(Note to any readers in alt.radio.amateur -- my Father was known as AC4AD.
long ago, he went by WB4HSR.)

---------

I'm posting this in memory of my Dad... he served in the U.S. Navy for 20
years (active duty) and 10 years in the USN Reserve. Korean veteran. He
passed away on May 7, 2004. He worked on Minesweepers while in the Navy
(from my understanding they're wooden ships -- according to my mother they
were constructed that way, in case they received a blast -- the entire ship
wouldn't be damaged). The Navy has a saying "Wooden Ships, Iron Men".
There's a number of my Dad's friends who are retired US Navy officers who've
put together a petition to save at least one particular MSO and the petition
is address to the Belgium Prime Minister -- the petition is available at:

http://www.petitiononline.com/samforce/petition.html

Please sign this petition. On my last visit they only had a little over
1,000 signatures. They want the ship to be turned into a "Floating Museum".

Info on minesweepers
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&i...structed+of+wo
od

13 COASTAL MINESWEEPERS
.... Constructed throughout of wood and other ... An additional 167 coastal
minesweepers of
this design were built in US private shipyards for NATO and other allied ...
http://www.usswarbler.com/13_coastal_minesweepers.htm

Naval Technology - Mine Warfare Vessels Image Gallery
.... The Avenger hull is constructed from wood and covered ... Seafox Mine
Disposal Vehicle,
The 12 Hameln minesweepers were commissioned between 1989 and 1991. ...
http://www.naval-technology.com/proj...s_gallery.html

Ship Building
.... was established at Clarenville to build diesel-powered, wooden
minesweepers (although
most were ... Most longliners have been constructed of wood, although some
....
http://www.k12.nf.ca/discovery/Commm...e/shipbuilding.
html

Warmest regards,

Sharon Mooney

In Loving Memory,
http://www.ronie-mooney-encs.us
Contains photographs of the military funeral my Father received.
(The folding of the flag, and the 21 gun salute -- officers from both the
Navy and Army participated).

"Sharon" wrote in message
senet.com...
snip
He worked on Minesweepers while in the Navy
(from my understanding they're wooden ships -- according to my mother they
were constructed that way, in case they received a blast -- the entire
ship
wouldn't be damaged). The Navy has a saying "Wooden Ships, Iron Men".
snip

** As I understand it...the minesweepers used wooden hulls to guard against
magnetic mines. We had quite a fleet of the old mine sweepers here in
Halifax in the '60s. ( Royal Canadian Navy)
4 or 5 years ago a new fleet of mine sweepers/costal patrol boats were built
but this time out of steel.

That old saying of wooden ships/iron men came from the days of sailing
ships.

"Don White" wrote

That old saying of wooden ships/iron men came from the days of sailing
ships.

And staying in on the water, the golden age of surfing has been referred to
as "when boards were made of wood and men were made of iron"...

Obviously, pre foam/fiberglass methods of construction.

Pray4Surf
Rick

(from my understanding they're wooden ships -- according to my mother they
were constructed that way, in case they received a blast -- the entire

ship

wouldn't be damaged). The Navy has a saying "Wooden Ships, Iron Men".

snip


Don White wrote:
** As I understand it...the minesweepers used wooden hulls to guard against
magnetic mines.

Yep, that's what they told us too. And the overhead on the upper deck
was just a canvas awning, so that if the ship had her bottom blown out
by a mine, the crew (except for the engineers, but who cares about them)
could cut their way out.

... We had quite a fleet of the old mine sweepers here in
Halifax in the '60s. ( Royal Canadian Navy)
4 or 5 years ago a new fleet of mine sweepers/costal patrol boats were built
but this time out of steel.

Are you sure? I thought the newer minesweeps were built of fiberglass.
The USN has some that were aluminum but this was both troublesome
(electrolysis) and flammable (bad characteristic in a warship).


That old saying of wooden ships/iron men came from the days of sailing
ships.

Yep... going aloft at night in a gale isn't for sissies. Glad I don't
have to!

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

"Don White" wrote in message
...

"Sharon" wrote in message
senet.com...
snip
He worked on Minesweepers while in the Navy
(from my understanding they're wooden ships -- according to my mother
they
were constructed that way, in case they received a blast -- the entire
ship
wouldn't be damaged). The Navy has a saying "Wooden Ships, Iron Men".
snip

** As I understand it...the minesweepers used wooden hulls to guard
against
magnetic mines.

Thanks for that information. I didn't know about the magnetic aspect --
triggering an explosion.
I'll have to read up on that.

I'd sure like to see one of these minesweepers. The closest thing we've got
around here is the Battleship Memorial NC in Wilmington.

My dad spent his life in ships -- I did only on the occasion of going
fishing inland and safely along the coast (on occasions when Dad had time.)


We had quite a fleet of the old mine sweepers here in
Halifax in the '60s. ( Royal Canadian Navy)
4 or 5 years ago a new fleet of mine sweepers/costal patrol boats were
built
but this time out of steel.

That old saying of wooden ships/iron men came from the days of sailing
ships.

"DSK" wrote in message Are you sure? I thought the
newer minesweeps were built of fiberglass.
The USN has some that were aluminum but this was both troublesome
(electrolysis) and flammable (bad characteristic in a warship).


** see http://www.marine.forces.ca/mspa_fle...s_tech_e.asp**
The 'Kingston Class' Coastal Patrol/limited use minesweepers were
constructed at the Halifax Shipyard of steel.

On Thu, 27 May 2004 13:32:38 GMT, "Sharon" wrote:

(Note to any readers in alt.radio.amateur -- my Father was known as AC4AD.
long ago, he went by WB4HSR.)

---------

I'm posting this in memory of my Dad... he served in the U.S. Navy for 20
years (active duty) and 10 years in the USN Reserve. Korean veteran. He
passed away on May 7, 2004. He worked on Minesweepers while in the Navy
(from my understanding they're wooden ships -- according to my mother they
were constructed that way, in case they received a blast -- the entire ship
wouldn't be damaged). The Navy has a saying "Wooden Ships, Iron Men".

Actually it is so magnetic mines aren't attracted. God rest his soul.


There's a number of my Dad's friends who are retired US Navy officers who've
put together a petition to save at least one particular MSO and the petition
is address to the Belgium Prime Minister -- the petition is available at:

http://www.petitiononline.com/samforce/petition.html

Please sign this petition. On my last visit they only had a little over
1,000 signatures. They want the ship to be turned into a "Floating Museum".

Info on minesweepers
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&i...structed+of+wo
od

13 COASTAL MINESWEEPERS
... Constructed throughout of wood and other ... An additional 167 coastal
minesweepers of
this design were built in US private shipyards for NATO and other allied ...
http://www.usswarbler.com/13_coastal_minesweepers.htm

Naval Technology - Mine Warfare Vessels Image Gallery
... The Avenger hull is constructed from wood and covered ... Seafox Mine
Disposal Vehicle,
The 12 Hameln minesweepers were commissioned between 1989 and 1991. ...
http://www.naval-technology.com/proj...s_gallery.html

Ship Building
... was established at Clarenville to build diesel-powered, wooden
minesweepers (although
most were ... Most longliners have been constructed of wood, although some
...
http://www.k12.nf.ca/discovery/Commm...e/shipbuilding.
html

Warmest regards,

Sharon Mooney

In Loving Memory,
http://www.ronie-mooney-encs.us
Contains photographs of the military funeral my Father received.
(The folding of the flag, and the 21 gun salute -- officers from both the
Navy and Army participated).



--

Retired military and damn proud of it.

"Sharon" wrote in message
senet.com...

snip
I'd sure like to see one of these minesweepers. The closest thing we've
got
around here is the Battleship Memorial NC in Wilmington.
snip

see ** http://www.readyayeready.com/cgi-bin....pl?index=1089
**
These were the sweepers we passed as kids on our way to a local beach all
summer long. The Department of National Defence (DND) property was next to
the old Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron..which was next to a cold crummy
salt water beach in Point Pleasant Park. (It was within walking distance of
our neighbourhood).

On Thu, 27 May 2004 15:39:47 GMT, "Sharon" wrote:


"Don White" wrote in message
...

"Sharon" wrote in message
senet.com...
snip
He worked on Minesweepers while in the Navy
(from my understanding they're wooden ships -- according to my mother
they
were constructed that way, in case they received a blast -- the entire
ship
wouldn't be damaged). The Navy has a saying "Wooden Ships, Iron Men".
snip

** As I understand it...the minesweepers used wooden hulls to guard
against
magnetic mines.

Thanks for that information. I didn't know about the magnetic aspect --
triggering an explosion.
I'll have to read up on that.

I'd sure like to see one of these minesweepers. The closest thing we've got
around here is the Battleship Memorial NC in Wilmington.

My dad spent his life in ships -- I did only on the occasion of going
fishing inland and safely along the coast (on occasions when Dad had time.)


We had quite a fleet of the old mine sweepers here in
Halifax in the '60s. ( Royal Canadian Navy)
4 or 5 years ago a new fleet of mine sweepers/costal patrol boats were
built
but this time out of steel.

That old saying of wooden ships/iron men came from the days of sailing
ships.




My old XO on the Cimarron in Hawaii got to be CO of a minesweeper.
Somehow the CINCPAC thought it was due to decom, they had that baby
stripped to the bare nothings befoer SECNAV got wind of it and fired
up a ton of butts. Seems that ship wasn't on the decom list, and the
decom list hadn't even been approved yet.
That was 1980-81 timeframe if my ancient brain can remember right.



--

Retired military and damn proud of it.

ProudOleMilitaryMan wrote:
My old XO on the Cimarron in Hawaii got to be CO of a minesweeper.
Somehow the CINCPAC thought it was due to decom, they had that baby
stripped to the bare nothings befoer SECNAV got wind of it and fired
up a ton of butts. Seems that ship wasn't on the decom list, and the
decom list hadn't even been approved yet.
That was 1980-81 timeframe if my ancient brain can remember right.

I've known that to happen with tin cans too; at least, not the exact
same thing but pretty close... for example swapping equipment around
from ship to ship when the INSURV board was due. Meanwhile the ship's
repair facility was out playing golf and bartering away warehouses full
of stuff.

DSK