CORBIN FOSS/USS CONSTELLATION – 12/26/14
December 26, 2014
UNDERWAY FROM TRINIDAD 14:00 12/26/14
LATITUDE: 10 24.8 N
LONGITUDE: 61 49.8 W
TOTAL MILES TO BROWNSVILLE: 2,318
TOTAL DISTANCE GONE FROM TRINIDAD: 17
ETA BROWNSVILLE: 1/12/2015
USS Constellation Tow Blog
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Merry Christmas! We were watching at the beginning from the mouth of Rich Passage, Bainbridge side, as you went by with her in tow. It looks like you are close. I am sure there is a tale to tell when this is all done.
Blessings on the final legs of your journey! Mike
Would like to know when constanalation is at Brownsville if visitors r allowed aboard?
ETA Brownsville is 1/14/15 AM; visitors will not be allowed on board her.
where is a good motel to watch the constellation come in and when do you expect her to be there?
ETA Brownsville is 1/14/2015 AM; Do not know of any hotels in the area.
which shipbreaker will she go too/
Not sure which shipbreaker has the contract for dismantling.
How soon after her arrival in Brownsville will dismantling begin? Thank you.
This is up to the new owners of the vessel.
I’m excited to see the ETA to Brownsville. I’m equally excited to have the chance that my 4 young kids get to see her before she’s dismantled. I served onboard from April 1994 – December 2002 encompassing 5 West Pac deployments and I am a much better person today because of the life experiences taught to me onboard “Connie”. My family is packed and reservations are made. TN to TX here we go.
I was one of 20 or so senior enlisted men and officers assigned to Connie’s nucleus crew at the US Navy Shipyard, Brooklyn, NY, being transferred there in early November, 1960. My job was to learn about her, help the shipyard people put in and install equipment for Connie’s Terrier guided missile system. We were in a meeting with the shipyard managers when our prospective commanding officer, Captain Thomas Walker, was informed that she was on fire and it was catastrophic. We ran down to the pier to help manage the crowds as the fire department did what they could.
In the summer of 1962, Connie went around the horn of South America to San Diego for her home port. Serving on her for two and a half years, I left CVA-64 for shore duty in early 1963. In the fall of 2003 at San Diego, I attended her decommissioning in with 3 other former shipmates.
I’ve attached a booklet I wrote some years ago about my tour aboard Constellation.
Yesterday, I learned she’s being towed back to Brownsville for dismantling. I would like to come down there and watch her come through the entry off Isla Blanca Park and follow her driving on Highway 48. Then drive on into your Brownsville facility on to watch her being tied up for the last time. I understand she’s due in your yard on January, 12, 2015.
Best regards,
Bart Bobbitt
Chief Petty Officer, USN Retired
The ETA Brownsville is 1/14/15 AM.
Will she come into Brownsville via Port Isabel?
Corrected my name. I was a Corpsman on her from March 1968 to May 1970.
Waiting for response from Port Captains.
It has been at least 42 years since I was stationed aboard the USS Constellation. Would love to travel to Brownsville, Texas and see it before the scrapping process starts. It would be awesome to walk across the flight deck one more time. That might not seem like much to you, but to an old Vietnam Vet like myself, this would be the thrill of a lifetime because I will never see it in its original form again.
ETA to Brownsville is 1/14/15 AM; however, no one will be allowed on board for safety reasons.
I spent 4 years on her. 69 thru 73. I never thought she would come to this end. Just too big, I thought. A fine old ship. My home for so long, so many memories. Please, someone on board, before you turn her over to the vultures, stand on the flight deck and give her a smart hand salute for all the crews that sailed under her protection. Thanks
Mike,
I chartered a small boat when Connie passed by Long Beach. I gave Connie a hand salute for myself and all my shipmates. Never in my life has a salute meant so much.
I will be in Texas 16 Jan. can you provide a contact I can reach out to to find out about one last tour of CONNIE for Connie crew members?
As far as we are aware, there will be no final last tour of CONNIE as she is inhabitable and not safe to board.
Thanks Mary. Maybe Shipyard will allow us on the pier…
If any of Connie’s former crew members, or others, want a copy of my booklet, let me know how to email it to you.
Bart
Bart, Email is trgarver@msn.com. Would love to have it. Thank you.
RMSA-RM2 CONNIE Crew member 76-80.
Bart – I would like that – thanks.
r/ron
would love a copy
I’m checking the status of the Corbin Foss. Is there an update since the 26th?
SEE TODAY’S BLOG; ETA BROWNSVILLE IS 1/14/15 AM
I just came upon your blog. How fascinating! Where are you, now, in your journey, please? It would be so awesome to be in Brownsville when this great ship arrives!
ETA BROWNSVILLE IS 1/14/15 AM
Happy new year to you and the crew of the Corbin Foss. Without radar tracking, this blog apparently will be the sole source of information regarding Constellations ETA in Brownsville. Is the 12th still correct? Many thanks!
ETA IS NOW 1/14/15 AM
If possible, can you provide an approximate time that the Connie will be entering the jetties at the Brownsville Ship Channel? Thanks.
ETA BROWNSVILLE: 1/14/2015 AM
Hi. I just received info on the Connie’s arrival as of 1000 Monday morning from the CEO of Shipbreaking Int’l supplied by the Brownsville Herald. She will arrive offshore at Brownsville at midday or later on Jan 14 and expecting to enter the channel on the 15th or 16th depending on weather. The best places for viewing according to my source are Isla Blanca Park on the southern tip of Padre Island or you can access the ship channel at various places along SH48 which parallels the ship channel. The second option may be difficult if it rains because the road gets muddy. If you can’t access the ship channel via the dirt road the southernmost tip of Isla Blanca Park is where the ship channel narrows and it’s said that when the USS Forrestal arrived you could hit it with a rock as she passed. Also, hotel rooms are supposed to be very cheap on Padre Island this time of year.
Thanks.
I left out one important thing. The arrival info above is only an ETA as of 1000 Monday 5 January. I’m sure we’ll hear more as we get closer.
ETA BROWNSVILLE IS 1/14/15 AM
Just called the huge mobile home (RV) park at the south end of Padre Island; Isla Blanca Park. They said there’s no road around their site for beach access to see ships going into the channel to the shipyard. It’ll cost $5 per car to drive through the RV park to get closeup views of Connie going into the ship canal then onto the yard about 14 miles southwest.
Several motels in towns of South Padre Island, San Isabel and Brownsvile are available. Search the ‘net for “motel (town name) Texas” and several will show up with phone numbers.
RV park at south end of South Padre Island gave me bad info. There’s two or three public access sites there. Sorry ’bout that.
Is eta brownsville still 1/14/15
Yes, arrives 1/14 offshore; pilot station 1/15/15 at this time
Yes, offshore on 1/14/15 and pilot station 1/15/15