When I visited the museum in 1996, I inadvertantly became a docent when as I was explaining some construction details regarding a large detailed cut-away model of a submarine to one person I attracted a crowd of listeners. My wife was amused and took this picture.
And also I was able to explain to two young ladies who were acting as guides on board the Bowfin just how the deck gun operated. They thought the breach lever was the trigger.
Originally in 1985 the museum was located on the navy base, in a quonset hut near the sub base entrance (behind the sign) and the Bowfin was moored where it is now but only had an old quonset building there for support. The Bowfin has been pretty well restored. Stairwells have been installed where the torpedo loading hatches had been.
A photo taken from top of
training tower at Sail 9 in 1945, l-r: USS Flying Fish (SS229),
USS Spadefish (SS411), USS Tinosa (SS283), USS Bowfin (SS287),
and USS Skate (SS305)
(from centerfold of Bowfin museum brochure)
Across the bay from the Bowfin stands the memorial to the USS Arizona (BB ) sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. In 1950 the Arizona was only a navigation hazard for ships. The memorial was installed many years later. Visitor tours to the memorial are conducted by the Parks Service via navy launches. A documentary film of the attack on Pearl harbor is shown to the visitors prior to the tour.
