Suisun Bay Mothball Fleet Revealed - Photography Tour Of The Old Ships

If you have ever worked on a older Marad vessel in California waters there is a good chance you’ve been sent to Suisun Bay to steal parts off an older ship. But, for the rest of the public the “Mothball Fleet” has been strictly off limits… until today.

Scott Haefner and a small band of photographers recently gained access to the fleet and have been documenting the fleet, rust and all, but today they announced that on May 7th they have gained permission to bring along a guests. They tell us:

Over the course of 18 months, four intrepid photographers captured exclusive, behind-the-scenes images of the decaying ghost ships moored in Suisun Bay. Known as the Mothball Fleet, these historic vessels served in four American wars, including World War II. Many of the ships captured by the photographers have since been towed to Texas, Mare Island, or Saipan for scrapping, in an ongoing effort to rid the bay of its most toxic vessels.

In association with the nonprofit, public art organization, Place in History and the artists’ hub of Workspace Limited in San Francisco, you are cordially invited to see artistic images of the mothball fleet on a large-screen, digital projector. This is the first time these photos are being shown to the public.

Learn why some of these ships were highly classified. You’ll view racks that once held submarine torpedoes, walk below the massive 16-inch deck guns of the USS Iowa battleship, and see photos of the the top secret “stealth” ship, the IX-529 Sea Shadow. Hear the history of these ships and the surreal experience of walking around the inside of their hulls—many of which have stood frozen in time for 40 years with 1940s-era artifacts inside and completely intact.