Benicia, California - Ghost Fleet of Retired Ships

Called the "ghost fleet" or "mothball fleet," a large flotilla of retired WWII and Vietnam-era ships reside in the Suisun Bay just east of the Benicia Bridge. Although the original intent was to have them capable of becoming battle-ready within a month, thus the official name of "reserve fleet," most of the ships have been quietly rusting away for years and are beyond repair. Scrapping of the fleet has been discussed for years. At one time the famous Glomar Explorer resided with the fleet, it's claim to fame having grabbed a Cold War sub off the ocean floor with a giant claw. In 1997 it was converted to a deep-water drilling ship, still in service today. The fleet has been used in a couple of movies, including "Down Periscope." [Sheldon Carpenter, 12/13/2002]