This floating city is a top gun in nuclear circles
Jason Gregory
23jan06
Reproduced with permission from Queensland Newspapers

ONE of the world's biggest floating cities will cruise into Brisbane this afternoon when the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan arrives.The massive ship, which is home to 6000 crew, will be hard to miss when it docks at Fisherman Islands.At 77m high, 344m long and 78m at its widest point, the 97,000-tonne USS Ronald Reagan would dwarf one of Brisbane's biggest landmarks.The $A5 billion ship is 3m higher than the Story Bridge, 62m longer and 54m wider.The flight deck covers 1.82ha and the vessel is powered by two nuclear reactors – which allow it to operate for more than 20 years without refuelling.The reactors will remain in operation even while the ship is docked just kilometres from the inner city.

The USS Ronald Reagan, which costs about $A3.68 million ($US2.75 million) a day to operate, carries enough food and supplies for 90 days.The cooks serve 20,000 meals daily – and the crew use as much water in a day as 2000 homes.The ship has its own newspaper, as well as a radio and television station to provide news and information from around the world to the crew – who also have access to nearly 1400 telephones.The warship will first be visible as it passes Caloundra at noon, and will sail down the coast until it reaches Fisherman Islands three hours later.

It will be piloted into dock by Brisbane Pilot Steve Pelecanos, who will be the first civilian to take control of the warship.Capt Pelecanos, who is chairman of Brisbane Marine Pilots and a former British merchant navy captain, said today's arrival had taken more planning than any other job he had done in the past 22 years."We have gone over everything, over and over, and we all know what we have to do," he said."There are sharp turns in the bay, and it is not easy for a big ship to get through a fairly narrow channel."The harbour master knows what is to happen, the tug captains, lineshoremen, police and other security."Capt Pelecanos will go by helicopter to the ship about 7am and brief Captain Terry Kraft on the intended passage before taking control.

At 3pm the USS Ronald Reagan will be "welcomed" by tugs firing their water hydrants to create an arch of water for the aircraft carrier to sail through.Twenty police boats will also accompany the vessel.The Ronald Reagan's air wing consists of 80 fixed-wing aircraft including F/A-18 Hornets, S-3B Vikings, EA-6B Prowlers, E-2C Hawkeyes, C-2A Greyhounds, SH-60 Sea Hawks and helicopters.