 After completion of the overhaul , according to Thompson , Moosally took Iowa on a shakedown cruise around Chesapeake Bay on August 25 , 1988 . Encountering difficulty in conning the ship through shallow water , Iowa , with Moosally at the helm , narrowly missed colliding with the Moinester , Farragut , and South Carolina before , Thompson claims , running aground in soft mud outside the bay 's main ship channel near the Thimble Shoals . After one hour , Iowa was able to extricate herself without damage and return to port . Although other US Navy vessels observed Iowa grounded in the mud , the incident apparently was not acted upon by Moosally 's superiors . Throughout August and September , Iowa continued with sea trials , then began refresher training in the waters around Florida and Puerto Rico in October . 
