NR-1 leaves Connecticut

Today Submarine NR-1 departed Groton, CT for sea. It was a cold day, but at least the temperature was above freezing. We had an icebreaker come in and pulverize the ice around our ship so that we could get out to sea, and even then we had sea ice caught on our topsides as we maneuvered away from the pier.  Our friends and families were there to wave good-bye as we motored down the river.

Getting the ships ready for sea was a challenge. One of the most exciting jobs was diving under the ice in SCUBA gear to check out the external equipment below the submarine.  The water was freezing, but we werent cold because we had hot water piped into our wet suits from a water heater on the dock.