I bet someone with steal toed boots could kick a hole in her side.  

ETA I remember reading somewhere that the condition of the hull was very poor in some spots and the museum was afraid that she could start taking on water.  This was I few years ago, so I do not know if they have made repairs to the hull.

Sounds like Simmons' wants a Federal "jobs bank" for electric boat employees.

Quoted: Sounds like Simmons' wants a Federal "jobs bank" for electric boat employees.

I have heard that Electric Boat is bitching that Portsmouth Yard (actually is in Kittery, ME) is getting all the sub repair work and they have no work.  Portsmouth averages 9-12 months to do overhaul on a 688.  Electric Boat is about 1.5 years and get this, the Honolulu ship yard is 2+ years to do a overhaul (thats 9 months Island time, bra )

My Dad and brother have told me, the Portsmouth Yard has not had so many subs in dry dock for repair since the 80's, so something is in the air.

Sir, there are some very releavent facts so far missing from this thread.  FWIW, many of us that work in this industry here in SE Virginia pay attention to these issues.

EB builds the Virginia class submarine in "partnership" with Northrop Grumman Newport News (NGNN).  Each ship of the class alternately has parts built at each yard and transported to the other for assembly.   Subsequently Virginia was assembled and launched at EB while Texas was assembled and launched here in Newport News.

In addition to this partnership with EB NGNN is the sole shipyard in the US capable of building or refueling Nuclear powered aircraft carriers.  The navy also depends heavily on NGNN for shorter duration availabilities, both USS George Washington and USS Enterprise recently completed availabilities, the USS Eisenhower refueling completed mid last year, and USS Carl Vinson began her refueling here late last year.  Additionally when you combine the fact that the US Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Virginia sustained a reduction of their workforce a few years ago there is absolutely no way that changes in the US Navy's submarine procurement goals could not affect the construction, refueling or overhaul of other nuclear powered ships.

Somebody mentioned in one of the posts above that EB was the only shipyard that had an active submarine design workforce, I beg to differ.  While NGNN is obviously heavy into the design of the next generation of nuclear powered aircraft, it does disservice to us all to dismiss the role NGNN plays in design products for the Virginia Class submarine.  

Another comment also posted was to the effect that EB doesn't get any sub overhauls because the US Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Me. gets them all.  FWIW, the navy has been heavily engaged in shorter duration availabilities of our subs, and in addition to the Kittery, Me. shipyard these availabilities are also routinely done at the Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Virginia, Kings Bay, Ga. and to a lesser extent NGNN.  

IMHO a significant reason the private shipyards don't get more repair contracts is due to the potential cross contract delay claims these shipyard force the Navy to pay when we're doing both overhauls and new construction in the same shipyard due to their limited workforces.  As has already been mentioned a skilled workforce has to be trained and the greater the length of experience the better the performance.

All of the shipyards I've mentioned so far have a substantial reputation for an underpaid workforce, Congress does a pay comparability study for the federal workforce nationally every year and recommends to the president the amount of the annual cost of living increase for federal workers.  In nearly all of over thirty years of gov't service never has more than half the recommended pay increase been realized.  This year my annual COLA amounted to a wopping $21.00 per week takehome.   I bet when you compare the average income of workers in the greater Boston area to the average worker in the Kittery yard you'll find there is a significant pay gap. You get what you pay for.  JMHO, 7zero1.

Quoted: Sir...  JMHO, 7zero1.

Don't confuse people here with logistics or facts.

These same people think that throwing money at social problems won't solve it, but throwing money at the military will.