The USS Taylor, one of two US warships deployed to the Black Sea ahead of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games is on its way to Crete for repairs after it ran aground in a Turkish port.
The USS Taylor (FFG-50) left the port of Samsun, Friday, for the Greek island of Crete to receive repairs to its hub and blades. The Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate ran aground on February 12 as it attempted to moor in the Turkish port. No injuries were sustained in the incident and the ship was later able to make it to the port’s dockside. Its commanding officer, Cmdr. Dennis Volpe, was relieved of his command some two weeks after the event.
The guided-missile frigate was commissioned on December 1, 1984 after being launched on November 5, 1983. It is 453 feet (138 meters) in length, has a beam of 45 feet (14 metres), a draft of 22 feet (6.7 meters), and can reach speeds of just over 29 knots.
Commander Dennis Volpe, was subsequently relieved and reassigned.