19 Dec 2005
The retired battleship USS Texas is in need of a good hull scraping. It cost $15 million last time (in 1988). Some think that a better idea would be to raise the ship completely out of the water:
That way, visitors have a chance to view it from below, looking up through a glass ceiling simulating the waterline.
It wouldn’t be a “natural” setting, but there’d be a lot less rust, no more barnacles — and, from a cost standpoint, no more towing the ship to dry dock every 10 or 15 years for repairs, eliminating the risk of the ship sinking in transit.
“For the price of one dry-docking … you can give it a dry berth,” said Barry Ward, curator of the ship for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
Murdoc visited the Texas in 2003, and I’ll tell you it’s about the best five bucks I’ve ever spent.
Here are a few pics I took that day:
Next time Murdoc’s in the area, he’ll extensively photo blog a trip to the Texas. In the water or out.
Meanwhile: Retired battleship open to bidding by California communities
It’s the Iowa they’re talking about.
December 19th, 2005 at 4:27 pm
Have you read ‘The Ayes of Texas’? Now that’s what we should do with her.
December 20th, 2005 at 12:03 am
Chad: I looked at that book when it first came out, I think, in a B. Dalton that used to be my favorite bookstore. I didn’t buy it, but I’ve often wondered what book it was. After googling and looking at cover images, I’m positive that it’s the one.
December 20th, 2005 at 11:03 am
Read it, I think you’ll get a kick out of it. If you’re a battleship fan (obviously), you’ll really love what the main character does with the texas. I wish I had the money to outbid San Francisco for the Iowa. We could bring her up the Missouri and park her at Yankton, SD. Now that’s a houseboat!
December 20th, 2005 at 11:04 am
Read it, I think you’ll get a kick out of it. If you’re a battleship fan (obviously), you’ll really love what the main character does with the texas. I wish I had the money to outbid San Francisco for the Iowa. We could bring her up the Missouri and park her at Yankton, SD. Now that’s a houseboat!