My sincerest appreciation to Mr. Erhard Koehler, the Manager, Nuclear Ship Savannah Program, Senior Technical Advisor for N.S. Savannah, and Savannah's designated licensee to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for conducting the tour of which I was a participant.

The Tour Route:

My pictures from the tour here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/57377062@N04/sets/72157625654061088/

These images (for comparison) were taken from the 1964 issued NS Savannah brochure which I obtained copies of while on the tour:

Verandah, Lounge and Coctail Bar

Dining Room

Main Lounge

Main Lobby

[ 12-22-2010: Message edited by: dmwnc1 ]

Love that bow shot above, and the other there; she looks in good exterior condition. Wonder what Lane Victory's lifeboat is doing there - being overhauled?

How did the water damage in the dining room carpet occur, did they say? I note some of the cabin portholes were open too.

In fact the decor reminds me a little of some of the SS United States decor - although the ships were launched seven years apart.

The 'NS' prefix is cool!

Did the crew, passenges and cargo ever 'glow in the dark'?

[ 12-23-2010: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

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Did the crew, passenges and cargo ever 'glow in the dark'?

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I thought the same thing

http://www.travelserver.net/travelpage/ubb-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=3&t=003336

Pam, the water damage was quite extensive throughout a lot of the ship as remains evident in the pictures. This occured on Sept. 22, 1989 when the very destructive Category 5 Hurricane Hugo made landfall near Charleston, the eye passing over Charleston. At the time she was part of the Patriots Point exhibit of notable histopric US ships docked there. I am guessing somehow there where windows and doors or hatches left or blown open and water got in everywhere.

From what I gathered from the tour she only operated with paying passengers for a short portion of her active life, and was built knowing she would never make a profit.

Barry, the reactor is still intact on the ship but long since shutdown.

[ 12-23-2010: Message edited by: dmwnc1 ]

These pictures I took of Cabin A-3 in its current state:

[ 12-23-2010: Message edited by: dmwnc1 ]

When she sailed with passengers, what were her itineraries? Also, why was it decided to make her a nuclear powered ship?

Lastly, is her pool still in tact?

Thanks.

Ernie, it's not that they built a ship and decided to give her nuclear power; her whole 'raison d'etre' was that she was a nuclear-powered vessel, to demonstrate the applications of the atom for peacetime commercial use.

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Originally posted by eroller:
... is her pool still in tact?

Thanks.

Ernie

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Ernie, here is one I took of the pool, which is intact but covered:

[ 12-23-2010: Message edited by: dmwnc1 ]

This is really a testimony, not of passenger shipping but of the mindset of postwar times, boundless belief in progress and optimism

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Originally posted by Linerrich:
A late friend of mine sailed on SAVANNAH as a passenger from Savannah to Boston in August, 1964. All I've got from that voyage are several slides he took at boat drill. Rich

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Originally posted by dmwnc1:

Rich, do you have any more slides?

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No, just a few like this, from boat drill. Nothing showing the ship itself.

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Originally posted by dmwnc1:
THANKS for the kind comments!

Barry, the reactor is still intact on the ship but long since shutdown.

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Originally posted by LeBarryboat:
I thought I read somewhere that the reactor or the rods, or whatever nuclear material bits were removed??

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Hi Barry,

I just got off the phone with Mr. Koehler to verify some information:

[ 12-28-2010: Message edited by: dmwnc1 ]

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Originally posted by dmwnc1:

Hi Barry,

I just got off the phone with Mr. Koehler to verify some information:

He said the actual fuel rods were removed in 1971 as well as four primary coolant pumps and 3 demineralizer tanks, but the 'rest of the reactor is pretty much all still intact'.

Does that help?

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Originally posted by LeBarryboat:

That sounds like the info I read. Can you ask Mr. Koehler to contact me about featuring the Savannah on my show?

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60s decor is awful

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