People don't normally think about life on a submarine...at least, I didn't until I boarded the USS Santa Fe. We just kind of take it for granted that these huge machines work, but have no idea what keeps it working.

COB (Chief of the Boat) John Davis tells us about how most attack subs will go for 60 to 70 days without resupplying; his longest time underwater was 97 days. The military will provide special home comforts to keep the crew happy; for example, if they are out to sea during a Super Bowl game, it gets transmitted to the sub and they can watch it live.

Since subs run on nuclear power, they don't need to rely on petroleum to keep them moving. The nuclear core is built to last 33 years, so as long as it can create its own steam, it's all good.

Submarines create their own water through a high-tech desalinization process and use that same water for drinking, operations, and the steam system that gets them moving. This same process is a part of creating their own air; as the denizens exhale carbon dioxide, a monitoring system pumps it out and makes the right amount of oxygen to keep them breathing.

(For a better explanation of the air & water production process, see Burt Lum's blog. Burt's scientific talk with one of the engineers went over my & Nathan Kam's heads!)

We got to climb up to the top of the sub--called the sail--while it was moving. We had to get strapped up like a zipliner and they hooked us to a grommet so that we wouldn't fall overboard if we slipped. (Even with all of this precaution, it was still scary!) This is the only light of day, aside from the periscope screen, that the crew gets to see while deployed. It is another observation point hooked up with devices to enhance their surveillance.

Front view. During this time of year, they can sometimes see whales. They are, however, very strict about staying the required distance away from the whales.

View of the trail we left behind. We noticed that the outside of the submarine wasn't necessarily smooth; turns out its steel hull is meticulously covered with an anechoic material that basically absorbs sound. The material and its adhesive is state of the art in that it has to endure being in water for long periods of time without peeling off.

I'm trying to keep this as general as possible so you can see more in William Cole's story next week. But I hope you feel you got a good peek into life on a submarine!

Tomorrow: What we ate on the USS Santa Fe.