Down Periscope, Up Periscope: Tales of Submarine Tours

In this episode, I'll examine two common questions. 1. Could the Navy ever take the submarine back? 2. Could the submarine ever be put back into service?

Let's examine a report from Blueback's last inspection and why the ship was taken out of service.

Discussing our thoughts on whether or not the submarine is a safe and appropriate exhibit for children as young as 3 years old.

Starting a new series discussing the funny, odd, and occasionally frustrating realities of being a USS Blueback tour guide. This episode is about the rules and expectations of visitors on Blueback when taking a tour.

Former USS Barbel sailor, Tony Capitano, recounts his Navy career serving on 2 diesel-electric submarines and a ballistic missile submarine.

Studying USS Hamner's deck logs reveals where she was during the Battle of Dong Hoi and some other interesting activities she did during April 1972.

An interview with Scott Thingelstad, the longest-serving tour guide on Blueback and our first paid staff member interviewed. Scott talks about his time in the U.S. Navy and serving on a guided missile cruiser during Operations Desert Shield/Storm in 1990 - 1991.

A correction from my Blueback tour video regarding what it takes to become an Independent Duty Corpsman (IDC) on a submarine.

Discussing the ongoing maintenance issues on the submarine and the limitations of the crew.

An interview with Dave Pierce, a Boiler Technician who was aboard the destroyer USS Hamner during the Vietnam War. Read the blog post on this story at the following link: http://thetidesofhistory.com/2025/03/23/sea-stories-a-tin-can-sailor-off-vietnam-feat-dave-pierce/

Reviewing the book and film adaptation of "The Hunt for Red October." Blog Posts for these reviews can be found at the following links: http://thetidesofhistory.com/2024/10/27/book-review-the-hunt-for-red-october-by-tom-clancy/ For the Take Me to Your Reader Podcast group review (recorded on USS Blueback), see the following link: https://pavementpodcast.com/podcast/lmnop-plots-the-hunt-for-red-oct...

Vessels at sea collide with lots of things. But I bet you've never heard about the time a submarine collided with a car! Read the related blog post at the following link: That Time a Submarine Crashed into a Car

One time, just as his boat was being commissioned, our good Captain had lunch with an admiral who had some peculiar tastes. Read the blog post of this story at the following link: http://thetidesofhistory.com/2024/08/04/sea-stories-lunch-with-an-admiral-from-the-captain/

Discussing the pleasures and frustrations of doing historical research on a submarine (museum ship).

On 24 April 1988, USS Bonefish (SS-582) suffered a major battery fire. This is that story. More information can be found at the following links: ( Youtube video ) ( Blog post on Fair Winds & Following Seas )

Every museum has an interpretation of its exhibits. In this episode, I'll discuss why every tour guide has a different interpretation of Blueback and why every tour we give is different.

Navy submarines, being warships, aren't particularly comfortable. In fact, even trained submariners can get claustrophobic. Let's hear a story about that. Read the blog post (w/transcript) for this episode at the following link: https://thetidesofhistory.com/2024/03/17/sea-stories-uss-uncomfortable-claustrophobia-on-a-submarine-feat-robert-talbert/

Many things can go wrong at sea aboard a submarine. This is the story of that time the Captain lent Admiral Rickover some underwear. This is also available as a blog post at the following link: https://thetidesofhistory.com/2024/02/25/sea-stories-the-admirals-drawers-feat-the-captain/

Sailors run on coffee, but not every sailor, particularly officers, knows how to make coffee. Read the blog post of this episode at the following link: http://thetidesofhistory.com/2023/10/01/that-time-i-taught-a-u-s-navy-captain-how-to-make-coffee/

Discussing my childhood memories of taking two submarine tours. One on an operational submarine, and one of Blueback herself.

Recounting the story of USS Torsk (SS-423), the last submarine to fire torpedoes in WWII and the last U.S. Navy submarine to fire torpedoes at an enemy. Read the blog post for this episode at the following link: http://thetidesofhistory.com/2024/01/21/uss-torsk-the-last-torpedo-shots-of-wwii/

Discussing the requirements for becoming a tour guide on USS Blueback and what it generally involves.

Introduction to the podcast. Down Periscope, Up Periscope: Tales of Submarine Tours is the unofficial podcast of the tour guide staff on USS Blueback, the U.S. Navy's last diesel-electric attack submarine. Currently a permanent exhibit at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), Blueback is moored in the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon.

Using the head (toilet) at sea is usually a fairly straightforward process. On a submarine, it can be frought with danger. Read the blog post for this episode at the following link: http://thetidesofhistory.com/2023/07/30/how-to-use-a-toilet-on-a-submarine/