Lauderdale, Fl.); Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico; Rodman, Panama; Callao, Peru; Manta, Ecuador; Puerta La Cruz, Venezuela; Barbados; St. Kitts; and Curaçao. It was while operating in the Caribbean that Skipjack collided with an underwater mound. After an in-port inspection by divers and an official Navy inspection team sent down from Groton, she was allowed to complete her UNITAS run. However, because the mound was on sea charts, Commander Plath was removed from command and the run was completed by her new commanding officer Petersen. After returning from UNITAS to Groton in September 1980, she spent the rest of the year in short ops and a refit including a short drydock in preparing for her transit to the Pacific Fleet for overhaul at Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo, CA. She left for the Pacific Fleet in early December, engaging in some ASW exercises along the way. During this transit she stopped in Fort Lauderdale and Rodman again and then at San Diego, CA before arriving at Mare Island in late January 1981. She spent the rest of 1981 and into 1982 in extensive overhaul at Mare Island. In 1986, Skipjack deployed on a "Northern Run" to the North Atlantic Ocean. In 1987 Skipjack deployed to the Mediterranean Sea, returning in early September and entering dry-dock for the September – November time frame. In early 1988, Skipjack visited St. Croix, Port Canaveral, Florida, Bermuda, and Halifax Harbour, Nova Scotia; the last two port calls conducted during an exercise. In late April, Skipjack departed Groton, traveling to the south. During this underway, sister diesel submarine USS Bonefish (SS-582) experienced a disastrous fire. TV news broadcast reports of the fire with film; however, news studio editors failed to identify the submarine televised. Wives of the Skipjack's crew noticed the sub bore strong resemblance to the Skipjack, leading many to believe it was the Skipjack suffering the casualty.Skipjack had a change of command during the summer of 1988 and the crew prepared for a UNITAS cruise to South America. Skipjack left in September and visited the Naval Base in Puerto Rico; Caracas, Venezuela (anchored out); Cartagena, Colombia and then transited the Panama Canal. While at a Naval Base on the Pacific side, one motor-generator suffered an unrepairable casualty. Skipjack left UNITAS, re-transited the canal and headed to Groton, where she entered dry-dock for repairs.Skipjacks authorization to dive expired in March 1989 since it was