USS Cero (SS-225), shown here at the Detroit Naval Armory, where she served as a reserve training vessel from 1960 to 1967. Cero was a Gato-class boat, launched April 4th, 1943. She made eight war patrols in World War Two, sinking over 18,000 tons of Japanese shipping.
Sold for scrap in 1970. Makes me wanna cry. I'd have taken it if the Navy didn't want it any more. Would have made one helluva houseboat.
A houseboat from an old ship would be neat but I'm afraid the maintenance would be a killer.
ReplyDeleteHell Yeah to the maintenance. 50-some guys field-daying their asses off at least weekly, never mind the other PMs on all the other systems and then drydocking it every couple of years to preserve the hull... on your lonesome you'd have your hands full!
ReplyDeleteYou do remember the definition of a boat? "A boat shaped hole in the water you fill with money".
ReplyDeleteEven if they didn't require significant "de-milling", what was the scrap value of it?
Then, you would have to dock it in fresh water, to help with maintenance.
I think it would take a few guys chipping in to keep it a going concern. Either that, or charging for tours.
Would beat the hell out of the "Busted Flush", though!
I grew up playing on this ship at its dock. My dad was the senior officer of the sub squadron and he would take me and my brother to the armory on weekends when he had duties from 1966-1970. We would go into the forward torpedo room and 'fire' torpedoes after lining up shots with the periscope (of course, none of the sailors present would tell me and my brother that we were just shooting a blast of air out the tubes. After the Cero was pulled out of Reserve service, they brought the USS Piper into the dock behind the Brodhead Naval Armory. We played all over that sub as well ... from conning tower to the diesel room. What a blast. Sad story when the armory was rampaged and tore apart internally. The old woodwork and paintings were gorgeous - vandalized and stolen.
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