"Idly, up comes the sphere
vibrant daggers pierce, scorching the shadow
ashes on marble, frozen in time
and there, like just before dawn
lies a pile,
humanistic,
quiescent, friable, bend-able form
Hands creep round the mask
and stop."
Photo: "Magazine Storage"
At the Southern tip of the former Mare Island Naval Shipyard groupings of former magazine buildings still remain today even though the shipyard has been decommissioned for nearly 20 years. These buildings once stored a variety of ammunition for land and sea weaponry.
I've been told the walls of these buildings were constructed of concrete and the roofs of a metal material, so that during an accidental explosion, the blast would move vertically instead of horizontally.
Photo: "Theatre Remains"
Theatre, Mare Island Naval Shipyard
The Mare Island Naval Shipyard was founded in 1854 in Northern California and was the only shipyard on the West Coast, until 1891. The base was in operation for almost 120 years before closing in 1996.
Photo: "Which One Will Make You Grow Taller?"
The Mare Island Naval Shipyard was in operation from 1854 until 1996, when the 'Base Realignment and Closure Program' shut down many military bases across the United States. It was the first west coast shipyard and was responsible for the construction of nearly one hundred ships and submarines during both World Wars.
Photo: "Charging Stations"
Inside this dark building, located near the water in the Ammunition Depot of the former Mare Island Naval Shipyard, sits banks of battery charging stations. Sadly, there is little information published about most of the buildings in this section of the shipyard. I am not certain what the batteries were used for, but a number of signs point towards a forklift charging station and maintenance building.
Base facilities included a hospital, ammunition depot, paint and rubber testing laboratories, schools and four drydocks. During WWI and WWII, the shipyard constructed almost ninety vessels.
Photo: "Low Tide"
Low tide at the former Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Northern California.
(Night. 30 seconds. Lit by ambient light.)
Photo: "Mud Barges"
The Mare Island Naval Shipyard was the first US naval base on the Pacific Ocean. The land was purchased in the 1850's and shipbuilding began immediately. During the years of operation the shipyard constructed 89 vessels and WWI, Mare Island was a major player in the construction of ships. To this day, they hold the record for the quickest construction of a destroyer (built in just under 18 days).
Photo: "Amber Panes"
Sunset light turns the glass windows into amber panes at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard.
Photo: "Conveyors and Hooks"
Building A-75, which is connected to Building A-76 via a narrow corridor full of hooks on an overhead conveyor belt, has been referred to as the "Paint Building" for years, but sadly very little information can actually be found regarding this building.
The series of overheard conveyor belts, hooks and driers leads many to believe this building was where blasting and painting of parts were done during the years of operation at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard.
(Dark interior. Lit with LED flashlight from camera left and camera right.)
Photo: "Alameda's Ready Reserve Fleet"
The Ready Reserve Fleet under a full moon in Alameda, California.
The Enola Gay Hangar
This hangar at the Wendover Air Field in Wendover, Utah was once home to the Enola Gay, the Boeing B-29 Superfortress Bomber responsible for deploying the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima in 1945.
(From the 2008 archives.)
The End of the Sea Shadow Stealth Ship
The Sea Shadow is an experimental stealth ship built for the Navy in 1985 by the Lockheed Corporation for $50 million. She was built inside the Hughes Mining Barge which acted as a floating dry dock (and was eventually involved with Project Azorian, recovering a Soviet submarine from the ocean floor.)
Her purpose was to test naval vessel stealth technology to determine if radar-evading technology in aircraft was also possible in water. The experiment was a success, and used in secret for years until being exposed to the public until 1993, but the vessel was never reproduced.
In 2006, the Sea Shadow and the Hughes Mining Barge were relocated to Suisun Bay and placed in the Mothball Fleet where they have been moored since.
Yesterday, news broke that a Bay Area company purchased the Hughes Mining Barge at auction. They will preserve the barge and use it as a floating dry dock, however, the auction required the purchaser to destroy the Sea Shadow.
Photo: "Resting Place"
Flight deck. USS Hornet, Alameda.
(Night. Full moon. 15 seconds. Lit by ambient and moonlight.)
Photos: Armament of the USS Iowa
These launchers aboard the USS Iowa fired the RGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile. Each missile was just over 1,500lbs and had a range of between 64-85 nautical miles. A 360lb booster would propel the missile away from the ship, approximately 5 miles, then drop away.
Armored box launchers for the BGM-109 Tomahawk Land Attack Missile aboard the USS Iowa glowing at night from ambient city lights. Each launcher carried 4 missiles and each Iowa class ship was outfitted with 8 canisters, which enabled her with the ability to fire off up to 32 missiles.
Photo: "USS Iowa with her tugs"
On Saturday, May 26 at 10:30am, the USS Iowa left the pier in Richmond to begin her four-day journey to Long Beach where she will become a museum.