USNS Comfort circled at Chesapeake Bay entrance

[Yonnie3]

Last edited Sat Mar 28, 2020, 05:27 PM - Edit history (1)

Edit: Updated my original post title was "USNS Comfort appears to be returning to port"

It is reversing course at the entrance to Chesapeake Bay.

Will update if I find out more.

Edit: View at https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/centerx:-76.0/centery:36.9/zoom:11

Was Andrew Cuomo not sufficient in his praise of *45?

Edit: They have turned approximately 270 degrees to starboard. Testing steering?
Edit: Now the full 360

Final Edit: It appears to be headed out to sea now.

[roamer65]

1. Wasn't it supposed to be going to NYC?

[getagrip_already]

2. probably going to be sent south......

where the real people live......

[doc03]

3. Prolly going to do anther photo op for Drumft. nt

[Totally Tunsie]

4. Everything Trump Touches Dies

even the USNS Comfort.

[NutmegYankee]

5. That fast out of overhaul - could be material failure.

Usually ships do a trial run first.

[Yonnie3]

7. I just had that thought

It's making nearly 7 knots and has turned 180 degrees. It is possible that they are doing some trials before going out to sea.

[underpants]

10. Looks like they might be. Not that I really know anything about this.

[Yonnie3]

12. but it's the internet - everyone is an expert

I was checking to see if the ship really sailed and didn't just move to another dock. I don't trust this admin.

Deferred maintenance and repairs can sink ships, so prudence on the part of the captain is a good thing.

[underpants]

13. Well.... I grew up there.

It's heading south again.

Maybe that's what they do.

[Yonnie3]

16. The Penisula was my home

I spent a lot of time down your way in the 60s.

I see there is a pilot ship with them. Perhaps they were just waiting for it.

[Ms. Toad]

14. It's destination is now "pilotage"

Is that consistent with your suggestion?

[Yonnie3]

17. It says Norfolk, NOB as destination on my display

The pilot vessel Cape Charles says "pilotage". It is very near the Comfort.

I guess they were just waiting on that pilot vessel. Updating my OP as I see what's up.

[underpants]

6. Oh this should be fun to watch.

[doc03]

8. They forgot their GPS. nt

[Buns_of_Fire]

9. This is so Captain Bonespurs can land on the Comfort and

give a slurring speech on the flight deck. He refuses to believe that the Comfort isn't an aircraft carrier.

[Wounded Bear]

23. Don't let Trump on the boat. I swear he's infected...nt

[malaise]

11. Heading to Florida?

Lock up the lunatic please

[Ms. Toad]

15. Thanks for this - I'd seen it a few days ago - before I knew I had a friend on the Zaandam

cruise ship. I was able to find her ship - and the one she theoretically transferred to as one of the healthy vulnerable.

But she's been silent since around this time yesterday.

[dumbcat]

18. Possibly de-gaussing?

Do navy ships still do that?

Or calibrating an inertial nav system?

[Yonnie3]

20. In retrospect I think a Port Pilot was transferred off

"Under a long standing Virginia law, commercial ships must employ a pilot with the association to guide their vessels in the harbor."

https://www.dailypress.com/business/dp-porttab_pilots1_1005oct05-story.html

There was a pilot vessel, Cape Charles, that came near by the Comfort.

[Basic LA]

19. After the shipyard, a shakedown cruise is required.

These recertifications were done in Gitmo. Any old salts here? (That was for combat readiness, however.)

[Yonnie3]

21. 'Rump knows more than the Admirals so no testing is needed.

My late Uncles were WWII Pacific theater USN. One stayed in the Navy into the late 50s. They had stories and photos that were interesting. What I noted, even as a youngster, was that there was quite a different perspective between a seaman and an officer.

[Basic LA]

22. I'll bet they had some great sea stories.

And, yes, officer & enlisted are quite different experiences in any branch of the service.

[gladium et scutum]

25. She is not a warship

no Gitmo. The ships operating crew are all Coast Guard licensed civil servant mariners.

[Basic LA]

28. Thus my parenthetical comment.

Was just revisiting past experience.

[Totally Tunsie]

24. Cuomo was just on TV commenting on Chump's NY quarantine idea.

Needless to say, he's not happy with Chump. The doturd probably heard Cuomo's comments and turned the ship around just for spite.

[gibraltar72]

26. Do they haz a steam catapult?

[captain queeg]

30. Not an electric one?

[Submariner]

27. Calibrates the gyro by circling

Usually done just after any NAV software (like Hypack) and GPS/DGPS is installed.

[mitch96]

29. What a cool web site.. Thanks!! nt

[KY_EnviroGuy]

31. Midnight, ET....

She's about 30-mi. off the coast near Hog Island, heading NE at 10 knots.

Oddly, shows destination Norfolk (opposite of travel) so they may be doing test runs.

Ship running aside her is Heavy Load Carrier HERSHEL WOODY WILLIAMS, says destination "Sea Trials".