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Final resting place…

10/15/2018

There sure has been a lot of talk about the USS Clamagore, and what will happen to it. Eventually it will make its way down to the sunny state of Florida and be sunk to create an artificial reef. You might be asking yourself what exactly is an artificial reef? It normally refers to a man-made structure that is placed at the bottom of the ocean. This structure then begins to promote the growth of all kinds of life. Not only can these reefs provide much needed habitats for many different animals, but they can also do a lot for humans. They can help with beach erosion, recreational fishing and diving, and even improve surfing.

Hog island…

10/1/2018

Did you know that Patriots Point has not always been called Patriots Point? Once, not too long ago it was called Hog Island, and it played an important part in the defense of Charleston during the Revolutionary War. Americans blocked Hog Island Channel by sinking ships and setting up mines so that the British could not gain access to the Cooper River. Over time the island was connected to the mainland due to the dredging of the Harbor. Today, Hog Island has been renamed and is no longer even an island.

ARRGGGGGG!!!!!

9/19/2018

Ahoy, matey! Today be talk like a pirate day! Did you know that Charleston has seen its fair share of pirate action?! Arguably one of the most famous pirates, Black Beard, once held the city’s harbor captive. He and his fleet blocked passage to and from the city taking over any ship that tried to pass. Taking hostages, he traded them for medical supplies for his men. This is just one of the many stories involving pirate action along the South Carolina coast.

Avast ye, set your inner pirate free today!

A day in the life…

9/10/2018

Hey guys! Oreo and Tiny here. We know that we are your favorite part of the Yorktown, so we commandeered the ship and decided to let you know what it’s like to be a turtle for a day. Well first things first, when the humans get here they have to turn our lights on. This is important because we are cold blooded which means we need the light to warm our bodies up so we can really move around. Are favorite morning activity is climbing up on our rock and to sun bathe. Once we are nice and warm the fun begins. We love to swim around our tank looking for food. Occasionally we like to see who can hold their breath the longest. Our personal best is about 1 hour. We like to end our day with a snack, preferably shrimp or fiddler crabs. Well that’s about it, hope you enjoyed a glimpse into our day!

FREE Symposium!

9/3/2018

Come hear their stories as we discuss what it was like to be in Iraq’s deadliest city. It will take place on board the USS Yorktown at 7:00 PM on September 6th.

See you there!

It’s a wild world out there…

8/27/2018

Can you believe all the animal species that we share the planet with?! Scientist estimate there could be as many as 8.7 million. We might not get to see all of them, but we sure can see a few amazing animals just by walking down the pier to the USS Yorktown. The Yorktown is nestled in an environment called an estuary. Being in this type of environment means that there are some pretty cool creatures that we regularly see while walking our school groups abroad. If it is low tide be on the lookout for blue crabs, flounder, Atlantic stingrays, and red drum but if the tide is high keep an eye out for needle fish, dolphins, and even migrating manatees.

Patriots Point mascot!

10/11/2017

Hey guys! Have you ever been like me and wondered why the USS Yorktown has a dog for a mascot? Well there is actually a great reason! One day a sailor brought a dog aboard the ship. Unfortunately, this was against the rules, and when the Captain found out about the dog he told them that they would have to take the dog back where it came from. However, the Captain changed his mind after the sailor told him that the dog’s name was Jock. This was the Captain’s nickname and he was so happy that the dog was named after him that he allowed the dog to stay aboard the ship. The sailors had lied to the Captain because they wanted to keep the dog, whose actual name was Scrappy. Now you know the story of how Scrappy came to be!

72 years ago...

8/9/2017

The United States dropped the first ever atomic bomb on an enemy population on the Japanese city of Hiroshima in August of 1945. Before the United States even entered into World War II, the United States was already doing research on atomic weapons. Such weapons were already being researched in Germany and there was a fear that they would develop and use such weapons. The project code named the Manhattan Project, used over 12,000 scientists all over the country, cost almost 2 billion dollars and was top secret. Most of the people working on the project had no idea what they were working on. The first test of the atomic bomb was in New Mexico, at the Trinity Site, on July 16, 1945. The first bomb dropped on Hiroshima was named “Little Boy”. Hiroshima was an important manufacturing center and military center, with about 350,000 people. The bomb dropped at 8:15 a.m. instantly killed at least 45,000 lives. Many more would lose their lives due to radiation exposure or other direct effects.

National Maritime Day!

5/22/2017

Hello sailors! Today is National Maritime Day and here at Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum we are committed to maritime history. The word maritime is connect to anything dealing with the sea, especially dealing with seafaring commercial or military activity. Patriots Point currently has 3 vessels that were once military and participated in sea activities. These include the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown, a destroyer the USS Laffey, and a submarine the USS Clamagore.

Today in history

5/20/2017

Today marks two very important events for us at the USS Yorktown. Today is Armed Forced Day which is set aside to thank our military personal for their support of our country. So today thank someone you know who is serving our country. The second important date is the first ever solo transatlantic flight. Charles Lindbergh made the journey from New York to Paris in just less than 34 hours in the now famous plane The Spirit of Saint Louis. His journey helped push forth the age of commercial aviation.