Double Singularity Blog

For a while, it looked like USS Narwhal SSN-671 was going to be saved by the National Submarine Science Discovery Center in Newport, Kentucky. The group planned on removing the reactor compartments of the submarine and installing empty plugs, which could be used for an orientation center, display area, gift shop, or anything else you could have needed inside the boat. The project would have cost approximately $2 million, but only one fourth of that amount could be raised. As such, the Navy placed the submarine back on the list to be scrapped.

While it is unlikely that Narwhal will be saved, there is still hope for another nuclear submarine, USS Drum SSN-677. Drum, a Sturgeon class was built at Mare Island Navy Yard in California, and was in fact the last ship to be built at the yard, established by David Glasgow Farragut in 1854. The Mare Island Historic Park Foundation hopes to remove the reactor in the same manner that would have been done on Narwhal, and place Drum in dry dock. This would make Drum the second nuclear submarine on display in the country - Nautilus is in Connecticut, and only certain compartments of the submarine are available for viewing.

The museum is also hoping the get the battleship Iowa, which San Fransisco has decided they no longer wish to display due to anti-war sentiment. They have recently received LCS 102 from Thailand , which is currently on display. The hope is to turn the area into a tourist attraction to help bring money into the area, as the closure of the shipyard in 1996 was a major economic blow. (Something Philadelphia can attest to as well.)If you would like to contribute to help save Drum, please visit this webpage.