Bob-Hope

A 951-foot Military Sealift Command vessel that appeared to have run aground near Cultus Bay on Saturday was actually practicing maneuvers, the agency reported. Rick Appling, a deputy operations officer for Military Sealift Command Pacific out of San Diego, confirmed the USNS Bob Hope wasn’t aground as some Cultus Bay residents worried, but was practicing its anchoring techniques. He said the vessel remained in about 100 feet of water and was never in any danger. “For someone who doesn’t know what’s going on, it would appear that the odd maneuvering (back and forth movement of the boat)… that the ship was in some level of distress,” Appling said. Anchors are like fish hooks and need to be “set” to take hold. Doing so requires the ship to put its engines in reverse, which forces the anchor into the seafloor. https://www.southwhidbeyrecord.com/news/951-foot-bob-hope-wasnt-in-distress-military-sea-command-reports/