Navy Vets, did you "Cross the Line"?

[Duncandl]

1988 onboard the Mighty USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19)

Blue Nose sometime around 2003-4 onboard a Mighty E-6B Mercury Aircraft.

 

[Riley]

Twice. It's more fun the second time...

 

[BReeves]

Almost, we were headed for Australia when Vietnam happened, instead we spent a couple months in the south china sea.
VA-216 aboard the USS Hancock CVA-19 1962 - 1966

 

[eaglerjs]

twice, 1st time in 70 on way to gulf of token. On board the USS America. I had stuble and got the royal baby with it, it did not take long for him to push me away.

 

[EKing]

I, too, never made it across the equator, but spent some time above the arctic circle. I do believe it was aboard the Wasp. That was the time we ran into some heavy seas and I got to see green water come over the flight deck. Every time the bow took a deep dive, columns of water would come gushing in around the anchor chain portals. I was birthed in the forecastle right below the flight deck - and the catapults. (There was no sleep to be had during ops!) Anyway, the forward bulkhead between the forecastle birthing compartment and the compartment where the anchor chain comes up from its storage compartment and out the portals, cracked. I guess the bulkhead oil-canned a few too many times over the lifetime of the carrier during heavy seas.

Interesting factoid: While the Wasp was bobbing up and down in the huge waves, coming to the magic frequency where the bow would take its deepest dive into the oncoming wave, the tin cans would simply ride up and over the waves with little trouble. In some of the not-so-heavy seas, the carriers float along smooth as class while the tin cans rock fore and aft like a twig going down the Colorado River rapids. First the bow is out of the water then the next moment the screw(propeller) is spinning in the open air! Quite a sight to see from the calm decks of a carrier.

Woody, USN '66 - '70.

The Blue Ridge rocked back and forth in even the calmest seas, being a flat bottomed ship. The movement was side to side and front to back, all mixed together. My first port visit on that ship in Saipan was interesting as I stumbled around on land for the first day. I finally understood what "like a drunken Sailor" really meant.
The Chancellorsville (CG-62) constantly moved side to side, since cruisers are a little top heavy.

 

[EKing]

I'm a Marine, but went through the Shellback Ceremony way back in 1979 aboard the USS Ft. Snelling. My favorite part was crawling through the tunnel filled with garbage, scraps from the mess deck, and only the Good Lord knows what else. A cool Naval tradition, and one I hope doesn't get taken over or away by the politically correct crowd.

A lot of it was lost when they tried to eliminate the hazing in the '90's and '00's. The flogging and anything physical is definitely gone. Probably the nasty food crawl as well.
The Sailors want to do it but some ships skip over it entirely and just hand out certificates.

 

[EKing]

While not an Honorable Shellback, I too am blessed by King Neptune having crossed the Arctic Circle and am an Honorable Bluenose.

Way more rare and, I'll admit, a bit cooler. Usually only bubbleheads get that.

 

[Seadog]

I'm a Marine, but went through the Shellback Ceremony way back in 1979 aboard the USS Ft. Snelling. My favorite part was crawling through the tunnel filled with garbage, scraps from the mess deck, and only the Good Lord knows what else. A cool Naval tradition, and one I hope doesn't get taken over or away by the politically correct crowd.

It is long gone. PC did it in

 

[Dangerousways]

Blue nose here. USS San Jaun SSN751

 

[GUN DOG]

Blue nose here. USS San Jaun SSN751

Blue nose you from Nova Scotia that's what the natives are called like myself. After the schooner Blue Nose just a little Canadian history. Crossed it on foot in Kenya so no t shirt involved

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