The USS Iowa has been in the reserve fleet in the SF bay area since 2001. Yesterday and today it was moved to get it ready to be towed to San Pedro to become a museum ship. I drove the 3 hours down today to see it come into the harbor. I would have been happy just seeing it.. but we got to go on it. Just around the deck, not inside, but it was amazing. I had never seen a battleship in person before, and I was very very impressed. She's a big big girl. Red Oak Victory ship next to it. SF in the background.
The Iowa is the world's last battleship. Once it leaves the reserve fleet there will be no more active battleships world wide. Kinda fitting for one of the very last battleships built to be the last battleship. It looks rather run down. Hopefully the people restoring it as a museum will clean and fix her up.
Guys, poor old girl!!! I don't like seeing any ship like that! But an least she has a forever home!!! She and Her three younger sisters are Great, I got to see her sister Wisconsin, here in Norfolk!!!! How would you like to try and picking one of these ship up Nikki
It does look kinda run down. However, it was FRESH out of the mothball fleet. They haven't removed all the goop around stuff to protect it. The mast is still laying on the deck (it was cut off 10 years ago to fit under the bridges in the bay area). We didn't get to go inside, but they had a few doors open and the inside looked great. The deck is junk. They said they are going to just remove the wood for short term and once they have some more funding they will replace it. It's not as bad as it looks I think. My guess is that by this time next year it will look very nice again.
Ha ha.. yes. I will admit I enjoyed touching a 16 inch rifle that can shoot a 2300lb bullet over the horizon. Kinda awesome.
I would love to see her, I'm happy she found a home! Here is the article from the USA Today: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2011-10-27/world-war-ii-era-uss-iowa-leaves-for-los-angeles/50968324/1 Nikki
When she goes on display, I wonder if they will allow folks to see the bathtub? She is the only US warship with a bathtub on board.
