Do they just chop out the this spots or are they going to patch over it, making it thicker?

Ducimus posted a link in the SH4 forum, showing what became of one of these boats:
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=180401

Watching that video made me even more grateful of the work done to preserve some of these boats.

Aye rgr that, just looked at the post :nope:

Yes, the soft spots are removed until good solid material is met. Then a plate is cut and welded.

Checking for leaks!!! Pressurizing the tanks!


http://www.usstorsk.org/weekend/2011...17111325sm.JPG

She will get what she needs. So does the Constellation. These vessels are huge money makers for the city of Baltimore. You see they are in drydock now for repairs and not summertime when the visitors flow through them for days on end. :03:

You know it occurs to me, all this work on the superstructure, but does any maintenance get done on the seaward side of the people tank?

New sheet metal! Look to the right and left of the new piece. See the other panels of steel that look quite fresh? :)


http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._2693241_n.jpg

A volunteer has a personal boat he motors over through the bay. He can do what needs to be done with the boat. Plus there is a work barge that is tied along side. It is quite long and very useful for working seaward. You can see the barge here:

http://www.usstorsk.org/volunteers/tww09/tww9_259.jpg

http://www.usstorsk.org/volunteers/tww09/tww9_260.jpg

I mean, the pressure hull. (aka "people tank"). The superstructure is getting the needed attention, no doubt, but does anyone crawl in the spaces under the superstructure and work on the pressure hull proper?

Are you speaking of the void spaces between the superstructure deck and the top of the pressure hull, or are you referring to the insides of the fuel/ballast/freshwater/etc tanks?

Duci, post 79 where there is a fitting welded to pressurize the tanks, this is a man hatch that was welded to the pressure tank so the tank can be inspected internally. These were installed for evey tank. The navy inspects the Torsk once a year. There is a diver that will inspect outer hull and inspect inside the pressure tanks. The cover is unbolted and inside inspected. Seabee's help with needed repairs. He can also inspect the people tank while inside the saddle tanks. There is also the lower flats (the real inner belly) at the bottom of the people tank. I have been down there in the forward engine room, below maneuvering, battery aft, battery forward, and storage under crew mess. The people tank can be inspected in these areas as well.

http://www.usstorsk.org/weekend/2011...22110910sm.JPG

http://www.usstorsk.org/weekend/2011...21111047sm.JPG

http://www.usstorsk.org/weekend/2011...0110829asm.JPG

In plain terms, i was thinking of the outside of the pressure hull. Its my understanding that water free floods through the superstructure. So for any boat that is still sitting in water, I would think its pressure hull is still exposed to water. Not entirely of course, but the lower segments of it surely? Even still, water or no water, air still oxidizes. My minds eye is picturing rust flakes inch's deep under the main walking deck on some of those muesuem boats.

The sad state of the Drum is what got me thinking about this. I saw the drum back in 94, and she was sitting in salt water still. (not to mention a rant from Dex Armstrong, AVG probably knows the one im thinking of).

If there was a local musem boat, Id volunteer to crawl down in there under the superstructure and do the work, Im not afraid of confined spaces. But the nearest boat to me, is 800 miles away, A distance im not about to drive on a regular basis.

Ah, gotcha, Ducimus.

Last time I was under the superstructure deck, (ie: between the wood deck and the steel pressure hull) it looked pretty good. There are few, if any places (that I had access to, anyway) that had "deep flakes of rust" - those days are, thankfully, behind Torsk thanks in large part to the Torsk Volunteers and a few of the guys at the Museum there who try to do right by her.

You're right, btw - the area between the pressure hull and the superstructure is free-flooding, but in Torsk's case, it's been a very long time (since 1971, iirc) since that area was under any more than rainwater runoff or snow melt.

Sweet! :yeah: