So the leaking, at risk of sinking USS TEXAS BB-35 is going to be towed to Alabama

[Griff Murphey]

The article on this sent out by a “Fan” group suggests that the ship had never made money and the State of Texas is tired of pouring money into it, but goes on to say it’s a good idea to tow it to Alabama. It sounds like too convenient a way to get rid of her, to me. It’s the last surviving WW-1 first generation dreadnought....
I can’t think anything can be done for her in Alabama that cannot be done at Todd Shipyard in Galveston where she was overhauled in the 90’s...

[bruce]

Sound like the best thing to do is set it down in the mud, whatever and conserve it as much as possible. Given the realities of salt water and steel, there will be a point at which it will be so degraded that it will not be able to continue. Would imagine that when it was first put to sea, it was a wonderful ship. Sincerely. bruce.

[Allen]

Is it going to be repaired or put on display at the Alabama Battleship Park?

Never mind. I ran across this. There could be many reasons why a closer ship yard wasn't chosen to make the repairs. Alabama may have the closest dry dock facility that is available (empty).

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Battleship-Texas-could-be-relocated-to-Galveston-13898926.php

[m1ashooter]

I support the idea of moving her somewhere in Galveston but I think she needs to come out of the water which would require a huge construction effort. Having said this I haven't a clue where to put her. I'm very familiar with the island and I don't know of a space that would work. She is currently moored up actually in an industrial area and the battle ground is not a attractive place to visit.

[blackhawknj]

Why not a cofferdam, like they did for the North Carolina ? In Japan the Mikasa is enclosed in concrete.

[Sunray]

"...reasons why a closer ship yard wasn't chosen..." That sort of thing always comes down to money.
HMCS Haida, the last RCN Tribal Class destroyer, has been dragged around Lake Ontario for years for the same reason. She currently lives in Hamilton, Ontario.

[Allen]

Scheduling would be another issue. As you know dry dock facilities are very expensive and tie up a lot of real estate. Some ships will stay in one for months depending upon the work done.

Considering this is a museum piece and not a military item the work done may be somewhat of a donation or minimal charging. If so that again brings us back to money.

[Griff Murphey]

Todd Shipyard is where it was drydocked for repairs and “complete” overhaul in the 90’s. This involved patching the hull, a replacement tripod mast, rusted gun tubs replaced with fiberglass, removal of The navy’s parting gift of 2.1” AA guns and fitting correct 20 mm Oerlikons and 40mm quads, plus a new teak deck donated by Myanmar (Burma) if it’s left in the water it nerds out of the water at least every 10 years, plus, the Houston ship channel has been said to be highly corrosive due to pollution. Look up the YouTube (Brit) by Drachinfels. Dunno joe much he actually knows but he says the internal main frames are so corroded by rust there is a question now as to whether the internal structure of the ship can support its own weight for dry docking or dry berthing.
The Russians took the Russo-Japanese war Seige of Leningrad veteran CL AURORA out of the water and built an entire new lower hull for her... in the water at St. Petersburg now...

- - - Updated - - -

Apologies for mis-spellings I am on
My phone unable to edit and correct...

[M1Tommy]

There has been a fairly considerable program which has rebuilt a good many of her internal framing. The frames under her machinery spaces have not yet been rebuilt and are of some concern.
Apparently there are no drydocks in TX that can (will?) accommodate her.
I believe that the plan is to tow her into some open waters (other than the Houston Ship Channel), and use a heavy lift ship to move her to Mobile Bay. That is what I read some weeks ago, .... so that may have changed by now.
If they do nothing, she will sink, and then collapse onto herself.... becoming unsafe for tourists long before that. I think that Seawolf Park on Galveston Island would be a good place, alongside the old Stewart and Cavella.
Tommy

[m1ashooter]

Good thoughts except I don't know if the Park is big enough to hold the Texas. It certainly would draw more people to the park.

[M1Tommy]

Yeah good point. I am not sure if there is enough land on that little point.... on Pelican Island, not Galveston , my error.

The old Stewart could use "some company", IMO!

Tommy

[Allen]

The USS Alabama has some hull rust too. It previously was docked in water. A couple of movies scenes were shot from it. When hurricane Katrina hit in 2005 the title surge listed it about 15 degrees or so. After that it was corrected to about 5 degrees of list and a dike built around it filled with sand so if it rusted through now it couldn't sink and visitors aren't allowed that far down in the hull. Also after Katrina the USS Drum submarine was moved onshore. It's a neat little park with a tanks and other equipment including some captured Iraqi vehicles from Desert Storm. There's a few planes there including a B-52 an old Mig, other planes and a hanger with an A-12 which was also damaged by Katrina when the hanger got damaged.

[M1Tommy]

I was aboard the Alabama a couple years ago. I didn't realize she is sitting in sand. I reckon that, some day she will collapse in onto herself.

None of these ships will last forever, no matter what we wish. They were not built to do so, no reason for them to last ..... forever.... like everything on this old ball of dirt, I reckon.
Tommy

[Allen]

This article doesn't mention the listing or Katrina. Beforehand it rested on the bottom of Mobile Bay and was weighted with a mix of water, oil and fuel so with enough wind or surge it could lean. The picture shows how the 2 ships were docked before the work and move.

"In the early 2000s, the Commission, supported by a major fundraising effort, embarked on a major restoration and renovation program. 2.7 million gallons of fuel-contaminated water was removed from the Battleship in 1999, and then in 2001, the Commission moved Submarine USS DRUM out of the water to a land base, allowing complete hull repair and allowing visitors to see the bottom of a submarine. The project then completed a water-tight cofferdam around the Battleship so the water could be removed and hull repair on the mighty warship was completed in 2003. The project eventually totaled $15 million."

[Allen]

It appears that the dike or coffer dam is similar to what was done with the USS North Carolina. I wonder if the same could be done in Texas.

"Q: When the water and muck is pumped away from the ship, how will they shore the Battleship to keep her from listing?

A: The ship is settled in approximately 25 feet of mud. The cofferdam allows us to access the portions of the hull (about a 10-foot band we call the “wind/water line”) that need to be replaced, but we will not remove all the water and mud from around the entire ship at one time. Enough water and mud will remain to ensure the stability of the Battleship, similar to what was done on the USS ALABAMA. The condition around the ship when we drain the water will be similar to what we experience at low tide. We will simply have more control over the amount of water around the ship while we replace steel."