the haunted ship (actually a submarine tender)

THE HAUNTED SHIP

Preface: we were in the tour office the other night on first (midnight) shift and the subject of ghosts and haunted places came up. While this can’t be classified as a “no s#@*er” it did happen to me and my duty section while I was stationed on the USS SIMON LAKE (AS 33) in R-5 division in the summer of 96. Names omitted to protect the embarrassed.

In the fall of 95 or early in 96 we were moored in Agusta bay, being “underway” we did not lock the shop as was our norm and kept the security watch posted all night. I was lucky enough to draw the 0400-0800 watch and following my tour of the PET on the 02 level (and smoking area), I went to the shop to relieve the watch. I was relieving one of my fellow nukes, not a memorable joker mind you, and he was standing in the LPO’s office with a look of shear terror on his face. Upon questioning he revealed (after some prodding) that he had heard the “NSF Ghost” following him on the stairs between the fourth and fifth decks. I initially thought it was a joke, or that someone was playing with him. So, I relieved him and sent him on his way. During the 0400 tour, while in that very same trunk, I heard foot steps. Thinking that it was him coming back to tell me something that he had missed on the turnover, I stopped on the ladder. The footsteps got closer and closer and then passed me with no one in sight. I was a little freaked but, decided that perhaps I had imagined it. I kept my ears open for more data but didn’t say anything.

Later, in the summer of 96 I was standing radcon shift supervisor for the most part and had the watch that steamy night. We had a LA class boat outboard, they had come in unannounced and acted like everything that they needed was keeping them in port. If you have ever been on either side of this situation you know that the boats suckle like starving infants (especially 688’s). We had a watch to deliver the water and fill the water tanks from our own engineer’s feedwater tanks and because the water watch could leave the shop, we kept the security watch stationed. I was making my tour on intervals that coincided with shifting the filling/pumping of the pure water tanks and had stopped to talk to the water watch. He was complaining that he could not contact the cold iron watch or anyone else in the engineering spaces to get the pump started to send us water. And that he had shifted tanks and didn’t want to get into trouble (again) for water related issues. I promised what assistance I could give and continued my tour.

I found my security watch (a non-nuclear EM3 that had come to us as an undesignated striker) in the head making coffee (as that was where our pot was). He said that he was “late” taking his logs because he needed to make coffee. Initially, I was a little surprised by this, but on further investigation found that he too, had heard the “NSF Ghost.” While I was feeling a little sympathetic, there are some things that you just do when your are a nuke (like take your logs, earth sack). I sent him on his way and went (aft) to DC central to find out where my water was.

I found the EDO (another first class), we showed each other our badges (mine RCSS/his EDO) and asked him if we might have some water. He informed me that he had directed the offgoing cold iron watch to line it up and call us when ready to send. I asked him if we might go together and find out what the hold up was as I was near the low spec. on my tank level.

We found the offgoing watch at the top of the ladder to the engineering spaces. She (BT3) was firmly planted and not looking like she was planning on going anywhere. The Jist of the discussion that she had with the EDO was eerily similar to the one that my watchstander had had with me. After some more discussion it was decided that all 3 of us would go to check the lineup and start the pump.

We decended the main ladder and then crossed to the catwalk system on the forward bulkhead. I was interested to see a group (nuclear) of signs on each level of the catwalk on the bulkhead indicating that modifying the bulkhead was a bad idea and that radiation areas might be nearby. While crossing the catwalk she froze in her tracks and hissed "ssssss, listen" and sure enough there was the distint sound of footfalls on the ladders below us. Unlike our "escape trunk" this catwalk was visible clear to the bilge and it was empty.

For some unknown reason, I looked at my watch, 0405, and an idea formed in my head. I borrowed a cresent wrench from the BT3 and approximating the centerline of the catwalk, rapped hard on the bulkhead. The mysterious footsteps stopped momentarily and then rapidly, very rapidly went up, up, up and then stopped. The EDO asked me what was happening and I promised him that if we got moving water, I would be happy to explain it all.

Back in the shop, I found my water watch trying to calm the EM3 who's story was something like this "I was on the fourth deck, heard the footsteps and stopped. Then it was coming right through the bulkhead to get me, so I ran."

Now, I am not implying that there was no supernatural activity on that old ship, but in our case, it was just two watchstanders trying to get their logs on the hour in two very old, lonely quiet spaces.