Re: Christening subs (was: Missile recovery trips)

[VBra676539@aol.com]

In a message dated 7/14/99 1:40:47 PM, michaelbholt@juno.com writes:

<<Seriously, now: anyone have any ideas?   Phil?   Vance?   Did you guys
ever see anything relevant and unique?


Mike Holt>>

Don't know about unique--launchings tended to be pragmatic--when it was time, 
the whole shop turned out and the construction supervisor for that particular 
sub (usually Jim Dudley, Ty Merritt or George Bezak while I was at Perry) 
climbed aboard after a REALLY thorough pre-dive and we lowered the thing an 
inch at a time into the water--then ran it. Simple. The owners usually put on 
some sort of do for the christening, as opposed to the first application of 
water to hindquarters. I've been to several of those, and they vary. Taylor 
Diving & Salvage paid for the beer. Intersub had champagne. Bring your pastor 
if your mind works that way. And you'd better let your sig/other do the 
bottle on the bow rail deal--
Vance