Key Ports

The Key had several home ports during her life. I consider a home port to be a location where the Key crew office was located and the crews families lived. They would be New London, Charleston, Bremerton, Newport News and St Mary's.. The Key visited many other ports, some for a day or two such as San Diego and Panama Canal Zone and others for weeks at a time such as Holy Lock and Rota. Below is a list of locations where the Key visited. Each link will take you to pictures and/or stories of each port. If you know of any I missed or if you have pictures or stories to contribute, send them to Russ at ssbn657@comcast.net.

This page is a work in progress

New London, CT - Home Port

New London was the home port of the Key from December 1964 when the keel was laid to January 1972 when the Key left New London to go to Bremerton for overhaul #1

Updated 3/19/09

Just found out that this picture is of the Hamilton not the key but it still looks nice....

St Croix, US Virgin Islands

The Key visited St Croix during the shakedown and checkout period prior to its first patrol.

Updated 3/16/09

Holy Loch, Scotland

The Key used Holy Loch as its overseas refit and crew transition site from 1967 to 1970.

Updated 3/16/09

Rota, Spain

Key entering Rota harbor in late 1960's. Rota was one of the Key's overseas home ports. Actually part of a Spanish military base, we had a tender tied up to a pier where the Key would come along side for replenishment and repairs and crew turnover. We would usually spend about 30 days in Rota before leaving for patrol.

Updated 3/18/09

Charleston, SC - Home Port Key passing Fort Sumter - Charleston, SC 1973

Updated 3/30/09

Panama Canal Zone

The Key passed through the Panama Canal 3 times - 1971, 1972, 1993.

Updated 3/12/09

San Diego, CA - The Key visited San Diego in February 1972 on its way to Bremerton for overhaul #1. I believe we spent about 4 days there. If anyone took any pictures or has any stories, send them in.

Bremerton, WA - Home Port (Overhaul #1 1972) & (Final Stop 1993)

Portsmouth, NH

Cocoa Beach, Port Canaveral, Florida

Bermuda

Annapolis, MD

Halifax, Nova Scotia

The Key visited Halifax in 1978.

Updated 3/12/09

Newport News, VA - Home Port (Overhaul #2)

St Mary's, GA - Home Port

Bahamas

Toulon, France

During the Key's second to last patrol in 1992, it went through the Straits submerged, then surfaced and visited Toulon.

Updated 4/22/09

Ft Lauderdale

Pearl Harbor, HI