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Halifax, Nova Scotia Home of the Canadian Submarine
Service, not sure if they have one of their retired O-class subs on display
here. Probably no access to their sub facilities. Eastport, ME Scenic maritime community up at
the border with Nova Scotia Acadia National Park (short distance to the east from
Castine) Beautiful land and the potential
to view puffins in the wild. Rockland, ME Numerous attractions but will be
almost unreachable due to the Lobster Fest South Thomaston, ME (George’s home town) “Dynamite” Payson’s
small boat building shop…he is famous from a series of his books that describe
how to build various “instant” boats. York Beach, ME Cape Neddick (Nubble) Light, a
very picturesque light in a beautiful location (great diving right here also) Kittery, ME. 1.
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum which has a lot of
early military submarine history. Not sure how accessible this is to the
public after 9/11. Point of contact is the Public Affairs Officer, Jim
Dolph. 2.
Kittery Historical and Naval Museum found a short ways
from the Shipyard. Offshore Maine 1.
There are several wrecks of subs off of Maine: USS
O-9 (SS-70) lost during training exercises in WW II but the hulk was recently
located in deep water, USS S-21 (SS-126) diveable but black water and
broken up due to metal salvage efforts, and in very deep water are the remains
of the USS Thresher (SSN-593). 2.
Isle au Haut, small island with 49 year-round
inhabitants and hosts part of the Arcadia National Park. Home of Linda
Greenlaw, noted author and the real female long-liner captain depicted in the
movie “The Perfect Storm”. 3.
Isle of Shoals, pleasant voyage out to a series of
islands off of the Maine/New Hampshire border with exceptional diving
opportunities. Portsmouth, NH (just across the river from Kittery) USS Albacore (AGSS-569)
Museum, a large naval research submersible that is now a museum on dry land…lots
of innovation here that provokes ideas for PSUBs. Gloucester/Rockport, MA Scenic drive around the Cape Ann
peninsula, old fishing towns, great seafood, recommend the Ralph Waldo Emerson
Inn (if it is still there in Rockport) for a stay in a majestic old hotel right
on the ocean Cambridge, MA (just north across the river from Boston
and I have lived a short distance from here) 1.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has a famous
naval architecture museum (the Navy’s Masters-level course in submarine
design was taught here), a hallway that documents the many inventions of Doc Harold
“Papa Flash” Edgerton,(inventor of among other things the underwater
flash and co-inventor of side scan sonar…found the USS Monitor),
and some famous architecture by Eero Saarinen (Kresge Auditorium and Chapel) 2.
USS Constitution (IX-21) “Old Ironsides”,
now jointly managed by the US Navy and the Park Service Boston, MA 1.
New England Aquarium, outstanding marine aquarium that
started a revolution in how marine life is displayed for public viewing 2.
Numerous other attractions, many of which are historic
plus great seafood. Woods Hole, MA 1.
Woods Hole Marine Institute Museum, rather small.
Slim chance to see the Alvin replacement as I believe the pressure hull
is still being formed (if I remember correctly, it is due to be completed
shortly). 2.
As Andy noted, there are numerous undersea equipment
corporations in the immediate vicinity of Woods Hole, one of the oldest of
which is Benthos New Bedford, Ma Whaling museum (this may be part
of a larger maritime museum, can’t quite remember as it has been quite
some time since my last visit) Falls River, MA Battleship Cove features the
battleship USS Massachusetts (BB-59), the submarine USS Lionfish
(SS-298), and the Soviet Tarantula I-class corvette Hiddensee to
name just a few of the many ships that are part of the collection (seem to
remember that one or more of the German midget subs was transferred here from
the Sub Museum in Groton, CT.) Bristol, RI Herreshoff Maritime Museum dedicated
to the great naval wonders designed and built by the Herreshoffs. Built
several successful America Cup contenders (also the largest). Newport, RI 1.
Naval War College Museum 2.
Museum of Yachting 3.
Many old mansions North Kingston, RI University of Rhode Island’s
Bayside Campus (attended grad school here), while this is a focus for
oceanography and ocean engineering, there is not much to see. Point Judith, RI (have lived a short distance from here) Within reasonable boating
distance from her can be found three sizeable submarine wrecks: a. USS
L-8 (SS-48), first submarine actually built by the US Navy and designed by
Simon Lake. Sank as part of a weapons exercise in 1926 and why the US did
poorly with its torpedoes in the first 2 years of WW II. b. USS
Bass (SS-163), monstrous sub broken in two as a result of a weapons
exercise in 1945. c. U-853,
the last German u-boat sunk in US waters the day before the war ended. There are bits and pieces that
might be found of several other subs on the bottom in the area that are left
over from previous salvage efforts (G-1 & 2, S-51, and a few
others) Again lots of great seafood. Mystic, CT (use to live here) 1.
Mystic Seaport has numerous vessels on display
including the last sailing whale ship, extensive small craft collection, active
shipyard, excellent research facilities, and many historic buildings moved to
the location to form a village that houses the vast collection. Excellent
book store. Also home of the Westlawn institute of Marine Technology, a
noteworthy correspondence school for naval architecture yacht design. 2.
Mystic Sea Aquarium, an excellent aquarium with a great
bookstore. Haven’t had the opportunity to visit since Ballard moved
his operations here. If I remember correctly, the DSV Turtle now
calls this port. Groton, CT (short distance from Mystic) 1.
Sub Base New London, home of the US Navy Submarine Service
but unfortunately no access. 2.
Submarine Museum, (just outside of the old Main Gate
SUBASE NLON) home of the first nuclear sub (open for tours forward of the
reactor compartment) and an excellent museum that displays the history of the
Silent Service. Of interest to PSUBbers is the mini-sub X-1 found
out in front of the Museum where you can discern close-up the workings of a
simple, practical snorkel adoptable to PSUBs. 3.
General Dynamics, Electric Boat Division, (use to work
here) the premier builder of submarines that might only be rivaled by new
efforts of the Russians. Unfortunately no access here also. Milford, CT Simon Lake’s Explorer
submersible is on display in the town, believe down by the waterfront. I am sure that there are many others but these are the
ones I am familiar with. Take care, Jay Respectfully, Jay K. Jeffries Andros Is., Bahamas If everything seems
under control, you're just not going fast enough. - Mario Andretti Obstacles are those
frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal. - Henry Ford |