The Vessel The Vessel ( formerly the USS " Democracy " ) is a pre - War submarine located inside a submarine base , known as the Nucleus on the Island . Background . The Vessel is an American pre - War nuclear ballistic missile submarine , now located in an American submarine base on the Island , in a place which is now known as the Nucleus . At some point before the war , she entered the naval base for repairs . She had a payload of four strategic SLBMs , none of which were ever used . On the ship captain ' s terminal , it is revealed that the " Democracy " was under orders from Washington to return to the South China Sea , probably intended to launch its SLBMs in case of war . Her captain , Arnold Wabash , thought it was insane to participate in the nuclear exchange , and in an act of defiance , sabotaged the sub ' s reactor , which caused a radiation leak throughout the whole ship , as well as much the base she was docked in . This prevented the " Democracy " from leaving the Mount Desert Island Naval Facility ( much to the annoyance of Washington ) . The crew was recalled , and a hazmat team was dispatched to clean the " Democracy " , and the entire base itself . As stated before , because the sub was under repairs inside a submarine base , none of her four nukes ever were used . Three of them were compromised over time , such as malfunctioning or leaking their radiation . Only one remains totally operational and ready for launch . She now sits , rusted to the insides of the Nucleus , and serves as a very large crypt for the Children of Atom . Layout . The Vessel shares a similar internal and external layout as the Chinese submarine , " Yangtze " . The sub has the same body shape , but many of the details that " Yangtze " has , are altered or changed on the " Democracy " . She has two large propellers on either side of the main body ( lacking the third one under the reactor control room that the " Yangtze " has ) and another smaller one near the rudder at the stern of the ship . The " Democracy " lacks the large dive planes that the " Yangtze " has on her bow , but has the same four torpedo tubes on her bow , and has only four Submarine - launched ballistic missile tubes compared to the larger sub which has six . The USS " Democracy " < nowiki > ' < / nowiki > s conning tower is a new style , with a large half - circle platform surrounded by a railing just over half way up the conning tower . Unlike the " Yangtze " , this sub lacks stairs going up to the main hatch , and has a simple ladder connected to the platform . The Children of Atom have draped their flag over said railing , and have placed a construction light facing it , so it shines brightly . Due to her smaller size , the " Democracy " lacks many of the rooms that one might find on the " Yangtze " . The original control room of the ship lies beyond the entrance , having been converted into a sort of throne room by the Children of Atom . Heading behind the throne towards the front of the sub is the captain ' s quarters , used by the High Confessor as his personal worshiping area . Down the stairs at the front of the room leads to the missile launch and reactor control room bundled into the same room . Similar to the " Yangtze " , there are doors on both sides of the room that lead to propeller drive shafts ; the room is highly irradiated due to the radiation leak from the missiles . Heading directly backwards in between the two stairs leading down to this room is the sleeping quarters for the original crew of the ship , which the Children of Atom now use as a place to lay their dead . Going forward towards the bow of the ship is the main reactor room , taking up two floors . On the bottom floor of the reactor room leads back towards the missile room . Underneath the missile room is a very large empty room , with a large amount of nuclear waste barrels . Appearances . The Vessel appears only in " Fallout 4 " add - on " Far Harbor " .