I think one of the most puzzling things I ever saw was an office building sticking out of the South China Sea off of Phan Rhang, Vietnam. It was the bridge of the nuclear guided missile cruiser USS LONG BEACH, hull down just over the horizon, covering us on the Vietnam evacuation. As there were lots of aircraft buzzing around, it was reassuring to know it was there, as I had read it had knocked down Migs at 60 miles.
The most interesting ships I saw were when we were sailing into Singapore in 1975. There were lots of very old 1930's "three island" tramp steamers with straight bows and stacks, incredible, beautiful old ships. I also remember the ship graveyard in Hong Kong at the time, which also had some real classics awaiting scrapping, including at least one old liner with a clipper bow.
Three WW2 ships still in operation at Subic were USS HANCOCK, possibly the last WW2 ESSEX still operating as an
attack carrier, OKLAHOMA CITY, 7th fleet flagship, and USS PRAIRIE, AD-14. When the Vietnamese Navy sailed in, seeking internment after the fall of the Republic, we got to see plenty of WW2 BARNEGAT class seaplane tenders (ex-USCG WHECs), minesweepers like the Lindberg ADMIRABLE class kit, and LSTs.
Fb
I saw at least one of the old GEARING class DDs. Those things (all destroyers, really!) amazed me taking so much green water over the bow while our 600 foot LPH (helo carrier) was barely rocking. I was glad destroyers did not carry dentists. Bet the patients were too... OOOOPS!