeth Pitcher. What memories....LOL

G

Offline Darrin

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Re: Touring two Dutch subs!
« Reply #8 on: March 23, 2010, 06:55:12 PM »
Ahhh Paul I heard a faint but VERY low powered ping coming from the area of the COD and I can only ASS/U/ME that it came from you :2funny: :2funny: :2funny:

While I would love to tell Karen that she is in for a REAL treat when she goes to the COD, I have to tell her that BTW the TORSK has 3-4 days of sleeping onboard the Lightship Chesapeak and 3-4 days of good fun onboard the TORSK, that as far as I have heard goes unmatched by any other boat in the museum fleet :smitten:

Now for the disclaimer: the USS COD does have THE "Martha Stewart" onboard whom has done a FANTASTIC job of restoring "his" submarine over the last 20 years, and there are MANY museums whom are jealous of what the COD has been able to accomplish over the years and most if not all wish that they still had ALL of their hatches intact.

OK, now for another disclaimer: Paul Farace does give a very nice tour and will bend over backwards to make sure that a fellow submarine restorer is well taken care of :angel: I only wish that I had known about the COD When I still lived in Ohio AFTER I got out of the Navy, cause I would have given a few hours working on her ;)

BTW, Paul that pic was taken onboard the USS Honolulu (SSN 718) on EastPac '92 enroute to San Francisco, the pic was taken prior to going underneeth the Golden Gate Bridge :coolsmiley:    ((((((((PING))))))

Offline Paul Farace

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Re: Touring two Dutch subs!
« Reply #9 on: March 23, 2010, 10:35:23 PM »
OK Darrin... you got me!  I sailed under the Golden Gate in 1990 aboard the SS JERIMIAH O'BRIEN, a target, not a sub!

Each boat has its own special vibe for sure!  If only you guys and gals could have been at the 1997 Maritime Conferenece sponsored by the San Francisco Maritime Museum (USS PAMPANITO) and the Park Service!  Many of the international attendees (RUSSIA, Scandanavia, Germany) bunked, toileted, ate and showered -- and YES MAITAI PARTIED aboard the Pamp!!! Talk about fun!    :o

Having your own submarine bunk in the middle of a big seacoast city urban entertainment district (PAMP and TORSK) is killer!  And then you have REQUIN, where the best fireworks displays in the world are fired right off your starboard bow and you have the front row seat...  It's all good!  :smitten:
Johnny Cash's third cousin, twice removed

Offline Karen D.

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Re: Touring two Dutch subs!
« Reply #10 on: March 24, 2010, 02:41:09 PM »
You know, come to think of it, no matter where I sleep, it will still be better than any night I've spent on Cobia, because I won't be working! Anytime I'm sleeping on the boat I have to wake up every half hour or so cuz some kids gotta pee or get up early to wake up a bunch of smelly boys. Plus it will be May, so it will be warmer. Last time I slept on Cobia it was before the heat was fixed for the season and I thought I was going to get hypothermia. Brrrr! The ice popping against the hull did not help!

Looking forward to seeing the Martha touch I've heard so much about too!

Offline Paul Farace

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Re: Touring two Dutch subs!
« Reply #11 on: March 24, 2010, 09:40:21 PM »
Karen:

We have a full compliment of WWII US Navy blankets and the sheets are regularly laundered, vintage Navy feather pillows (now that's living)... so who needs heat beyond what your own body generates?

We will also have our standard chocolates on the pillows at night time turndown...    well for everyone but Darrin...  I am trying get the neighbors dog to pinch one the right size and shape to wrap in a Hershey Kiss foil ...   :coolsmiley: :-*
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Offline Darrin

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Re: Touring two Dutch subs!
« Reply #12 on: March 25, 2010, 08:32:08 AM »
AWWWWEEEEE that's so nice Paul,

I must have made one heck of an impression on you when I was there last because as I recall you wanted me arrested before you even met me :2funny:  That and you threatened to have a full body cavity search done by the local PD and my truck impounded just to make sure that there was no ill gotten loot hiding anywhere ::)

Dog poo in the shape of a chocolate.... no worries mate, I may have a trick or two up my sleeve the next time I am up there  :knuppel2:

Offline Paul Farace

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Re: Touring two Dutch subs!
« Reply #13 on: March 25, 2010, 10:58:25 AM »
Darrin:

I see this going in a bad direction...    :angel:


Let me state now for the record:  I have never wrapped a doggie nugget in a chocolate kiss wrapper!  Never will! 

I did however fill a box or Hershey's chocolate stars with their doggie star treat lookalikes and give them to a nasty mean girl in 10th grade biology class (made a real impression on the seniors in the class!).

I trust you more than virtually anyone I know in the submairne community for this reason alone:  if I wake up one morning and find COD missing all of her torpeodoes and dishware, china, silver and blankets, then I have to break the glass cover on the special box and push the red button inside:
this will unleash a computer program that will flood Baltimore newspapers (if there is one), TV and radio stations, and all public officials with an email PRAISING HOW COOL AND UNIQUE BALTIMORE IS TO HAVE A SUBMARINE WITH A SHARK MOUTH PAINTED ON IT!!! AND THAT MAYBE THE WHOLE SUB SHOULD BE PAINTED TO MATCH!   Buuuuuhahhaaaa HAAAAAAA!!!! How evil is that?  :crazy2:

Put me up there with Hitler and Stalin!     :idiot2:
Johnny Cash's third cousin, twice removed

Offline Karen D.

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Re: Touring two Dutch subs!
« Reply #14 on: March 25, 2010, 03:01:19 PM »
Paul: So when we visit, I'm not allowed to take torpeodoes and dishware, china, silver and blankets, but everyhting elses is up for grabs? Good to know. I should start making a list since there was no mention of a special red button for Manitowoc Newspapers...  ;)

BTW do you also make those little towel animals you get on cruise ships? ;D