Quote:
Originally Posted by sdmuleman
Anyone significant thing to consider is manning, specifically officers.
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You've made some very good points, but you also have to consider the enlisted crew. Most of them will have to be specially trained for the class of boat. Its also a much different world when you're under way. Fresh water is much harder to come by if a reactor isn't suppling the power to produce it. That has a huge impact on the crew and their attitude.
"Going caveman" can be fun when you're young, but only for so long. Being a finalist in a "stink off" competition can also result in some skin diseases and even dental issues if water is really being rationed, and its
always being rationed.
On the Barbel, the enlisted shower got tagged out (shut off) when we went underway and if you got caught wasting fresh water, that could lead to four or five hours on "still watch" in the engine room (when we ran the stills, the engine room could easily get above 100 degrees/38 degrees C). There was a lot of pride in the crew, but going to a Nuke felt like a luxury and I didn't waste a lot of time crying for the "good old days".
