Gallery

Ghost Ships

Sunrise. K Row, Mothball Fleet

Kansas City

Looking from the stern of U.S.S. Holland AS-32 towards the bow of U.S.S. Kansas City.

Stoic

The ships in the worst condition at the Fleet are being removed by 2012, and all unused ships to be removed by 2017.

Calm Seas

A calm morning on Suisun Bay.

Cape Blanco

S.S. Cape Blanco was known as S.S. Mason Lykes until she was renamed after being turned over to the Navy in 1981. In 2002, she entered the Fleet.

Bow

My shadow, standing on the bow of U.S.N.S. General John Pope falls on U.S.N.S. General Edwin D. Patrick.

Muddy Waters

The tides of Suisun Bay carry the muddy water between the Mothball Fleet ships during the tides. The spacers between the ships creek and crack as the tide shifts the ships.

I Row

I Row of the Suisun Bay Mothball Fleet.

Sunset Over the Fleet

Taken just before sunset from the NDRF Headquarters boat on the way back to the dock.

Deckhand

The deck of U.S.S. Nerus, a submarine tender, part of the Mothball Fleet in Suisun Bay.

Sea Shadow

The Sea Shadow, an experimental stealth ship built in Redwood City by Lockheed in 1985 (and made public in 1993) to test the stealth technology of Navy vessels.

Sea Shadow II

The Sea Shadow, an experimental stealth ship built in Redwood City by Lockheed in 1985 (and made public in 1993) to test the stealth technology of Navy vessels.

Ebony

The portside hull of the Sea Shadow, an experimental stealth ship built in Redwood City by Lockheed in 1985 (and made public in 1993) to test the stealth technology of Navy vessels.

U.S.S. Iowa B-61

U.S.S. Iowa currently sitting amongst the Mothball fleet in Suisun Bay.

Stand Down

Three 16/50 caliber Mark 7 guns aboard U.S.S. Iowa. These guns fired projectiles weighing up to 2,700lbs at a max speed of 2,690 feet per second.

Guns over Iowa

U.S.S. Iowa.

Tangled

Cables lay across the beautiful and intricate teak deck of U.S.S. Iowa, currently docked in the Suisun Bay at the Mothball Fleet.

Ahead

A brass ship throttle in the bridge of U.S.S. Hassayampa of the Mothball Fleet.

Training

A TV and training video aboard U.S.S. Hassayampa, docked in the Mothball Fleet.

Charted

A port-side table in the bridge of U.S.S. Hassayampa was covered in a few charts and an old pair of headphones.

Navigation Room

Inside the navigation room of the Mothball Fleet's U.S.S. Mispillion.

Golden Staircase

This stairway led up to the Bridge of U.S.S. Mispillion of the Mothball Fleet. The Captain's Quarters are through a door, to the left, just out of frame.

Lounge

Inside the Captain's Stateroom aboard U.S.S. Mispillion, a fleet oiler.

Night Vision

Inside the boiler room of fleet oiler U.S.S. Kawishiwi.

Under Pressure

One of two boilers in the boiler room of the fleet oiler U.S.S. Kawishiwi.

10-55

Aft tool storage aboard U.S.N.S. Northern Light.

Mr. Knego

Stateroom aboard U.S.N.S. Northern Light of the Mothball Fleet.

Permalon

Ironing room on the main deck of U.S.N.S. Edwin D. Patrick, a transport ship.

Guest Speaker

The auditorium / theatre of U.S.S. General Edwin D. Patrick of the Mothball Fleet at Suisun Bay.

All Sales Final

Monetary exchange aboard U.S.N.S. General Patrick of the Suisun Bay Mothball Fleet.
(Dark room. 30 second exposure. Lit with a Xenon flashlight and gelled strobe.)

Porthole

Aboard U.S.N.S. General Patrick of the Suisun Bay Mothball Fleet.

What Once Was Shiny

A metal sink sits corroding in one of the rooms of U.S.S. General Edwin D. Patrick of the Mothball Fleet at Suisun Bay.

Master

A master set of keys on U.S.N.S. General Edwin D. Patrick. This transporter ship contains bunks, a movie theatre, chapel, children's playroom and numerous mess halls.

Blue Bird

On the deck of U.S.N.S. General John Pope (T-AG194) of the Mothball fleet at Suisun Bay

Old and New

U.S.N.S. General John Pope, recently sold for scrap, sits alongside a newer ship, U.S.S. Meteor, of the National Defense Reserve Fleet, demonstrating the difference between various states of decay of the fleet's ships.

Gunned Down

Two .50cal machine guns on U.S.S. Tulare (AKA-112) of the Mothball fleet at Suisun Bay. These guns shot 2,100 feet per second.

Tulare Gun Removal

On April 8, 2010, crane assistance was required for the removal of the 9-ton twin .50cal guns from U.S.S. Tulare of the Mothball Fleet.

Ammunition Storage

Ammunition storage for the 3"/ 50 Mark 22 guns on the U.S.S. Tulare.

Checkers

Kitchen aboard U.S.S. Tulare.

Sea Green

A beam of light hits the desk in this stateroom aboard U.S.S. Tulare, a assault transport ship sitting in Suisun Bay.

Morphine

Operating room aboard U.S.S. Tulare, an attack cargo ship.

CO2

The CO2 storage area on U.S.S Tulare of the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet.

Tug

Down a few decks on U.S.S. Tulare, inside a cargo hold, was this old tug boat, with barnacles still stuck to its' hull.

Please Mr. Postman

Mailbox in the Officer's quarters of U.S.S. Tulare, an assault cargo ship, of the Mothball Fleet at Suisun Bay.

Moon Men

U.S.S. Tulare, attack cargo ship, of the Mothball Fleet in Suisun Bay.

May Cause Hearing Loss

Inside the machine shop of the decommissioned U.S.S. Holland AS-32 of the Mothball Fleet.

Corrosives

The machine shop on U.S.S. Holland of the Mothball Fleet at Suisun Bay.

Valve Shop

Aft of the machine shop on U.S.S. Holland of the Mothball Fleet.

Battle Wounds

Taken aboard U.S.S. Holland, former submarine tender, of the Mothball Fleet.

Metal Maze

The port side hull of the decommissioned U.S.S. Holland AS-32 of the Mothball Fleet at Suisun Bay.

Cubed

This modification of U.S.S. Holland was known as Nuclear Facilities. It was a storage space for recycling the contaminated water from the submarines she tendered. The grids were to test for Radiation and lead.

Vertigo

Magazine Hatches

U.S.S. Holland has sixteen deck hatches with access to the missile magazine.

Lucky 13

U.S.S. Holland has sixteen deck hatches with access to the missile magazine.

Magazine

The Poseidon missile was a submarine-launched balistic missile (SLBM) implemented during the Cold War. U.S.S. Holland received a modification upgrading to the Poseidon from the Polaris.

Metamorphosis

U.S.S. Holland of the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet.

Doctor, Doctor

Inside the "Treatment Room" aboard U.S.S. Wichita, a replenishment ship sitting moored in Suisun Bay.

Sweet Tooth

Dentist chair inside the "Treatment Room" aboard U.S.S. Wichita, a replenishment ship.

Mess

2nd Deck Mess aboard U.S.S. Wichita, the first of the Wichita Class replenishment ships.

Belongings

Lockers on the 2nd deck of U.S.S. Wichita.

Dibs

Bunks on the 2nd deck of replenishment ship U.S.S. Wichita

Convene

Aboard U.S.N.S. Northern Light, a Civilian Cargo Transport ship.

Room With A View

The Captain's Stateroom aboard U.S.N.S. Northern Light, a cargo ship in the commercial trade industry.

Permission to Enter

Inside the Captain's Stateroom aboard USNS Northern Light.

Family Tree

Engine room of U.S.N.S. Northern Light. This Civilian Cargo ship operated for 20 years before being bought by The Navy in 1980.

Shaft Alley

Propeller shaft of U.S.N.S. Northern Light, a Civilain cargo ship.

Pipe Dreams

These valves in "shaft alley" of USNS Northern Light, a commercial breakbulk steamship, controlled water flow into the propeller shaft to keep it cool.

Stair Stepper

On the main deck of U.S.N.S. Nothern Light.

Entangled

Deck of USNS Northern Light.

Bird's Nest

U.S.N.S. Northern Light of the Mothball Fleet.

Trap

U.S.S. Meteor (T-AKR-7) of the Mothball fleet at Suisun Bay.

Water Line

The water line of the 605 ft long cargo ship, SS Cape Gibson, moored in Suisun Bay.

Send Your Lifeboat Out

Old lifeboats on the deck of U.S.S. Vancouver (LPD-2) of the Mothball fleet in Suisun Bay.

Whale Shark

Aboard U.S.N.S. Northern Light of the Mothball Fleet.

My Funny Valentine

Aboard the Mothball Fleet in Suisun Bay.

0 PSI

Aboard the Mothball Fleet in Suisun Bay.

Into the Blue

K Row of the Mothball Fleet.

Grid

Mothball Fleet, Suisun Bay.

Cherry Lifesaver

Suisun Bay Mothball Fleet.

The Giant Sleeps

On the deck of the U.S.S. Sperry, a submarine tender in the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet.

Bullet Hole Rust

Rust and paint chips from these ships has been intoxicating the bay for years. The Obama Administration is now cleaning these ships up, removing the most decayed ones over the next 2 years.

SS Solon Turman

Former member of the Mothball Fleet, SS Solon Turman sits in Dry Dock #3 at Mare Island awaiting her dismantling.

USS Iowa

U.S.S. Iowa docked in Richmond. Work begins November 2011 for 3 months before she's moved to Los Angeles, California.