At first, I wasn’t sure whether to put this in Sailors’ Stories or R&R/Humor. Ultimately, I put it in R&R. This page was added with the kind permission of Dennis Crile, who served on the USS Hawkbill SSN-666 submarine. The photos tell the story from plans to completion of the recreation of the Hawkbill in his basement. Thank you Dennis for sharing this with us. I just can’t help wondering if it is ready for the Bongo Straits? DIVE DIVE.
The Hawkbill Basement Project by Dennis Crile ETCM (SS)
The Plan
When I began finishing my basement, I wanted a half bath with a urinal behind my work shop. (Getting old.) Later, I thought a 4-man table and benches would be cool too. Finally I added bunks and a ‘passageway’ to make a small Goat Locker. My dad then recommended the ‘water tight door’ between the shop and Goat Locker.
Parts Supply
The urinal, bill holder, zarfs, trash can, towel rack, funnel, butt kit, POD holders and tab holder are from the Hawkbill. The growlers came from a surplus store in Washington. The Klaxon came from Federal Signal Company via an Electrical Supply store in South Carolina. Everything else I found on E-Bay. The General Alarm switch sounds the Klaxon.
EAB Manifold
Paul Stearns texted me one day from two states away. Said look on my front porch. He was tracking a package he’d sent containing an EAB manifold. I dis-assembled, wire brushed, stripped and repainted it. It’s connected to my shop air compressor with ‘Rapid Air’ fittings from Amazon.
Water Tight Door
I cut a hole in a solid core door, added some rings cut from birch plywood, and ended up with a reasonable impression of a water tight door. I can still step through it without touching the sides.
CIC Phone
Derek Murray always referred to his wife (quite affectionately) as COMNAVKITCHEN. That inspired me to give the CIC in our house a phone with which to send orders down to the basement. After all that work, she says it’s easier to just yell for me.
Hawkbill Yard
Originally, I started out to build a railroad in the basement. Before I could begin the railroad I needed to semi-finish the basement. As part of finishing the basement I needed a head. I kinda got side tracked for a year or two. But, now that the basement is pretty much done, I have begun construction of the railroad. — Dennis Crile.