USS Texas Repairs

Discussion in 'Full Scale' started by Anachronus, Mar 14, 2013.

  1. Anachronus

    Anachronus Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 27, 2007
    Posts:
    3,085
    Location:
    Natchez, MS
  2. NickMyers

    NickMyers Admin RCWC Staff

    Joined:
    Nov 15, 2007
    Posts:
    4,404
    Location:
    Federal Way, WA
    Glad they're doing something, but they still have a long ways to go.
     
  3. Anachronus

    Anachronus Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 27, 2007
    Posts:
    3,085
    Location:
    Natchez, MS
    Agreed, the dry bearth plan is a good one but structural repairs must happen and soon.
     
  4. Tugboat

    Tugboat Facilitator RCWC Staff Admiral (Supporter)

    Joined:
    Jan 10, 2007
    Posts:
    8,298
    Location:
    Statesboro, GA
    This is great news! How come Pennsylvania can't get their act together to take care of Columbia?
     
  5. NASAAN101

    NASAAN101 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 26, 2009
    Posts:
    2,500
    Location:
    Pittsburgh PA, USA
    Hey guys,
    This part of the article jump out at me: out for me: The $17.5 million repair contract for the Battleship TEXAS will accomplish about half of the structural repair needs of the battleship and is a first step in meeting the long-term goal of placing the USS TEXAS in a dry berth, according to Scott Stover, TPWD’s Infrastructure Division deputy director. This is the video for it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vws077hSis .
    Nikki
     
  6. bsgkid117

    bsgkid117 Vendor

    Joined:
    Feb 8, 2013
    Posts:
    1,166
    Location:
    NJ
    About time they started doing something. I only wish somebody would front the cash to fix my local piece of history, the Olympia. She's going to become one with the bottom of Philadelphia Harbor one day at this rate.
     
  7. NASAAN101

    NASAAN101 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 26, 2009
    Posts:
    2,500
    Location:
    Pittsburgh PA, USA
    bsgkid,
    they are possible moving it to cali..
    Nikki
     
  8. bsgkid117

    bsgkid117 Vendor

    Joined:
    Feb 8, 2013
    Posts:
    1,166
    Location:
    NJ
    The Olympia's hull is 110 years of rusted patchwork. It would never survive transport. I know she is up for somebody else to take steward over her...but she would need major repairs here in the Philadelphia area before she could ever be relocated.
     
  9. Anachronus

    Anachronus Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 27, 2007
    Posts:
    3,085
    Location:
    Natchez, MS
    Much the same as Texas.
     
  10. NickMyers

    NickMyers Admin RCWC Staff

    Joined:
    Nov 15, 2007
    Posts:
    4,404
    Location:
    Federal Way, WA
    The only way the Olympia would make it to CA, would be to cut it up and load the pieces onto railcars, and re-assemble them in CA... probably cheaper than the hull work needed to make the voyage safely..
     
  11. Knight4hire

    Knight4hire Active Member

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2008
    Posts:
    963
    Our Big Guns Battle Group made a trip out to tour the Olympia. We were very disappointed with her condition. I did make of point of standing on the battle bridge and announcing “You may fire when ready Gridley.”
    The next summer I was in Manila Bay. The tour guide talked about how the Americans came to free them from the Spanish oppression. I still had the photos of the Olympia in my camera and showed them to the tour guide.
     
  12. DarrenScott

    DarrenScott -->> C T D <<--

    Joined:
    Dec 7, 2006
    Posts:
    1,077
    Location:
    Australia
    Just exactly how big is Olympia? Would she fit on a heavy lift ship like they did with USS Cole?
     
  13. bsgkid117

    bsgkid117 Vendor

    Joined:
    Feb 8, 2013
    Posts:
    1,166
    Location:
    NJ
    No question she would fit, but the cost, coupled with the severe condition of the ship makes me think they'd never try it. I just have this image of them lifting it out of the water and it turning into a steel pancake.
     
  14. DarrenScott

    DarrenScott -->> C T D <<--

    Joined:
    Dec 7, 2006
    Posts:
    1,077
    Location:
    Australia
    Ok, this may sound silly, but...construct a tank on the deck of the heavy lift ship...make it the same shape as Olympia's hull, but say, 6 ft wider..
    Make it in two halves, bow and stern. Stern half to be fitted with external flotation tanks.
    Bow half fixed to deck.
    Submerge heavy lift with bow section of tank on deck.
    Float Olympia in.
    Float rear section of tank into place and attatch to bow section.
    Raise heavy lift ship, with tank and Olympia, floating.
     
  15. NickMyers

    NickMyers Admin RCWC Staff

    Joined:
    Nov 15, 2007
    Posts:
    4,404
    Location:
    Federal Way, WA
    I doubt very much they can get a heavy lift ship up to where the Olympia is without a massive dredging project, given that I'm pretty sure they were talking about needing to dredge simply to be able to tow her out.
     
  16. DarrenScott

    DarrenScott -->> C T D <<--

    Joined:
    Dec 7, 2006
    Posts:
    1,077
    Location:
    Australia
    Understood....is she floating or sitting on bottom?
     
  17. NASAAN101

    NASAAN101 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 26, 2009
    Posts:
    2,500
    Location:
    Pittsburgh PA, USA
    There talking about a floating dry dock, and moving her that way!!!
    Nikki
     
  18. NickMyers

    NickMyers Admin RCWC Staff

    Joined:
    Nov 15, 2007
    Posts:
    4,404
    Location:
    Federal Way, WA
    she floats
     
  19. DarrenScott

    DarrenScott -->> C T D <<--

    Joined:
    Dec 7, 2006
    Posts:
    1,077
    Location:
    Australia
    Well, given that she is actually still floating, and her hull condition above the waterline is ok, perhaps she could be fitted with an external "exoskeleton" to carry her with less risk of structural failure....she may need to lightened to reduce stresses and have some of her lower compartments temporarily filled with structural foam, till her frames could be renewed.
    All this will cost $$$$$ though...and in these times, its politically easier to place blame for her loss than actually rescue her.
     
  20. Knight4hire

    Knight4hire Active Member

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2008
    Posts:
    963
    I do believe that the main problem is the silt in the channel. At high tide she is only inches above the bottom, if that much. There is a photo out there of her sitting on the bottom at low tide. you can see the water pouring out of the hull from the rusted hole in her hull. It is not a pretty site.
    I was told that the hull is rusted so thin in spots that you could poke your finget through it! I was also told that they can not dredge for fear of ripping the bottom off of the ship in the process of clearing out the silt!