Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Wilmington, NC

Back down I go to Myrtle Beach and Wilmington. Driving my white Mustang along the Intercoastal highway to fix a piece of medical equipment. Here are a few pics I took in Wilmington:

This is the bow of the WWII battleship "North Carolina" which cost 78 million 1937 dollars to build...

Panning down the side of this juggernaut, one is blown away by the sheer mass and size, well over 600 ft long and I'm guessing 7 stories abouve the waterline...
This is a detail shot of the forward 16" gun battery. Yes, I said, SIXTEEN INCHES.

This is the USCGC Diligence (WMEC-616). This is an ocean going, medium endurance cutter that has been in service since 1964. I once had a friend who served on her sister ship the Steadfast. This class of cutter is 210 ft. long and have a beam of 35 feet. She is based in Wilmington and is moored along the bank of the Cape Fear river across the way from the battleship. "Semper Paratus!"