Army Reserve LCU2031, New Orleans, arrives at Collier Point Park, Providence to act as dive support vessel for the joint Army-Navy salvage operation. This 2000 series LCU was built in 1992 and is based in Tampa, FL.
The bow of LCU 2031 is moored to the dock with its ramp lowered. The ramp is almost directly over the bow of the sunken submarine. Dive support equipment containers are deck loaded on the LCU.
NAVSEA Supervisor of Salvage mobile workshop being unloaded from trailer. Inside the workshop container are the portable diesel generator and diesel powered air compressor. These were unloaded and placed in key positions on the site. NAVSEA Office trailer is in the background .
Four 7,200 lb anchors which will be buried under ground to serve as anchor points for the 50 ton hydraulic pullers..
August 21
View from the bridge of LCU 2031 at low tide looking north. Army and Navy divers are working off the bow ramp with dive support equipment loaded on deck. The tips of the periscopes of K-77 can be seen in the right center angled off at a 48 degree angle to the right. Floats in the water mark key locations on the sub with the orange one to the right of the LCU bow positioned over the bow of K-77.
Two of the four 50 ton hydraulic pullers with control units and diesel powered hydraulic pumps in the background. (One of these pullers was later repositioned to pull on the large radar mast in the K-77 sail.)
One of the 1-5/8" steel cables being run out and attached to the submarine. Four of these cables are being attached to "hard points" on the submarine to stabilize and eventually right the submarine for further salvage operations to be conducted in 2008.
August 24
One of the four 7,200 lb anchors being buried in the ground. These will be left in place and used to anchor the 1-5/8" steel cables until the submarine is raised in 2008.
August 27
Media Day. Local radio, TV and Associated Press reporters interview Navy CWO4 Pete Sharpe, OINC of salvage exercise, as part of Media Day coverage.
Entrance sign from Collier Point Park entrance relocated to LCU 2031 ramp area to show the temporary new entrance.
(New "dress code" restrictions for entry apply.)
Fox News reporter, Laura Ingle, interviews CWO4 Pete Sharpe on the ramp of LCU 2031 with Fox cameraman recording. (Fox News broadcast their coverage on the evening of September 4.)
Laura Ingle of Fox News talks to divers working under water.
"Soft patch" from compartment 5 is removed. This will be used as a template to fabricate a coffer dam for diver entry to the submarine during the next phase of salvage operations.
The four cables anchored to the submarine are stopped off to the buried anchors awaiting the next phase of recovery. These cables will firmly hold the submarine in place until next spring when salvage operations will resume.