What are these vehicles doing on board the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan?

These pictures show what looks like a large parking lot. It is, in fact, USS Ronald Reagan, a giant nuclear-powered aircraft carrier on its way to Washington's Naval Base Kitsap.

It will stay at the base for the next year, undergoing the routine maintenance which gives it an extraordinary lifespan of 50 years. Nearly 3000 sailors will be making their homes in Bremerton, the ship's new homeport and they are bringing their cars with them, hence the bizarre spectacle on board deck.

While this may not seem to be the best way to transport the sailors' vehicles from the ship's permanent base in San Diego, it is, in fact, cheaper and more efficient than making the men brave the 1,200-mile drive up the west coast. When Ronald Reagan made a shorter trip to Washington they pulled off the same trick.

More Info: www.dailymail.co.uk

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32 Comments

patrhea

Just reading the comments on here. Didn't realize so many former military playing!. So I'm taking the opportunity to say THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE! Love having you playing and sharing your knowledge and experience on here. ❤🙋

Mr.LaFaye

I was on a Spruance Class Destroyer, the ship was built in Pascagoula, MS homeported in San Diego Ca. Went back and forth a few times, as it was a new ship, commissioned in Nov 1977, Plankowner. We did this a few times. Couldn't carry as many as a Carrier though 😊

Ed Taber

I was about 10 when the USS Missouri had an 'open house' in San Francisco while transiting to a new home port. I saw the plaque where the Japanese signed the formal surrender ending WW II and was really impressed with the ship and the crew. But as a kid I couldn't understand why the back end was a parking lot. In jr high in about 56' there were pictures of a car being catapulted off the deck of a carrier. the story was that the ship was changing station and the crew were taking their personal automobiles. Some minor repairs had been made to the catapult and the navy needed a moveable weight to test the system. The Navy bought this sailors 52' Plymouth and launched it! The sailor was trying to get the NHRA to certify the new record but Wally Parks said it didn't count as records had to be mad with a back up run within 2 hours.