Spiegel Grove hull feature: what are they??

[Jonnyola87]

Anyone able to tell me exactly what this feature on the Spiegel Grove is? Seen them a bunch but I can't find anything about them. (for clarification- I don't mean the human diver.)

 

[reddiver970]

Anyone able to tell me exactly what this feature on the Spiegel Grove is? Seen them a bunch but I can't find anything about them. (for clarification- I don't mean the human diver.)
View attachment 807639

Kinda look like life raft holders, they would be aft of the bridge on the upper decks hull.

 

[The Chairman]

Why not ask someone who served on her like @Capt Jim Wyatt??? Oh Jimmy!

 

[The Chairman]

While we're waiting on him to show, he and I went diving on the SG a number of years ago when he was trying to move back to the Keys. We were both on rebreathers and were the only two not in a class or group. The DM pointed at us and said "You two are the only ones without guides on this boat!" "Not true," sez I, "I have the best guide there ever was to dive the Speigel Grove". This pissed her off a bit, and she demanded to know why I would dare say such a thing. "Jim here, served on the Speigel Grove for two years. He has spent more time in the heads there than you have diving her!"

As we began our trip out, she started giving us a dive briefing. Now, if you don't know many people from LA (Lower Alabama), they don't hide their feelings much. About the time she got to the point telling us 30 helicopters used to land on the platform above the well, he cocks his head to one side and raises his eyebrow. "Is something wrong with that?" she queried? "I only ever recollect two!" he replied in his booming Captain's voice. They nervously laughed.

A bit later, she told us that we had made good time out of the dock, so would have our pick of buoys and would select the crane control booth. "By the base of the crane?" queried Jim, with his head cocked and eyebrow raised. "No, the booth. The crane control booth"
"That's by the side of the crane" he shot back.
"Where we hang the American flag" she explained, a bit exasperated.
"Oh, Prifli..."
"WHAT?" we all said in unison
"Prifli."
"What's a prifli?"
"Pri-Fli. The Primary Flight Control Deck, where we landed those thirty copters from."

The whole boat lost it. He wasn't trying to embarrass the poor DM, honest. She did that all by herself.

On the dive Jim showed me where he berthed and precisely where his head was located. His aim must suck, cuz the floor was all wet.

 

[Manatee Diver]

About the time she got to the point telling us 30 helicopters used to land on the platform above the well,

That is a lot of helicopters. Not even the new America class carry that many helicopters and their original design sacrificed the well deck for additional aviation space. While the SG doesn't even have a hanger.

 

[The Chairman]

That is a lot of helicopters. Not even the new America class carry that many helicopters and their original design sacrificed the well deck for additional aviation space. While the SG doesn't even have a hanger.

There were a lot of inaccuracies passed on from dive boat to dive boat. It's a rarity to find a sailor among them, and even rarer to find a "Jim", who actually served on the ship in question.

 

[Gene]

Years ago Jim and I planned on shooting some photos of him at his duty station and cabin/bunk area, but we didn't get to it.

 

[The Chairman]

Few know this, but Jim is a rabid Gator fan. Be sure to DM him a Go Gators as they are fighting them stupid Dawgs today in Jax. The Gators are leading 7 to 3 at this point. GO GATORS!!!

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

Anyone able to tell me exactly what this feature on the Spiegel Grove is?

Those racks held the lifeboats - they were encapsulated in a hard case and there were a lot of them.

Jim is a rabid Gator fan.

I love the Gators, I love all SEC teams. I am a UGA fan first & foremost.

 

[Jonnyola87]

These responses are more than I could've ever hoped for. Thank you all!