USS Maryland

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=50 BGCOLOR="#990000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> <B><U>U. S. S. Maryland Entering Port Canaveral</U></B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=170 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="132" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 35 ><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="21"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id28.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Harriet Moran Schippersgracht"><U><B><IMG SRC="008151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id136.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Water Color Prints Matted for 14 x 18 or"><U><B><IMG SRC="00d0d1d0.gif" border=0 width="13" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="27"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> <A HREF="id136.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Water Color Prints Matted for 14 x 18 or"><U><B>Return to Water Color & Oil page</B></U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="3d3969e0.gif" border=0 width="150" height="158" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="492942a0.jpg" border=0 width="148" height="42" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=430 BGCOLOR="#333366" TEXT="#080000"> <div>   <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT>           </div> <bR> <div> <B>The </B><B>Maryland</B><B> (SSBN 738) is one of 18 Ohio Class/Trident ballistic missile nuclear submarines.  She is 560 feet long and equipped with 24 tubes for Trident II D-5 missiles and four torpedo tubes for  MK-48 torpedoes.   The first eight Trident submarines (SSBN 726-733) were equipped with Trident I missiles and are homeported at the Naval Submarine Base at Bangor, Washington.  The remaining ten (SSBN 734-743) were equipped with Trident II missiles and are all homeported the Naval Submarine Base at Kings Bay, Georgia.  Unlike other Naval war ships, submarines cannot be visually identified at sea by a hull number.   While the hull number is painted on the sail when built, it is removed after sea trials and commissioning. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>The Port of Canaveral main channel runs from East to West with three turning basins on the North side of the channel.  When entering the Port the first turning basin is the  US Navy Trident Turning Basin providing various maintenance services for </B><B>submarines.  Submarines are a common sight entering and leaving the Port of Canaveral and usually require tugboat assistance.  Great care is required </B><B>in providing this support since only about 17% of a surfaced Trident submarine is visible above water.  Since the cylindrical hull extends a considerable distance on each side and both fore and aft, special skill and knowledge is required by the tugboat operator.  Single screw tugboats have usually been the choice for submarine docking to minimize the risk of damage to submerged portions of the submarine.  Today, however,  tractor tugboats are also ideal for this purpose.  There is today great debate and controversy about  the use of the term "Tractor" as it is applied to the various types of tugboats so designated.  In general usage, however, the term "tractor tug" is loosely applied to any tug utilizing a 360 degree rotating drive extending from the bottom of the hull that directs the thrust in whatever direction the unit is turned.  These tugboats have no rudder as such since the azimuthing drive directs the power in any direction needed.   This means that a tug so powered can move forwards, backwards, or side to side and exert its pushing or pulling force in any direction.  The drive is usually located</B><B> slightly</B><B> forward of the center of the hull; if located aft of the center of the hull, it is often referred to as a reverse tractor, or, more accurately perhaps, an azimuthing stern drive tug.  Some tractors have both fore and aft drives.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>In 1962 Cape Canaveral Services began providing towing services for the Port.  Later, as Port Canaveral Towing, the Company became an affiliate of Hvide Marine which now operates as Seabulk Towing of Port Canaveral, a subsidiary of Seabulk International of Port Everglades, Florida.  In this scene the Seabulk tugboats </B><B>Eagle</B><B> and </B><B>Brevard</B><B> are docking the USS </B><B>Maryland</B><B>.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>The 93 foot 3600 hp </B><B>Eagle</B><B> (o/n 0928238) was built in 1988 in Brownsville, Texas.  She is a tractor tug with her drive is located forward.  In this scene she is traveling stern first since better control in this situation is achieved with the power source aft.  In some other docking or towing actions she would perform better bow first with the drive forward.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>The 82 foot 2400 hp </B><B>Brevard</B><B> (o/n 0248591), to starboard, was built in 1945 in Cohoes, NY and is a traditional single screw tug.  She has worked this port many years (originally as </B><B>Hollywood</B><B>) and was rebuilt and upgraded in both 1986 and 1996 and is an excellent modern ship handling tug. </B></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>