Bremerton – SeaWaves – the BEST naval news since 1995

USS Louisiana Arrives Bremerton for Major Overhaul

September 13, 2019 seawaves

September 12, 2019 – Settling into its temporary home for the next two and a half years, USS Louisiana (SSBN-743) docked at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility in preparation for an extended maintenance availability Sept. 11. The availability, an Engineered Refueling Overhaul, will see the project team focus on refueling, preserving and modernizing the Ohio-class submarine. This will include preservation of the hull, superstructure and tanks as well as modernizing the boat’s reverse osmosis system and performing the enlisted women in submarines alteration. “We have assembled a…

Shipyard finishes maintenance on USS Connecticut

September 6, 2019 seawaves

September 6, 2019 – Returning another strategic asset to service with the fleet, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility completed its work on USS Connecticut (SSN 22) Sept. 5. Connecticut had moved out of the shipyard’s Dry Dock 4 on Aug. 10 to put the finishing touches on its five-and-a-half-month period of maintenance and modernization, formally known as a docking continuous maintenance availability. Shipyard personnel invested more than 30,200 man-days into the effort on Connecticut, which began March 26 when the sub entered dry dock. “Maintaining and modernizing…

Shipyard completes work on USS Ohio

August 16, 2019August 16, 2019 seawaves

August 15, 2019 – Fully refreshed after more than two years of refitting, the Navy’s oldest guided missile submarine is once again ready to set sail in defense of the nation. USS Ohio (SSGN 726) completed its maintenance availability at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility Wednesday, bringing to a close a 27-month major maintenance period that saw updates and upgrades to most major onboard systems. Almost 400,000 man-days of work by the shipyard’s Ohio project team, ship’s force, contractors and others were needed to return Ohio to…

USS Seawolf Completes TSRA

July 30, 2019 seawaves

July 25, 2019 – USS Seawolf (SSN 21) project team, ship’s force and Trident Refit Facility-Bangor worked tirelessly together to complete a Total Ship Readiness Assessment on July 5. The project team performed a repair of the external hull penetration and with assistance from TRF, an emergent repair to correct a port rod meter— which indicates the speed of the boat—was completed, ensuring on-time completion of the TSRA. The Seawolf project team is actively planning the next availability. “The team excelled in executing and completing emergent work protocol on Seawolf,”…

USS Michigan Begins 17-Month Refit Period

July 30, 2019 seawaves

July 26, 2019 – USS Michigan (SSGN 727) docked on July 10 to begin a 17-month Extended Refit Period which will end in 2020. Work during this availability includes battery replacement, structural repair and preservation, shaft replacement, other propulsion plant inspections and improvements, and installation of several new alterations. Critical path work for the ERP will be the structural repairs and preservation of the superstructure and ballast tanks. Maintenance availabilities are a key element in maintaining an agile and modern fleet that is able to remain on station for long…

Compact Swaging Machine Makes Fleet Debut

July 30, 2019 seawaves

July 24, 2019 – The fleet’s oldest aircraft carrier, USS Nimitz (CVN 68), became the first to deploy in June with the highly anticipated Compact Swaging Machine (CSM), which eliminates the time and manpower-intensive socket pouring process for producing purchase cable terminals. On the carrier’s flight deck, these critical components connect to arresting gear wires, which transmit the intense force of landing aircraft to below-deck arresting gear engines, bringing it to a controlled stop in less than 400 feet. The CSM was developed by the Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment…

USS Pittsburgh (SSN 720) Arrives in Bremerton for Decommissioning

June 4, 2019 seawaves

May 30, 2019 – The Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Pittsburgh (SSN 720) arrived at Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton to commence the inactivation and decommissioning process, May 28. Under the command of Cmdr. Jason Deichler, a Pittsburgh native, the submarine departed Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Connecticut, and made its first arctic transit for its final homeport change. “We are the first second flight 688 to complete an arctic an arctic transit from Groton to Bremerton for an inactivation,” said Deichler. “It was an amazing transit, one that it…

Team innovates battery removal during sub inactivation

May 17, 2019 seawaves

May 16, 2019 – As part of Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility’s ongoing focus on completing projects on time or early, a team from PSNS & IMF’s Code 740, Rigging and Operations Division; and Shop 51, Battery Shop Team, tried something new during the inactivation process of USS Bremerton (SSN 698). For the first time at PSNS & IMF, the team removed the batteries from a submarine (Bremerton) while the vessel was nested outboard of another submarine, in this case USS Jacksonville (SSN 699). Both vessels were…

Nimitz propeller installation

December 19, 2018 seawaves

PUGET SOUND NAVAL SHIPYARD (Oct.16, 2018) Nimitz propeller installation. (U.S. Navy photo by Brian Kilpatrick/Released)

Shipyard plays important role during World War I

November 7, 2018 seawaves

November 6, 2018 – November 11, 2018, marks 100 years since the armistice was signed ending World War I, known at the time as “The War to End All Wars.” The armistice also brought to an end a period of extraordinary effort at Navy Yard Puget Sound, the Navy’s Pacific Northwest ship construction and repair facility that would later come to be known as Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility. The hostilities among more than two dozen countries began in 1914 at a time when the United States…

Team designs 3D-printed device to reduce time, cost; increase safety

October 23, 2018 seawaves

October 23, 2018 – The Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility’s Strategic Framework encourages employees at all levels to embrace innovation in support of the command’s mission to deliver warships back to the fleet on-time, every time. To that end, a team of folks including Ron Jackson, an equipment expert for the shipfitting, sheet metal and pipefitting shops; Logan Crow, Jeff Pugh and Alissa Riedel with the pipefitting shop; and Bob Hewitt, a 3D-printing expert with the shipfitting and sheet metal shops loft put their collective minds together…

Historic shipyard caissons on sale in disposal effort

August 8, 2018August 8, 2018 seawaves

For sale: Unique 1911 and 1918 watercraft. VERY low mileage. 4.5 million pounds of history in these must-see models. Clean titles, no accidents. Need some TLC. You haul. Best offer. The classified ad isn’t real, but the opportunity is. After a combined 207 years of service to the Navy and the nation, two massive caissons used to seal off dry docks at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility are for sale. Known only as Old Caissons 2 and 3, these enormous floating gates were once used to hold…

Puget Sound Submarine Escort Change of Command

July 15, 2018July 15, 2018 seawaves

The Coast Guard Cutter Sea Fox crew held a change-of-command ceremony in Poulsbo WA July 12th. Chief Warrant Officer Hank H. Deatrich took command of the 87-foot Marine Protector-Class Patrol Boat from Chief Warrant Officer Chad P. Lynch in a traditional military ceremony held under the direction of Cmdr. Thomas Evans, the commanding officer of Maritime Force Protection Unit (MFPU) Bangor. Lynch served as the commanding officer for the Coast Guard Cutter Sea Fox from May 2015 through July 2018 and oversaw all vessel operations and the execution of over…

USS John C. Stennis Gets Underway

June 22, 2018June 22, 2018 seawaves

USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) departed Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton, June 14. John C. Stennis is underway to conduct routine training, after embarking air wing in San Diego, in preparation for its next scheduled deployment. John C. Stennis Sailors are scheduled to carry out flight operations, damage control and firefighting training, seamanship training, medical training, and exercises designed to maintain technical and tactical proficiency in a variety of warfare areas.

Shipyard, Naval Undersea Museum partner to preserve piece of historic submarine

May 9, 2018 seawaves

By Max Maxfield While every ship and submarine is special to the Sailors who served aboard, some vessels are truly one of a kind. Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility partnered with the U.S. Naval Undersea Museum to preserve part of one such historic vessel. Capt. Howard Markle, commander of PSNS & IMF, and Museum Director Lindy Dosher officially transferred ownership of the control room from the experimental nuclear research submarine NR-1 from the shipyard to the museum during a ceremony in the museum’s private storage area May…