The only US Navy Ship never in the water, though it was in drydock once for repair. Photo from 1951:

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It was the first of its kind -- not quite 'building, not quite a ship. USS Recruit (TDE-1 and TFFG-1) the Navy's first non-ship, was originally a commissioned vessel and observed traditional Naval shipboard procedures like all other vessels. Any Sailor who ever served duty on board this haze gray ship awash in concrete, fondly remembers his first 'request permission to come aboard.

Affectionately known as USS Neversail, the Recruit was a two-thirds scale mock-up and served as a Sea Daddy to new recruits. When completed in 1949, it was 225 long, had a 24-foot, four inch beam and a 41-foot mast.

During construction, Sailors in NTC's seamanship division supervised the rigging with standard Navy fittings obtained from salvage and mothballed ships. The Recruit was commissioned Rear Adm. Wilder D. Baker, commandant, Eleventh Naval District, on July 27, 1'949. A commission pennant was broken and the ensign and Union Jack was hoisted.

It served as a school for all recruits going through basic seamanship indoctrination. The ship's deck was an exact replica of what a Sailor could expect in the fleet. The Recruit had cleats, chocks nd mooring lines and operated as any standard Navy ship. Sailors learned rnarlinspike seamanship, ground tackle operation, cargo booms, deck fittings, lift boat handling and signal equipment.

Besides the regular classrooms, a company of recruits would stay on board from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. each night to polish watchstanding skills.

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The entire Naval Training Center property is being converted in an urban village named Liberty Station. The USS Recruit will be a play area in a parking lot.

My father was in the Navy, and trained on this ship.

A similar "ship" once existed at the Naval Training Center here in Orlando.

USS Neversail


Attachment shows about 80 percent of the NTC grounds. Still operating are the hospital and the base exchange. Not surprising, given the number of retirees in the area. For info on what's going on with the rest of the property, look here.

More info HERE and HERE.

NTC Orlando was closed in 1993. Given the choices between new vs old facilities, warm vs bitterly cold climate, modern vs. WW2 era accomodations, year-round vs. seasonal training opportunities and proximity to the navy's high tech training simulation vendors vs. moose hunting, the honorable senator from Michigan won.

Your tax dollars at work..

Good news if anyone is looking to start their very own navy..

::: FOR SALE :::



OK, OK.. it's just a post card.. but you never know..

"...you can see a watermark on the front side "

Not too surprising!

I got mail from Tina Purcell, Butte College Foundation Assistant, advising me that "The Butte College Foundation has an item listed for auction on eBay.com that might be of interest to you."

This ship was also featured in the opening credits of a Navy based sitcom that was on in the 70's I believe. The Show was called "CPO Sharkey" and stared Don Rickels as a Navy Chief Petty Officer Station at a Navel Training Base in San Deigo, CA.

That's from the piss deck. The poop deck has lines. Kind of like the puke deck only darker and no green sailors. This is a great example of a good idea without fore thought. It was originally commissioned as a canal breaker but they realized too late that they built it 500 feet too far west.