— by Lin McNulty —
Photos by Brad Patton.
Perhaps in homage to Harry Patton’s recent 92nd birthday, it seems the USS Nimitz paid a recent visit to the East side of Orcas, passing by the Pea Pods.
“Quite a sight!” related Harry after he saw the carrier on Monday right in front of his cabin. “If I had my old Navy Hellcat fighter I would have tried to land aboard!”
USS Nimitz (CVN-68) is a supercarrier of the United States Navy, and the lead ship of its class. One of the largest warships in the world, it was laid down, launched and commissioned as CVAN-68 but was redesignated CVN 68 (nuclear-powered multimission aircraft carrier) in 1975 as part of the fleet realignment.
“Carriers never come up Rosario Strait,” says Harry, because the straits are too narrow and have quirky currents.
Surprised, Harry says he bit his cigar in half and nearly dropped his Double Manhattan!
What a sight! Brings back lots of memories.
Took a tour on it last month. Just like a big city with 5000 residences.
The unusual appearance of the Nimitz in Rosario Strait was due to its cruise from Esquimalt (near Victoria) to Nanoose Bay (near Nanaimo,BC) to conduct tests. The direct route has narrow channels causing the ship to have to circumnavigate the American San Juans for a clearer route.