Matt, the Storis was OLD when I was a S/A. My buddy was sent to chip paint in her bilge for some screwup and was so angry he struck the plating rather forcibly. When he got the hammer free a spout of seawater followed <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />. The old girl got a berth in drydock ASAP. It was a crime when the Spencer and Taney were decommisioned <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> For anyone else I'm talking cutters that saw sunrise at Pearl Harbour on Dec 7th and rammed, then repelled boarders from a german U boat. I suggested the famous cutters be berthed at our training facilities and recruits rotated aboard for a real taste of shiplife. Later Academy commandant Admiral Nelson said " Kavanaugh, we are barely keeping the commissioned cutters underway and you want us to do a Queen Mary?" I won't mention an even older cutter with a unique 3" cannon. The firing pin crystalised and the only other known examples were at a nearby maritime museum. The gunner's mates got permission to remove the pins, and after hammering secured two <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />. Those were the lean days. New London is lovely. When you go up the Eagle's Rigging just don't look down <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />