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#20308
 USS Guardian Aground: U.S. Navy To Dismantle Ship Stuck In Philippines
Smithsgold - 1/30/2013 11:06 AM
Category: General
Replies: 6
USS Guardian Aground: U.S. Navy To Dismantle Ship Stuck In Philippines

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/0-+++-1/30/uss-guardian-aground_n_2580891.html


MANILA, Philippines — The U.S. Navy said Wednesday that it would dismantle a minesweeper that ran aground on a coral reef in the Philippines after carefully studying all options on how to remove the damaged ship.

Navy spokesman Lt. Cmdr. James Stockman said dismantling the USS Guardian was determined to be the solution that would involve the least damage to the Tubbataha Reef, a protected marine sanctuary where the ship got stuck Jan. 17.

He said the Philippine coast guard was reviewing the plan, but gave no other details.

The Navy had said previously that the Guardian would be lifted by crane onto a barge and taken to a shipyard, but apparently the damage was too extensive and it will have to be cut up and removed in pieces. Stockman gave no time frame for the operation.

The grounding caused no casualties to the ship’s 79 crew and officers, who were taken off the vessel after it crashed into the reef in shallow waters. The ship began listing and taking on water through holes in the wooden hull. The Navy’s support vessels siphoned off remaining fuel and salvage teams removed heavy equipment and hazardous material.

The Navy is investigating the incident, which caused Philippine government agencies and environmentalists to express concern about the extent of damage to the coral reef.
#3783
Kamdive - 1/30/2013 11:33 AM
Good post Dad !!
#1406
Green_Achers - 1/30/2013 1:36 PM
That’s a shame this grounding happened. It’s a bigger shame that we’ll lose the ship over it. I know floating a well grounded ship is no cake walk but there is a process and it’s a lot cheaper than scrap and scuttle. But, it’s only money!
#4002
WarmWaterTurner - 1/30/2013 2:08 PM
The story indicates "that it began taking on water through holes in the wooden hull". I didnt know we still had hulls made of wood. Is that because it is a mine sweeper? Magnetic mines and all? Shame either way!
#20448
LatitudeAdjustment - 1/30/2013 2:30 PM
From WarmWaterTurner: The story indicates "that it began taking on water through holes in the wooden hull". I didnt know we still had hulls made of wood. Is that because it is a mine sweeper? Magnetic mines and all? Shame either way!...
Minesweepers have wood or fiberglas hulls so as to not set off magnetic mines. My father was on YMS417 (Yard Mine Sweeper) which was the same series as the Calypso which JYC got surplus from the French Navy
#5828
Agojo - 1/30/2013 9:47 PM
The Philippines government is waiting until the ship is removed to calculate the fine that will be paid by the U.S. Navy. The cost is $300 per square meter for the reef is a protected reserve that no ships/boats except for the tourist dive boats are allowed to be in. According to the Manila news the ship was warned before entering the protected area and ignored the warning. Current estimate of damaged area is 1,000sqm.
#20308
Subscribed
Smithsgold - 1/30/2013 11:08 PM
Did you look at the pictures of were it is sitting looks super shallow !!!