Norwegian Cruise Ship Wake Damages Submarine on Exhibit at NY Museum

A decommissioned submarine suffered damage from a cruise ship’s wake this weekend.

The Norwegian Star was in the process of docking at a Hudson River pier when its wake shook the Growler submarine, which has been on exhibit at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York City for over 20 years.

Reports from the museum state that a gangway leading to the Growler was damaged and fell off the sub, as the massive liner fired up its thrusters. However, the submarine was open to visitors that same day. The retired aircraft carrier Intrepid, the centerpiece of the museum, was not affected, reports the New York Times.

Norwegian Cruise Line stated that the Norwegian Star was confronted with strong currents while trying to maneuver to its docking position. In order to properly approach the dock in such conditions, propulsion and thrusters were employed – creating the wake.

On April 27, 2012, the Norwegian Star also hit the pier where the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid was docked while it was attempting to dock at the nearby New York Passenger Ship Terminal in Manhattan. The Intrepid was, at the time of incident, being prepared for the flyover of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with the Space Shuttle Enterprise later that morning. No injuries were reported and the cause of the collision was blamed on high winds and low tide.

A Coast Guard representative commented that these things are not abnormal for the New York waterfront, nor did the cruise ship practice uncommon procedures. He continued saying that it requires extreme accuracy and experience to maneuver a vessel that big into the space without any incident.

Passengers onboard the cruise ship, returning from Bermuda, were either uninterrupted or reported merely a heavy vibration.

The Growler, a diesel submarine and one of the first to carry missiles, was commissioned in 1958.