We arrived at the dock around 7 PM and stowed our gear. We were then "briefed" about the submarine and safety issues. Our two guides did a fantastic job of telling us about the submarine and it's history. We learned that a Pampanito is a fish and that all WWII era submarines were named after fish. They answered all our questions (there were lots of them) and told us what to expect overnight.
Once we learned all the rules and regulations we boarded the submarine and headed for the sleeping quarters for bunk assignments. The bunks are 3 high so it was tight quarters. We quickly learned that life aboard a submarine is very crowded. Our Pack leaders and other adults slept in the Officer's Quarters which are much more spacious than the bunks in the Crew Quarters.
We took the audio tour of the submarine which told us all about it's history and what the different rooms were for. The Torpedo Rooms were very cool! We saw several real torpedoes including one with a cut away view of the turbines.
Our guides treated us to a special tour of the Conning Tower and Control Room areas where the periscopes and navigation systems are located. We learned about the Christmas Tree and they demonstrated the various alarms that can sound in the submarine ( LOUD ). We checked out the big guns on the upper deck as the boys imagined their targets on Alcatraz, Berkeley, and Pier 39. We then went below deck for snack time in the Crew's Mess area. Since it was nearly 11 PM we settled into our bunks for the night. Every hour all night long we took turns keeping the Night Watch, walking the submarine just to make sure everyone was safe. There were submarine movies available in the Forward Torpedo Room for those who couldn't sleep.
We awoke the next morning, ate breakfast, packed up our gear and worked hard cleaning up the submarine. A big task! Once everyone was accounted for we gathered on the deck for a group photo and to raise colors. The boys received a special patch and dog tags as souveniers of their sleepover. It was a fun night for all.
The boys represented Pack 525 very well, they can all be very proud of themselves. We would like to thank the Pampanito staff for their hospitality and friendliness. We look forward to doing this again. We had a great time!
