A ship that sailed more than 1.3 million miles in the name of science is back at port in Massachusetts for the last time.
The research vessel Knorr is being decommissioned after more than 40 years as the workhorse of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution research fleet. It docked for good Wednesday to fireworks and a cannon salute.
The Cape Cod Times reports that the crew placed handmade farewell signs on the sides of the ship. One banner read: "1,360,630 miles for science." Another said simply: "So long, old girl."
The Knorr will be sold by the Navy, which owns it. It will be replaced next spring by a new $74 million research vessel, the Neil Armstrong.
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