The OMSI Web Cam shows the riverwalk and park benches along the Willamette River, and gangplank and boarding deck of the USS Blueback which appeared in the “The Hunt for Red October” as the USS Dallas. The submarine is berthed at OMSI on the banks of the Willamette River.The 219-ft. long USS Blueback SS-581 was the last fast-attack, diesel-powered submarine built by the U.S. Navy and the last to be decommissioned after serving for 31 years.
The Blueback and her sister ships of the Barbel Class, the Barbel and Bonefish, utilized post-World War II design features, including a single propeller and a new “teardrop” shaped hull, which dramatically increased underwater speed and maneuverability.
In September 1961, the Blueback set a record by snorkeling 5,340 miles from Yokosuka, Japan, to San Diego, California. The submarine visited Portland for the Rose Festival twice, in 1978 and 1981.
In October 1990, the Blueback was decommissioned in October 1990 and berthed at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington. After three years of working closely with the U.S. Navy, OMSI received formal possession of the submarine in February 1994, and towed her from Bremerton to Portland.
The USS Blueback appeared in the hit movie, “The Hunt for Red October,” as the USS Dallas. The submarine is shown in one scene dramatically breaching the surface. Also, shots inside the Russian Alfa were taken in the Blueback's torpedo room.
In order to sucessfully log this waymark, you are required to include a photo of yourself taken with the webcam with your log. The Web Cam takes a photo every two hours: 6:40, 8:40; 10:40; 12:40; 14:40; 16:40; 18:40, etc.