Date: Wed, 18 Feb 2004 23:06:43 -0600
Reply-To: John Rodgers <jh_rodgers@BELLSOUTH.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: John Rodgers <jh_rodgers@BELLSOUTH.NET>
Subject: Re: [WetWesties] RE: AMPHIBIOUS CAMPER (NVC)
In-Reply-To: <C90E0D4C-6290-11D8-897C-000502453125@eoni.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Boy, does that ever bring back fond memories of "The DUKW"! And also of
"The BARC"!!
Way back in the late '50's I was in the Navy and stationed at Ft Story,
Virginia... an Army base. The reasons for being in the Navy yet being
stationed on the Army Base .... a Nike Missle base at that ..... require
a whole'nother story line.
Suffice it to say, my job involved laying cable from out in the bay to
on-shore then over the hilll and through the woods to bunkers where the
cables were attached to special equipment. The Army worked with us, and
when we were laying cable they would bring out the DUKW's and us navy
guys would load into the DUKS and we would rid out to to a cable vessel
offshore, hook to the cable and then drag it back towards shore. The
DUK's were ideal for dragging that heavy cable and transitioning from a
pull out in the water to a cable pull up on the beach. The Army drivers
would have the propeller engaged and pushing the DUK until he felt the
wheels bumping on the bottom in the surf, then he would engage the
wheels and they would then churn the water moving us the rest of the way
until we were securely up the beach with the cable in tow. After that,
us Navy guys took over and did our. A second amphibious vehicle was "The
BARC!" I don't remember what that stood for, but I was impressed by the
9 foot wheels and 12 foot diameter tires. It could carry a load on those
sand beaches. If I remember correctly, it has an engine at each wheel.
It was a monster and was intended to move stuff from the ship to up on
the beach with a minimum fuss. Those big wheels made it float on the
surface of the sand.
John Rodgers
88 GL Driver.
Jim Arnott wrote:
> Don't you guys know a Duck when you see one? (DUKW)
> <http://my.voyager.net/~dukw/dukwpage.htm>
>
> Jim
>
>
> On Wednesday, February 18, 2004, at 11:03 AM, MICHAEL TURNER wrote:
>
>> Hey guys don't mean to stick my nose in your post on amphibious
>> campers.....
>>
>> http://www.amphibiousvehicle.net/amphi/W/wave.jpeg
>>
>>
>> However, couldn't resist the urge to comment that even for
>> 100,000 bucks, that's gotta be one of the ugliest lookin' things I've
>> ever seen!
>> More over, I'm thinkin' to myself,
>
>
| 
