How the grand old dame of the US Navy navigated NZ's nuke-free policy

How the grand old dame of the US Navy navigated NZ's nuke-free policy

Analysis: Here’s one for the ship spotters. One of the biggest American warships ever to visit New Zealand sailed into Wellington on Friday morning.There are brass bands. There are flags and bunting. The 19,600 ton (17,800 tonne) USS Blue Ridge is the flagship of America’s Seventh Fleet and, at the age of 56 years, is also the grand old lady of the US Navy.(As best I can discover, the Blue Ridge is the biggest US Navy vessel to visit since the 1…