Narrative Excerpts

These are photos of the move of USNS Hassayampa from Suisun Bay to Mare Island. Photos were taken in the area of the Vista Point located North of the Benicia Martinez Bridges, Independence Park in Vallejo, the area of Drydock Number Two at Mare Island and a fishing pier located South of Independence Park in Vallejo.

The fishing pier located South of Independence Park and a boat ramp have perfect views of the entrance to Drydock Number Two.  The pier extends as far West as the western end of Independence Park.

After arriving at Mare Island I purchased gasoline at the low price gas station located on the northeast corner of Curtola Parkway and Sonoma Boulevard.  Noted that the price $3.97 per gallon was comparable with the prices at several low price stations in San Jose. Thought about driving to see if Railroad Avenue in Mare Island was open all the way to the railroad pier, but decided to eat lunch consisting of one apple pie, several beef sticks, and at least a can of cola instead.  Parked on Mare Island Way, in the shade of a tree, with a good view to the South.

When I arrived at Independence Park in Vallejo at approximately 12:40 PM after driving about 78 miles since leaving home, I found out that a game of musical chairs had been played.  Where USS Hoga was when I photographed USNS Ponchatoula heading up the Napa River was the NOAA research ship MV Ronald H. Brown, USNS Ponchatoula was docked North of the entrance to Drydock Number Two, and North of the fleet oiler was the historic tug USS Hoga.

After I hiked downhill, I photographed the transit of USNS Hassayampa from one side of the bridges to another and the ship and tugs heading west.

While I was photographing USNS Hassayampa I heard a noise.  It was a freight train, very likely heading from the Port of Oakland with shipping containers. This was the first freight train I saw from this vista point.  Have photographed several of the commuter trains that go between Sacramento and San Jose.  Would have liked to have photographed the train when the engine was visible

A sailboat heading up the Napa River passed MV Ronald H. Brown at 12:42 PM.  Would later see this sailboat heading down the river, and later saw her docked at the pier of the boat ramp that is North of the fishing pier.  The cabin at the stern of the sailboat looks interesting.

Shortly before 1:30 PM USNS Hassayampa entered the Napa River.

While USNS Hassayampa was entering the Napa River, she was passed by the ferry boat MV Mare Island.

At about 1:30 PM a crane was dragging a net cleaning the entrance to Drydock Number Two.

By 1:32 PM the ferry MV Mare Island, which travels between Vallejo and San Francisco, had passed USNS Hassayampa which has MV America and MV Marshall Foss on the port side and MV Revolution on the starboard side.  

By 1:32 PM, MV Revolution had separated herself from USNS Hassayampa.

At 1:35 PM MV Revolution was still on the starboard side of USNS Hassayampa and MV America and MV Marshall Foss on the port side.

By 1:36 PM, MV Mare Island passed USNS Ponchatoula.

By 1:38 PM a boat operated by the Fishery Foundation of California towing a barge and a motorboat had passed USNS Hassayampa.

USNS Hassayampa with MV America towards the stern and MV Marshall Foss towards the bow at 1:41 PM.

By 1:43 PM MV Revolution was at the bow of USNS Hassayampa.

MV Marshall Foss on the port side and MV Revolution tied off the bow of USNS Hassayampa at 1:49 PM.

It is likely that MV Revolution is acting as a rudder for USNS Hassayampa.

I have seen tankers using a tug as an extra rudder, as in the case with the tanker MV FSL Shanghai and a Crowley tug.

After photographing USNS Hassayampa heading up the Napa River, from Independence Park in Vallejo, I drove to a location a short distance North of Drydock Number One, arriving there at 2:15 PM after traveling about 81 miles since leaving my apartment.

Even though I had plenty of soda, just took a can with me to the area of Drydock Number Two, and it lasted all the time I was there.

In previous trips to the area of Drydock Number Two, I concentrated on the hawser team.  This time I would concentrate on the line teams which move a line from one cleat to another as USNS Hassayampa was winched up the drydock.

When I photographed USNS Ponchatoula being winched into drydock I only used the Panasonic Lumix DMC TZ4 for only three or four photos in this area.  Since the Panasonic is more maneuverable in photographing through fences than the Nikon D 3200, the Panasonic was a better camera for photographing the line crew.

The situation when I arrived to take the next batch of photos, I noted the two tugs on the port side of USNS Hassayampa.  Few people in attendance. Doubt if the arrival of USNS Hassayampa had any publicity. The golf cart on the pier is transportation for the hawser crew. Note the chicken wire fence which I had to photograph through.  The fence is not uniformly straight, so I could hunt for an area of fence where I could angle the cameras to get a good view.  Chicken wire should have holes large enough for a good size camera lens to fit through.  I doubt if the drydock company raises chickens, so there is no reason for fences not to have larger holes.

In heading North on Nimitz Avenue I noted that the gate to USS LCS 102, a real LCS, was open, and thought about visiting my friends aboard, but I wanted to reach the fishing pier located South of Independence Park before the drydock gate was closed.

USNS Hassayampa at 2:42 PM.  Note the worker holding a white line with a rag tied to it.  This line is attached to the stern of USNS Hassayampa and is used as a measuring device. The worker keeps the line even with the stern of the fleet oiler.

At 2:50 PM I noted two ducks in the drydock. Are they the same two ducks that were here when USNS Ponchatoula entered the drydock?  If they are, did they get a surprise when the water was pumped out?

USNS Hassayampa at 2:51 PM.  I noticed the distance between the rudder and the white stick and a tug in the background.

The boss was inspecting the situation at 2:57 PM.  I noted how close the rudder is to the white stick.  In the reeling in of USNS Ponchatoula the hawser was moved from the cleat that the hawser is in to the cleat to the left.  In the reeling in of USNS Hassayampa only one cleat was used with the hawser.

The hawser crew headed to their golf cart after tying a knot in the hawser at 2:59 PM.  It looks like bosses wear yellow hats, hawser crews wear red hats and line crew-members wear white hats.

The line crew which were aboard USNS Hassayampa was taken off at 3:06 PM.  It looks like there are only a few inches between the white floating stick and the rudder of USNS Hassayampa.

On the way back to the car, I photographed Drydock Number One, the oldest drydock on the West Coast.

Was back at my car at 3:13 PM.  Was almost completely drained of energy, but I had one more place to visit.  Usually I get revived when I am driving a car, and I felt much better when I started driving.

Returned to the car at 3:50 PM, then headed home to San Jose via Interstates 780, 680, and 280.  Instead of heading directly home, stopped at the Taco Bell located on Bascom Avenue which is located a little less than two miles from where I live and ordered a Beef Chalupa Supreme and a Grilled Steak Soft Taco which I ate after I returned home.

Arrived at my apartment at 5:31 PM after driving about 160 miles on the trip.  After a nap uploaded the 352 Panasonic and 118 Nikon photos into my computer, separated the photos into files labeled SUISUN BAY, MARE ISLAND, VALLEJO, AND FISHING PIER, edited and labeled the SUISUN BAY photos. Did not finish the process of sending out the SUISUN BAY photos until shortly after 4 AM then I had a long sleep.  Took several days to complete the process.