If anyone thinks that Tamaroa is just some obscure, irrelevant name, she was the cutter depicted in the movie "The Perfect Storm." She was also the first government ship on the scene when the Andrea Doria sank. Quite a career for quite a ship.<!-- Edit -->

Moderator Edit : 11/30/2008 10:10:45 AM GMT

TAMAROA was the ship but a 210' was used as a stand-in for the movie (I believe). I believe TAMAROA was already decommissioned when the movie was made.

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They probably didn't want to risk the thing sinking for real during filming. That and a 210 looks sexier (ha ha).

Wait, am I missing something here here? How can a ship "sink" while in "dry" dock?

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Wayne

Future Coastie

Life long paintball player. Everyone needs a hobby!

According to Wikipedia, an intoxicated seaman opened up the flood valves of the dry dock, filling it. The Tamaroa initially floated off the blocks she was resting on, then filled up with water because she was under repair, then sank to the bottom of the dock.<!-- Edit -->

Last Edited : 1/20/2009 2:41:14 AM GMT

Well, I first posted on this topic before I left for basic. I graduated back in May. Reading this now, I think the guy responsible for it, is the guy who gave my company our alcohol abuse class while in basic.

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Wayne
Station Washington, Washington DC
Life long paintball player. Everyone needs a hobby!
Graduated Lima-181, 29MAY09

Should i show thi spost to him??? i can if youw ant me to

I surely can be wrong but didn't she sink more than once? One time while moored to the pier?

wouldnt that seaman have been discharged for negligance on an infinite scale

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?

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all I know is I wouldn't want to be said Seaman when his Chief found out

You are all correct, but the Tamaroa's sinking in the dry dock also raised a landmark legal question and finding about 'vicarious liability' which has become famous... The dry dock company sued for the damages to their dry dock. The Coast Guard replied they were not responsible for the damages as the crewman was not on duty and the Coast Guard was therefore not liable. (We are some cheap s.o.b.'s)
A-ha the court said, and created the concept of vicarious liability, that is if you appear through your employees or agents and cause damage, you are liable. Coast Guard paid for the dry dock repairs. And, if you think I'm putting you on, look it up. We had a scrapbook in the Tam's wardroom of her with repair accesses cut in her hull, port side down and completely flooded up to the 03 deck, at a port roll 55 degree angle to the Gowanus canal water from stern to bow. Ugly. Uck. And to think, all this because a drunk seaman was tired of sleeping on a ship undergoing a gritty industrial overhaul in stinking New York City Brooklyn shipyard canal. I guess he needed a drink.

Correct me if I am wrong, but didn't the Tamaroa loose about 3 feet or so after getting it stern shot off by a torpedo from a U-Boat during WWII.

While I was at Governors Island (RMA School) my friend was the QM3 on the Tammy. I use to visit him a lot and got to know many of the crew. I remember them telling me this story and the sinking story too. I remember around 1970, spring, the Tammy was pulling out, and the rudder stuck full port, causing the tammy to sideswipe the Rockaway or Spencer, hit the anchor, and then hit one of the 378 moored next to the other ships.

There are a lot of stories about the Tamaroa and the Half Moon, too many to list here.

When the Tammy was commissioned in the CG it was 201.6 Feet long. When it was built for the US Navy as Ocean going Tug, it was 205.6 Feet long. It was torpedo during WWII and lost a few feet of the stern.

Interesting history! I like that. Thanks for sharing...