Bolster (ARS 38) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 77 text:

1979-1980 WESTPAC OPERATIONS DEPART PEARL HARBOR 18 SEP 79 ARRIVE KWAJALEIN 30 SEP 79 TO COMMENCE TTPI PINGELAP 03 OCT 79 MOKIL 04 OCT 79 PONAPE 05 OCT 79 NGATIK 07 OCT 79 NUKUORO 08 OCT 79 KAPINGAMARANGI 09 OCT 79 SATAWAN 11 OCT 79 LUKUNOR 11 OCT 79 ETAL 12 OCT 79 NAMOLOK 12 OCT 79 TRUK 13 OCT 79 PISARIS 14 OCT 79 ONARI 14 OCT 79 MAGAR 15 OCT 79 ULUL 15 OCT 79 PULAP 16 OCT 79 PULUSUK 17 OCT 79 PULUWAT 17 OCT 79 SATAWAL 18 OCT 79 LAMOTREK 18 OCT 79 IFALIK 19 OCT 79 WOLEAI 19 OCT 79 FARAULEP 20 OCT 79 ARRIVE GUAM FOR UPKEEP 21 OCT 79 DEPART GUAM FOR CHINHAE 27 OCT 79 KOREA ARRIVE CHINHAE KOREA 05 NOV 79 DEPART CHINHAE FOR PUSAN 17 NOV 79 KOREA ARRIVE PUSAN KOREA 17 NOV 79 DEPART PUSAN KOREA 20 NOV 79 ARRIVE SASEBO JAPAN 21 NOV 79 DEPART SASEBO JAPAN FOR 01 DEC 79 GUNNEX IN SOUTH CHINA SEA ARRIVE SUBIC BAY 06 DEC 79 PHILIPPINES DEPART SUBIC BAY FOR 07 DEC 79 NUMAZU JAPAN ARRIVE NUMAZU JAPAN FOR 16 DEC 79 BEACH MAT RECOVERY OPERATIONS DEPART NUMAZU FOR YOKOSUKA JAPAN ARRIVE YOKOSUKA DEPART YOKOSUKA ARRIVE HONG KONG BBC DEPART HONG KONG BBC ARRIVE SUBIC BAY PHILIPPINES DEPART SUBIC BAY PHILIPPINES ARRIVE DEPART GUAM FOR FUEL ARRIVE DEPART MIDWAY FOR FUEL ARRIVE HOMEPORT PEARL HARBOR 20 DEC 79 21 DEC 79 03 JAN 80 10 JAN 80 15 JAN 80 18 JAN 80 08 FEB 80 19 FEB 80 10 MAR 80 FOR US ROKS DIVER TRAINING 71

Page 76 text:

USS BOLSTER ARS-38 USS BOLSTER (ARS ,38), ASSIGNED TO SERVICE SQUADRON FIVE AT PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII, IS PRIMARILY DESIGNED FOR RESCUE. SALVAGE, AND TOWING OPERATIONS. SHE ALSO HAS A VERSATILE REPAIR CAPABILITY AND HAS EASILY BEEN ADAPTED TO NUMEROUS OPEN OCEAN ENGINEERING MISSIONS. WITH AN OVERALL LENGTH OF 213 ' 6 , A BEAM OF 43 ' 11 AND A FULL LOAD DISPLACEMENT OF 2,100 TONS, BOLSTER IS ABLE TO MANEUVER IN SHALLOW, NEARLY INACCESSIBLE WATERS, AS WELL AS IN THE OPEN SEA. BOLSTER ' S EXPANSIVE STORAGE FACILITIES FOR FUEL AND SUPPLIES PERMIT HER TO REMAIN AT SEA FOR OVER 40 DAYS OR 9,000 NAUTICAL MILES WITHOUT REPLENISHMENTS. PROPULSION FOR THE BOLSTER IS PROVIDED BY FOUR, 16 CYLINDERS, 399 CATERPILLAR DIESEL ENGINES DRIVING ELECTRIC GENERATORS AND MOTORS WHICH IN TURN DEVELOP 3500 SHAFT HORSE POWER AND DRIVE THE TWIN SCREWS. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED SPEED IS 15 KNOTS. THE CREW IS COMPRISED OF SEVEN OFFICERS AND 85 ENLISTED MEN. AMONG THESE MEN ARE FOUND, NOT ONLY THE VARIOUS SERVICE RATINGS COMMON TO MOST SHIPS, BUT ALSO, 12 FULLY QUALIFIED DEEP SEA AND SALVAGE DIVERS. THE SHIP ' S DIVING EQUIPMENT, INCLUDING A DOUBLE- LOCK RECOMPRESSION CHAMBER, SCUBA GEAR, AND THE MKl AND MK5 DIVING SYSTEMS, SUPPORTS DIVING OPERATIONS TO DEPTHS OF 190 FEET. AS A RESCUE SALVAGE VESSEL, BOLSTER IS EQUIPPED WITH EIGHT COMPLETE SETS OF BEACH GEAR , AND VARIOUS SIZES OF PORTABLE SALVAGE PUMPS, COMPRESSORS, GENERATORS, WELDING MACHINES AND AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT. THE NUMEROUS PIECES OF SALVAGE GEAR CARRIED IN BOLSTER ' S SPACIOUS STORAGE COMPARTMENTS AND THE ONBOARD MODERN MACHINERY REPAIR FACILITIES PROVIDE THE MATERIALS AND CAPABILITIES NECESSARY FOR CARRYING OUT MISSIONS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, INDEPENDENT OF SHORE FACILITIES. LOCATED ON THE FANTAIL IS THE ALMON JOHNSON AUTOMATIC TOWING MACHINE WHICH HAS A PULL OF 50 TONS, ENOUGH TO TOW THE LARGEST OF NAVAL SHIPS. OTHER BOLSTER FEATURES INCLUDE THE 20 TON BOOM FORWARD AND AN 8 TON BOOM AFT, TWO 35 FOOT ALUMINUM TWIN SCREW WORK BOATS FOR PERSONNEL TRANSFERS, DIVING PLATFORMS FOR UNDERWATER WORK, TWO WATER FIRE FIGHTING MONITORS CAPABLE OF PUMPING OVER 4000 GALLONS OF WATER PER MINUTE ONTO A SHIP IN DISTRESS AND ON FIRE, TWO SINGLE BARREL 20 MM ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUNS, AND TWO 50 CALIBER MACHINES GUNS. 70

Page 78 text:

USS BOLSTER ARS-38 USS BOLSTER (ARS 38), ASSIGNED TO SERVICE SQUADRON FIVE AT PEARL HARBOR. HAWAII. IS PRIMARILY DESIGNED FOR RESCUE, SALVAGE, AND TOWING OPERATIONS. SHE ALSO HAS A VERSATILE REPAIR CAPABILITY AND HAS EASILY BEEN ADAPTED TO NUMEROUS OPEN OCEAN ENGINEERING MISSIONS. WITH AN OVERALL LENGTH OF 2i:r6 , A BEAM OF 43 ' 11 AND A FULL LOAD DISPLACEMENT OF 2,100 TONS, BOLSTER IS ABLE TO MANEUVER IN SHALLOW, NEARLY INACCESSIBLE WATERS, AS WELL AS IN THE OPEN SEA. BOLSTER ' S EXPANSIVE STORAGE FACILITIES FOR FUEL AND SUPPLIES PERMIT HER TO REMAIN AT SEA FOR OVER 40 DAYS OR 9,000 NAUTICAL MILES WITHOUT REPLENISHMENTS. PROPULSION FOR THE BOLSTER IS PROVIDED BY FOUR, 16 CYLINDERS, 399 CATERPILLAR DIESEL ENGINES DRIVING ELECTRIC GENERATORS AND MOTORS WHICH IN TURN DEVELOP 3.500 SHAFT HORSE POWER AND DRIVE THE TWIN SCREWS. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED SPEED IS 15 KNOTS. THE CREW IS COMPRISED OF SEVEN OFFICERS AND 85 ENLISTED MEN. AMONG THESE MEN ARE FOUND, NOT ONLY THE VARIOUS SERVICE RATINGS COMMON TO MOST SHIPS, BUT ALSO, 12 FULLY QUALIFIED DEEP SEA AND SALVAGE DIVERS. THE SHIP ' S DIVING EQUIPMENT, INCLUDING A DOUBLE- LOCK RECOMPRESSION CHAMBER, SCUBA GEAR, AND THE MKl AND MK5 DIVING SYSTEMS, SUPPORTS DIVING OPERATIONS TO DEPTHS OF 190 FEET. AS A RESCUE SALVAGE VESSEL, BOLSTER IS EQUIPPED WITH EIGHT COMPLETE SETS OF BEACH GEAR , AND VARIOUS SIZES OF PORTABLE SALVAGE PUMPS, COMPRESSORS, GENERATORS, WELDING MACHINES AND AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT. THE NUMEROUS PIECES OF SALVAGE GEAR CARRIED IN BOLSTER ' S SPACIOUS STORAGE COMPARTMENTS AND THE ONBOARD MODERN MACHINERY REPAIR FACILITIES PROVIDE THE MATERIALS AND CAPABILITIES NECESSARY FOR CARRYING OUT MISSIONS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, INDEPENDENT OF SHORE FACILITIES. LOCATED ON THE FANTAIL IS THE ALMON JOHNSON AUTOMATIC TOWING MACHINE WHICH HAS A PULL OF .50 TONS, ENOUGH TO TOW THE LARGEST OF NAVAL SHIPS. OTHER BOLSTER FEATURES INCLUDE THE 20 TON BOOM FORWARD AND AN 8 TON BOOM APT, TWO 35 FOOT ALUMINUM TWIN SCREW WORK BOATS FOR PERSONNEL TRANSFERS, DIVING PLATFORMS FOR UNDERWATER WORK, TWO WATER FIRE FIGHTING MONITORS CAPABLE OF PUMPING OVER 4000 GALLONS OF WATER PER MINUTE ONTO A SHIP IN DISTRESS AND ON FIRE, TWO SINGLE BARREL 20 MM ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUNS, AND TWO 50 CALIBER MACHINES GUNS. 70