We were not an unsafe ship, as reported by the press after the Coast Guard had warned us to stay in port. We had new canister life rafts, life jackets with whistles and lights, we had a damage control/fire-fighting team, the CO2 bottles were all filled, fire hoses were hooked up and tested and we had corrected 11 out of the 16 discrepancies the inspector had cited, who had spent three days on the ship; gave us an inspection as thorough as one could give. We worked on the other five, but could not possibly correct them in Gibraltar. They had to do with the electrical wiring, emergency shut down controls for the mains, two more 20-man life rafts, and remove all oily water and oil from the bilge's.

The ship used approximately 1,300 gallons of BP diesel per day when both main engines were working and about 30 gallons of lube oil! The starboard engine lost number 12 cylinder about 1,000 miles out of Gibraltar and the engineers shut that cylinder off and we traveled 3,300 miles on only11 cylinders on the starboard engine!

I want to thank all of you supporters who never gave up. You kept encouraging us and praying for us, and we will not forget you. Those of you who said it can't be done, those of you who said, "You are all crazy," and especially those of you who wrote the U.S. State Department, the Coast Guard, American Embassy and said we were not qualified, unsafe and should not be allowed to sail the ship, I say to you take a look in Mobile Bay 325 you will see! She is beautiful, she is home where she belongs in the USA. She has a little rust, needs some loving care, but with all of your help we will have her all dressed up for the LST reunion in September. I am putting in a list of repairs in another article. I would like to see ship crews or state LST chapters take on these jobs. Let me or Mr. Earl Stone know. Pick out a time to come down and have fun as a group. We would accept money in place of labor and/or materials.

Captain Robert D. Jornlin

1. AC to DC electric rheostat rectifier
    A. Being built
    B. Don Chapman in charge
2. Sewage confinement system
    A. Complete system
    B. Holding tank with eductor pump
    C. Dominick Perruso has plans for this
3. Clean bilge's
    A. Remove all oil from main engine room bilge's and clean
    B. Clean auxiliary engine room bilge's
    C. Both must be gas free and pass Coast Guard inspection
    D. Carl Black was to get bids
4. Get new fire extinguishers. Ones on ship are beyond pressure test dates
    A. Need estimates
5. Get fire plan in place (Coast Guard requirement)
    A. Need diagram of ship where fire equipment is located
    B. Post number for fire department
    C. Procedure for charging ship fire main
    D. Check Coast Guard requirements
6. Paint and chip paint as necessary
    A. Sides, bow, stern, etc.
    B. Superstructure treated with acid then paint all
    C. Main deck spot chip, acid wash/power wash, paint
    D. Officers country
    E. Galley
    F. Wheelhouse, radio room
    G. Crew's quarters
    H. Port and starboard sides
    I. Tank deck
    J. Entries forward (dog houses)
        1. Main deck area
        2. Second deck area
        3. Third deck area to tank deck
    K. Emergency fire pump room
7. Electric
    A. Replace all light fixtures not working - those jury rigged with pigtail lights -
            officers country, galley, crewąs quarters, etc., to meet Coast Guard inspection
8. Need two gangways
    A. Fix the shipąs so it will swing out at 90 degrees - put wheels on the end
    B. Need one with steps for safe access up to ship (Coast Guard requirement - must meet their criteria)
9. Make wooden platform over top of main deck for easy walking (safely)
10. Cut holes in tank deck to view engine rooms and engines
11. Widen access stairway (ladder) to tank deck from crew's quarters aft.

In only a few weeks, the LST 325 has had the following done:
Mr. Earl Stone (cell phone 334-604-5492), security, work parties, workers, times and jobs.
Meat that was quarantined by agriculture department removed.
Reefers and galley sprayed with Clorox to disinfect.
Agricultural inspection passed.
Other garbage removed and flammable materials removed.
All items that could be stolen, locked up.
Ships spaces with parts, tools, etc., locked up.
Spaces cleaned up, decks cleaned, galley cleaned.
Office set up in captain's stateroom.
Ship has a cell phone: 334-402-1225.

We have a professional person in charge of public relations: Priscilla Roberts, aide to Congressman Hall, Government Relations.

We are looking into a book. We have hats, pins, T-shirts and patches for sale, and we have a person handling that, see ads in Scuttlebutt. We have many more projects started to fix up the ship and to raise money. The electricity is the big hold up. We need DC for lights, fresh water and to start any of the electric motors. It is being worked on hard. I will be down there February 19, for several days, and March 11.

Captain Bob Jornlin
U.S. LST Ship Memorial

P.S. With Linda Gunjak and Mike helping in all aspects, we have a team second to none!
 
 

Archive for April 2001:

• 02 APR 01 - Progress Report from the Blue Crew
• 07 APR 01 - Report from Capt. Jornlin on the Board of Directors Meeting Held 30 MAR 01
• 11 APR 01 - Progress Report from Michael Smith (with pictures)
• 15 APR 01 - Progress Report from the Blue Crew
• 16 APR 01 - Update from Capt. Jornlin
• 21 APR 01 - Progress Report from Ron Maranto (Gold Crew)
• 24 APR 01 - Progress Report from Michael Smith (with pictures)
• 26 APR 01 - Progress Report from Ron Maranto (Gold Crew)
• 26 APR 01 - Update from Linda Gunjak
• 27 APR 01 - Two Editorial Corrections
• 28 APR 01 - Progress Report from Michael Smith (with pictures)

• 18 MAR 01 - Progress Report from the Blue Crew
• 25 MAR 01 - Progress Report from the Blue Crew
• 27 MAR 01 - Progress Report from Michael Smith (with pictures)