USS George Washington

**Ozboy** · 03-07-2009, 08:29 PM

Anybody been down to see the big ship?

Should see plenty of F-18's flying about the northern skies over the next week.

**Davey** · 03-07-2009, 08:35 PM

Plenty of it's sailors wandering around town today.

**ashmo** · 03-07-2009, 08:45 PM

I was spewing nine news said the boat was open to the public this weekend so I started organising to go see it only for them at the end of the broadcast say they got it wrong and that it's not open

Isn't the boat staying 3 km's off shore anyway? Well that's what I heard anyway.

**Mr_FJ** · 03-07-2009, 08:46 PM

Pity it is not docked in the harbor. It would be awesome to see up close but these big suckers wont fit. They stay out in Gauge Roads, as you said, about 3kms off shore. (plus being Nuclear I doubt they would let anyone on it, thats also probably another reason it doesn't come into dock... too many protesters)

Bloody terrorism doesn't allow you to do anything remotely interesting anymore.....

Many years ago when I was little tacka I got to go on the USS Ranger when it was docked in Freo. Was pretty cool. They had guided tours of the ship, mainly in the below deck hangers and up on flight deck. Even for one of the smallest carriers in the fleet it was still pretty amazing to get a feel for the scale of the thing !

**Tin Tin** · 03-07-2009, 08:47 PM

awesome ship. just amazing.

**Revelations** · 03-07-2009, 09:02 PM

its alright....i guess

**Randomman** · 03-07-2009, 09:03 PM

Hahahahahahaha.

It's not docked because it's NUCLEAR. Freo council has been having a sad since God knows when about Nuclear powered sea vehicles.

I had a tour of America's last diesel powered Aircraft carrier, was a pity because it didn't even have any jet powered aircraft on it...

**Rock** · 03-07-2009, 09:15 PM

I went onboard for a while yesterday, I got a few Yank mates on there.
No doubt all the Perth Ladiez are hunting Yankee tonight...

**Rock** · 03-07-2009, 09:17 PM

Originally Posted by randomman

Hahahahahahaha.

It's not docked because it's NUCLEAR. Freo council has been having a sad since God knows when about Nuclear powered sea vehicles.

I had a tour of America's last diesel powered Aircraft carrier, was a pity because it didn't even have any jet powered aircraft on it...

...does not stop nuclear Submarines from berthing at Fleet Base West.
The G.W is considerably bigger than the olde' conventional carriers that used to come here, like the USS Independence etc.

**digz** · 03-07-2009, 09:25 PM

gonna be some sore girls tomorrow

http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/stor...005361,00.html

**mekon** · 03-07-2009, 09:30 PM

Originally Posted by digz

gonna be some sore girls tomorrow

and no doubt plenty of high fiving back on the deck.

I remember years ago, whenever a nuclear vessel was visiting WA some sorry sod from the State Emergency Service got to spend 24 hours residing in the bunker at Belmont HQ just in case. That was a while back.

**Taz** · 03-07-2009, 09:38 PM

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
prob still happens as if the ship goes up there has to be someone left in perth to pass the info on....

but what a load of shit...your nuclear so stay 3km away.....if it goes up there will be no fishing in freo harbour for along time

**Barfridge** · 03-07-2009, 09:39 PM

Isn't the safe limit more like 12 miles? (I know this from true lies)

**Sventek** · 03-07-2009, 09:47 PM

Beautiful, clear shots. I have serious lens envy!

**Randomman** · 03-07-2009, 10:11 PM

Originally Posted by Rock

...does not stop nuclear Submarines from berthing at Fleet Base West.

Garden Island != Fremantle.

**SpeedTrip** · 03-07-2009, 10:39 PM

**Vincenzo** · 03-07-2009, 10:46 PM

Just to clear up a few 'misconceptions' about US carriers. The two main reasons the 'George Washington' is not able to come into the Inner Harbour are because it is nuclear powered and its draft.

The length overall, beam of the hull and width of the flight deck of the 'George Washington', are almost the same (within 2 or 3 metres) as the conventionally powered carriers like the 'Constellation' & 'Kittyhawk', which regularly berthed at the Passenger Terminal.

The big difference is the displacement tonnage, which means it has a deeper draft. Consequently, there is insufficient water under the hull to comply with strict USN regulations to do with the cooling water intakes for nuclear power plants.

If the nuclear power 'ban' were to be revoked sometime in the future, it would be feasible for the nuclear carriers to berth. By then there should be sufficient Under Keel Clearance once the next major Inner Harbour dredging campaign (scheduled for the end of this year) is completed when the harbour depth will be down to 15 metres.