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USS Safeguard Recovers USNS Shasta Anchor

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS070416-07
Release Date: 4/16/2007 9:04:00 AM

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class David Didier, Fleet Public Affairs Center Detachment Sasebo Japan

SEA OF JAPAN (NNS) -- USS Safeguard (ARS-50) recovered USNS Shasta’s (T-AE 33) anchor from 275 feet of water March 6, in a scheduled recovery operation.

The anchor was recovered by dragging a hawking anchor, a specially designed anchor used for grappling objects on the sea floor.

With the help of sonar images taken by USS Guardian (MCM 5) and USS Patriot (MCM 7), Safeguard was able to narrow the search for the anchor. The hawking anchor locked into the chain of the Shasta’s anchor- seven links from the bitter end on the second pass. Blessed with good luck, the Safeguard Sailors hooked the bitter end, which made recovery of the anchor safer and faster, since they never had to lift a bight of chain, which would have doubled the amount of weight being lifted at any given time.

“This was like using a fishing hook to recover your car keys through a drain,” said Lt. Cmdr. Doyle K. Hodges, commanding officer of Safeguard.

The anchor and nine shots of anchor chain weighed 98,095 lbs. Each shot was 90 feet and weighed 7,055 pounds. The anchor sat on the sea floor in two piles separated by a length of chain 87 feet long. This was the heaviest object ever retrieved from the sea floor for any member of the crew.

“This was a great experience for me; I have not had the opportunity to participate in a recovery since I have been on board,” said Culinary Specialist 3rd Class Mitchell Reed. “I was amazed to see the anchor being recovered.”

“I was happy with how the hawking evolution went. It was very challenging, but the crew worked together and accomplished its mission,” said Hodges.

Avenger-class mine countermeasures ships Patriot and Guardian, along with Safeguard, a rescue and salvage ship, all serve under the Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 7/Task Force (CTF) 76, the Navy’s only forward-deployed amphibious force. Task Force 76 is headquartered at White Beach Naval Facility, Okinawa, Japan, with an operating detachment in Sasebo, Japan.