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Update on Grounded (Reefed) Minesweeper
Unable to tow the minesweeper USS Guardian off a reef in the Philippines, the Navy has decided that the only way to free the ship without causing further damage to the reef is to cut the ship into pieces.

The ship's wooden hull - covered in fiberglass
That should be easier to cut up than steel - or maybe they could just hire some teredo worms
- is punctured and parts of the ship have been flooded. As part of the salvage effort the 15,000 gallons of diesel fuel aboard the Guardian were transferred to a Malaysian tug contracted by the Navy. Other materials that might damage the reef have also been removed including : 671 gallons of lubricating oil; dry food stores; paints and solvents contained in storage lockers; and the crew's personal effects left behind on the ship.
I wonder what interesting items turned up in the personal effects.
A preliminary Navy review found that the digital chart the crew was using to navigate the ship incorrectly listed the reef's location by 8 miles. A review of additional charts created by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency found another navigational aberration off the coast of Chile. Both have been corrected.
Not sure that will help the skipper get another command.
Posted by: Glenmore 2013-01-30
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=361234