NORFOLK
It was the little ship that could.
The Rude - pronounced "Rudy" - was a federal research vessel that gained fame for recovering famous wreckage, including the gnarled pieces of John F. Kennedy Jr.'s doomed private plane near Martha's Vineyard.
It found an ancient cannon near the Lynnhaven River in Virginia Beach and helped to unravel the mystery of TWA Flight 800, which exploded after takeoff in New York and briefly sparked fears of a terrorist attack.
On Tuesday, the Rude was officially retired, stirring tears and laughter and hugs from 40 years' worth of crew members and officers who crowded under a tent on the Norfolk waterfront to say good bye.
It all felt like an Irish wake.
Tom Walters, a retired chief engineer on the ship, drove 1,100 miles from Florida to get here.
"Oh, I couldn't have missed this," he said afterward. "Too many memories, too many good people."
The Rude was decommissioned to make room for larger, more sophisticated research vessels run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The new ships will do the same job - mapping the ocean s' floors, charting navigational routes, searching for lost objects and obstacles - but will be equipped with all kinds of radars and sonars, science labs, environmentally friendly technology, even cushioned lounges.
By contrast, the Rude was cramped and dimly lit, carried too little fuel and water, and, for some reason, had a tendency to "do the Rude Two-Step" - a sudden spinning that NOAA Rear Adm. Jonathan W. Bailey described as "basically, a total loss of control and steerage while fully under way."
It was one of the oldest and shortest ships in the NOAA fleet and had called Norfolk home for 41 years.
Its replacement, now being built, will be stationed in New England.
The last commanding officer of the Rude, Lt. Cmdr. Richard T. Brennan, said he would not miss its Spartan bedrooms, which he described as "like living in a room the size of a coat closet."
But Brennan also met his wife while serving two tours on the NOAA ship, and he choked up when recalling the people and experiences during his time at the helm.
"I learned the subtle nuances of leadership on this ship," he said quietly, his head bowed.
While the ceremony Tuesday felt like a funeral, there would be no burial.
The Rude will be re-equipped and handed over to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to continue performing research - this time, checking for pollution and measuring water quality.
The Rude was named for Capt. Gilbert T. Rude, an ocean scientist, inventor and author. His granddaughter attended the decommissioning Tuesday and wept when a Navy band played taps as the crew took down the American flag one last time.
She was not alone.
Scott Harper, (757) 446-2340, scott.harper@pilotonline.com