USS Seawolf ( SSN - 575 ) USS " Seawolf " ( SSN - 575 ) , a unique submarine , was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for the seawolf , the second nuclear submarine , and the only U . S . submarine built with a liquid metal cooled ( sodium ) nuclear reactor . This distinctive reactor was later replaced with a standard pressurized water reactor . Comparison to " Nautilus " . " Seawolf " was the same basic " double hull " twin - screw submarine design as her predecessor ( USS NAUTILUS / SSN - 575 ) , but her propulsion system was much more technologically advanced . Carrying a liquid sodium , epithermal , superheated , more powerful , reactor and steam powerplant , rather than a alternative [ light water reactor / saturated steam plant ] , reduced the size of the machinery in the engineering spaces nearly 40 % . Her liquid - sodium cooled epithermal reactor was more efficient than a " light water " - cooled thermal system , quieter , and presumably better system , but posed , presumably and argueably , several safety hazards for the ship and crew . Primary system pressure was 15 psig and the only moving part in the primary system was the liquid sodium which was magnetically pumped by electromagnets external to primary piping . The phrase " Blue Haze " was often associated with the boat , which was Cherenkov radiation , visible on a dark night , in the sea water surrounding the hull , outboard of the reactor compartment , during the decay of radioactive Na24 in the primary system over essentially the first half life ( 15 hrs ) . There was only one sodium coolant leak ever noted , and that was while she was fitting out in the yards . However the super - heaters suffered from tube sheet welding cracks which allowed high pressure steam to leak into the low pressure primary system and react with the Na to form NaOH and H2 . Na also has a small fission capture cross section which formed H3 as a free gas in the primary system . This complicated system operation since H3 is radioactive , would mix with the H2 from Na - H2O reaction and had to be contained . The Naval Reactors Branch , not known to be innovative or creative , and to be risk adverse , decided to concentrate on a single reactor system - S1W and its follow - on ( Scotch Boiler ) variants . Although fully armed , " Seawolf " , like the first nuclear submarine , " Nautilus " , was primarily an experimental vessel . " Seawolf " was originally thought of publicly as a ' hunter - killer ' sub , but in fact was intended to be a solitary test platform for the LMSR ( SG2 ) reactor and future sonar platforms . Her future uses , after the reactor plant was replaced with a light water system , included covert operations in foreign waters . Initial construction . " Seawolf " ' s keel was laid down 7 September 1953 by the Electric Boat division of General Dynamics Corporation in Groton , Connecticut . She was launched on 21 July 1955 sponsored by Mrs . W . Sterling Cole , and commissioned on 30 March 1957 with Commander R . B . Laning in command . Like all of the original nuclear subs , the project manager at Electric Boat was the General Manager of the company , Bill Jones . During the parallel construction of the first nuclear submarines , the Navy , the Atomic Energy Commission , its independent labs , and the shipyard all worked together to learn together . For the yard , the Power Plant Project manager was a separate function on these original nuclear subs . Dennis B . Boykin III would lead EB ' s power plant installation , and return to the project two years later for the conversion . His counterpart at the Office of Naval Reactors , Gardner Brown , did the same . Lieutenant James Earl " Jimmy " Carter , the only US President to qualify in submarines , was to be her Engineering Officer , but had resigned his commission upon the death of his father in 1953 . 1957 – 1959 . " Seawolf " departed New London , Connecticut , on 2 April for her shakedown cruise off Bermuda and returned on 8 May . Between 16 May and 5 August , she made two voyages to Key West and participated in intensive training exercises . On 3 September , she steamed across the North Atlantic to participate in NATO exercises . The submarine surfaced off Newport , Rhode Island , on 25 September after cruising 6 , 331 nonstop miles . The next day , President of the United States Dwight D . Eisenhower embarked and was taken for a short cruise onboard her . " Seawolf " cruised to the Caribbean Sea for an exercise in November . In December , she began an availability period that lasted until 6 February 1958 . She then participated in exercises along the east coast until early August . " Seawolf " submerged on 7 August and did not surface again until 6 October . During this period , she logged over 13 , 700 nautical miles ( 25 , 400 km ) . She received the Navy Unit Commendation for demonstrating the ability of the nuclear - powered submarine to remain independent of the atmosphere for the period of a normal war patrol . " Seawolf " returned to Electric Boat Company in Groton , Connecticut , on 12 December 1958 , for conversion of her power plant from a S2G sodium - cooled LMFR to a S2Wa PWR . She was out of commission until 30 September 1960 . The Office of Naval Reactors had determined that the unique superheated steam powerplant was too difficult to maintain , since the superheaters were rarely operational . Constructed of rolled steel ( vice forged steel ) , the superheaters were usually unable to allow the plant to operate at full capacity . On 18 April 1959 , the Navy disposed of the radioactive S2G plant by sealing it in a 30 - foot high stainless steel containment vessel , towing it out to sea on a barge , and then sinking the barge at a point about 120 miles due east of Maryland in 9 , 100 feet of water . Twenty - one years later , the Navy was unable to relocate the container , but said that the radioactive materials inside should decay before the containment vessel deteriorated . 1960 – 1966 . " Seawolf " began a three - week period of independent operations on 25 October and returned to fleet operations in November and December . On 9 January 1961 , " Seawolf " sailed to San Juan , Puerto Rico , to participate in local operations . On 25 January , she was ordered to locate and track the Portuguese passenger liner " Santa Maria " which had been seized by pirates two days earlier . The submarine made contact with the liner off the coast of Brazil on 1 February . After " Santa Maria " surrendered in Recife , the submarine returned to San Juan and continued east coast operations . On 7 July , " Seawolf " began a two - month oceanographic voyage which took her to Portsmouth , England , before returning her to New London on 19 September 1961 . In 1963 , " Seawolf " participated in the search for the lost USS " Thresher " ( SSN - 593 ) and in various local and fleet operations until April 1964 . On 28 April , " Seawolf " stood out of New London en route to the Mediterranean Sea and a three and one - half - month deployment with the Sixth Fleet . During the period , she operated with aircraft carrier " Enterprise " ( CVAN - 65 ) , guided missile cruiser " Long Beach " ( CGN - 9 ) , and guided missile frigate " Bainbridge " ( DLGN - 25 ) as a part of the world ' s first nuclear task force . More local East Coast exercises followed until 5 May 1965 . On that date , the submarine entered the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for refueling and an extensive overhaul bringing her up to the SUBSAFE standard put in place after the loss of " Thresher " . This overhaul lasted until September 1966 . 1967 – 1973 . " Seawolf " sailed from Portsmouth , New Hampshire , on 24 August 1967 for New London , Connecticut , which was again her home port . The following month , she sailed to the Caribbean Sea for refresher training and weapons trials . She had to have a propeller replaced at Charleston , South Carolina , in early October and then conducted sea trials in the Bahama Islands for the remainder of the month . The end of the year 1967 found her back at her home port . " Seawolf " was operating from that port when she grounded off the coast of Maine on 30 January 1968 . She was towed back to New London , Connecticut , for repairs and did not put to sea again until 20 March 1969 , when she began sea trials . The submarine was in the Caribbean Sea during June and July conducting underwater sound and weapons systems tests . " Seawolf " was deployed with the Sixth Fleet from 29 September to 21 December 1969 . " Seawolf " operated along the East Coast until 9 November 1970 when her home port was changed to Vallejo , California , and she sailed for the West Coast . The submarine transited the Panama Canal on 17 November and changed operational control to Submarine Force , Pacific Fleet . She entered drydock at Mare Island Naval Shipyard on 8 January 1971 for overhaul and conversion to a special project platform and remained there until 21 June 1973 , when she moved up the coast to Bangor , Washington . " Seawolf " returned to Mare Island on 4 September 1973 . The euphemistic ' special project platform ' description is explained by carefully examining photos of the ships from before and after the yard period . The extended hull forward of the sail held intelligence gathering equipment that supported covert operations . 1974 – 1978 . In 1974 , " Seawolf " completed post - conversion testing and evaluation period and conducted her first Pacific Fleet deployment , operating independently for a period of three months . For her performance of duty , she was awarded a second Navy Unit Commendation . In 1975 , " Seawolf " came under the exclusive direction of Submarine Development Group One , and for outstanding performance in 1974 – 1975 , was awarded a Battle Efficiency " E . " In 1976 , " Seawolf " received her second consecutive Battle Efficiency " E " and the Engineering " E " for Excellence . During her second Pacific Fleet deployment , she conducted independent submerged operations for three months and demonstrated superior endurance by remaining submerged for 89 consecutive days , a U . S . Navy record . She received her third Navy Unit Commendation . In 1977 , " Seawolf " received her third Battle Efficiency " E " and her second Engineering " E " for Excellence . During her third Pacific Fleet deployment , she conducted 79 consecutive days of independent submerged operations and received her fourth Navy Unit Commendation and the Navy Expeditionary Medal . In 1978 , " Seawolf " conducted her fourth Pacific Fleet deployment . Some of the above deployments are chronicled in the book " " by Sherry Sontag , Christopher Drew & Annette Lawrence Drew . Published in 1998 , the book details previously classified stories of espionage and Cold War activities of American submarines , and specifically details one of " Seawolf " ' s missions into a Russian harbor . 1981 – 1987 . In August 1981 , " Seawolf " deployed on her fifth Pacific Fleet deployment . She returned to homeport in October 1981 and received the Navy Expeditionary Medal . In 1983 , " Seawolf " conducted her sixth Pacific Fleet deployment of 76 days and returned to Mare Island Naval Shipyard in May 1983 . She was awarded the Navy Expeditionary Medal , another Battle Efficiency " E , " another Engineering " E , " a Supply " E , " and a Damage Control " DC . " In 1984 , " Seawolf " conducted a 93 - day deployment to the Western Pacific , returned in July , and continued her high operating tempo with numerous local operations . She was awarded her third consecutive Supply " E , " a Communications " C , " and the Deck Seamanship Award . In April 1986 , " Seawolf " conducted her last Western Pacific deployment and returned to Mare Island in June 1986 to prepare for decommissioning . Decommissioned 30 March 1987 , " Seawolf " was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register the following 10 July . The former submarine began the Navy ' s Ship - Submarine Recycling Program on 1 October 1996 and completed it on 30 September 1997 .