Leaky World War I-era battleship in Texas begins trip for $35M repairs
The USS Texas has been docked at the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site since 1948
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The only surviving battleship to endure both World War I and World War II was hauled to a shipyard in Galveston, Texas, for repairs after the ship's upkeep proven difficult due to a leaky hull.
The USS Texas is currently undergoing a $35 million repair project to fix its hull and restore the ship to its original state. The 110-year-old battleship was pulled 40 miles by four tugboats at about 5 knots from its original home along the Houston Channel, with the boat expected to arrive in Galveston Wednesday afternoon.
Battleship Texas Foundation workers helped transport it to Galveston, with about 100 onlookers gathering to catch a glimpse at the boat as it went by.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"It went smoother than we thought and quicker than we thought… and she’s gone, down the channel," Tony Gregory, president of the Battleship Texas Foundation, told the Associated Press. Gregory said any problems should have arisen within the first 15 minutes but fortunately none did.
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The USS Texas is towed down the Houston Ship Channel Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022, in Baytown, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
The Battleship Texas Foundation has been working on the ship's repairs for the last three years, and the ship has been closed off from the public since 2019. That year, the state legislature approved the $35 million for the necessary repairs so as to move the ship to a new location where it can garner more visitors.
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Gregory told the AP that moving the ship was a "major step in getting the ship back to tiptop shape."
The USS Texas has been on display at the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site since 1948, later being taken to the same Galveston shipyard for repairs in 1988. The ship has gradually deteriorated over the years, forcing workers at times to pump out nearly 2,000 gallons of water per minute.
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Along with the repairs made using the state legislature's funds, the Battleship Texas Foundation intends to make additional repairs for which that it will be paying. Repairs are expected to take up to a year to complete.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Associated Press contributed to this report.