Should the Battleship Texas be saved or scraped ? (Houston, Galveston: contractors, costs)

[Jack Lance]

The Battleship Texas currently docked at the Jan Jacinto Battleground State Park is in seriously bad condition. 2 plans to deal with her have been set forth. 1) Scrap her, which means cut her up and sell her for parts at a cost of about $31 million, or 2) Rehab her and build a dry dock for her permanent place , which would cost an estimated $51 million.

She is the only surviving American Battleship that served in both World Wars. It belongs to Texas what should we do ?

https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/p...-berth-project

[Double L]

My God, I think the answer is pretty obvious.

Not only is this the only surviving battleship that served in both world wars, it is a great tourist attraction for our community. I love taking visitors there.

I’m willing to invest the money on repairs and if we have trouble obtaining funds for it, we can turn to the federal government and/or we can turn to private donations. People from across the country will be willing to donate money to help keep that ship.

[Neshomamench]

That article is.....off.

The Texas is currently undergoing three phases of structural repairs that are fully funded. She is in phase II right now. You can see the contractors set up on the port side of the ship. Texas Parks and Wildlife also post updates (along with a coupe of the organizations and individuals affiliated with the Texas)

The dry birth was *mostly* funded(what will save the ship for ever, IE, getting her out of the water). It included an engineering study on the condition of the ship. The report was good and also bad. What has happened is that funding has gone to fixing the bad. (the funded three phases)

She has some major structural issue. They feared she would not be able to safely go into dry berth. So, as it stands now, she is actually in or on her way to being in the best shape (structurally) she has been in a very long time. She will be in shape to be dry berthed. Which, that funding is in limbo. As an aside, while moored by pylons, the Texas is, and always has been afloat. She is still riding upon the seas.

She is the worlds last surviving Dreadnought. For a time, she was the most complex machine ever made and the most powerful weapon in the world. She has had a very storied history and has been a part of some of the world's most critical moments. If they can get her out of the water, this 103 year old grand and mighty Battleship from another era could endure long into the future.

[Jack Lance]

Originally Posted by Neshomamench

That article is.....off.

The Texas is currently undergoing three phases of structural repairs that are fully funded. She is in phase II right now. You can see the contractors set up on the port side of the ship. Texas Parks and Wildlife also post updates (along with a coupe of the organizations and individuals affiliated with the Texas)

The dry birth was *mostly* funded(what will save the ship for ever, IE, getting her out of the water). It included an engineering study on the condition of the ship. The report was good and also bad. What has happened is that funding has gone to fixing the bad. (the funded three phases)

She has some major structural issue. They feared she would not be able to safely go into dry berth. So, as it stands now, she is actually in or on her way to being in the best shape (structurally) she has been in a very long time. She will be in shape to be dry berthed. Which, that funding is in limbo. As an aside, while moored by pylons, the Texas is, and always has been afloat. She is still riding upon the seas.

She is the worlds last surviving Dreadnought. For a time, she was the most complex machine ever made and the most powerful weapon in the world. She has had a very storied history and has been a part of some of the world's most critical moments. If they can get her out of the water, this 103 year old grand and mighty Battleship from another era could endure long into the future.

The story that inspired this thread was from the local CBS affiliate in Houston KHOU. They hadn't posted the video yet when I posted the thread so I searched for another article to support the poll. They have since posted the story and here it is.

Supporters worry Battleship Texas could be scrapped for parts | khou.com...

[Texas Ag 93]

I'm conflicted about this. I went to the Battleship about 2 years ago when we relocated back to Texas and was a bit saddened by how little of it is accessible now. My only other trip had been when I was in a kid around 1982. The ship does have a fantastic history and is the last of its kind, but I wonder about such costly repairs relative to the number of visitors. Are we getting enough "bang for our buck" so to speak.

I think they made a mistake putting it at the Battleground. I know they wanted to piggyback on the monument, but let's face it, it's an ugly industrial part of town with nothing around it, and certainly not a destination area. Even the site itself lacks in amenities I would expect at a State Park. I think it would have been a better idea to try and put it somewhere that sees more visitors, like Galveston or Corpus. There are a lot of examples of cities that have very well preserved museum ships that see lots of visitors, San Diego, NYC etc.

[SugLandDAd]

I should not be scrapped, but it should no longer be floating. The costs of keeping it afloat, and the damage done when it occasionally sinks, just isn't worth it. The visitors experience is not changed materially by whether the vessel floats, or is permanently dry docked.

They need to put in a drainage system, and then pour concrete around it, maybe put a shallow reflecting pond on top of the concrete to give the appearance that its still afloat.

[Trainwreck20]

Originally Posted by SugLandDAd

I should not be scrapped[...]

That made me smile .

[SugLandDAd]

True.....neither I, nor the battleship should be scrapped....although please don't pour concrete around me.

[Thoreau424]

It they stuck it on dry land, the water (surrounding it and eroding it) would be gone, and the humidity lessened. There are probably several options other then one extreme or the other. They might be exalting the extremes to get what they want, instead of laying everything out on the table, and giving the full number of choices.

[Jack Lance]

Originally Posted by Texas Ag 93

I'm conflicted about this. I went to the Battleship about 2 years ago when we relocated back to Texas and was a bit saddened by how little of it is accessible now. My only other trip had been when I was in a kid around 1982. The ship does have a fantastic history and is the last of its kind, but I wonder about such costly repairs relative to the number of visitors. Are we getting enough "bang for our buck" so to speak.

I think they made a mistake putting it at the Battleground. I know they wanted to piggyback on the monument, but let's face it, it's an ugly industrial part of town with nothing around it, and certainly not a destination area. Even the site itself lacks in amenities I would expect at a State Park. I think it would have been a better idea to try and put it somewhere that sees more visitors, like Galveston or Corpus. There are a lot of examples of cities that have very well preserved museum ships that see lots of visitors, San Diego, NYC etc.

I also think they felt it needed a more protected harbor than Galveston or Corpus could have provided. Overall I think your missing the doughnut here by focusing on the hole. Lets save the ship first then concern ourselves with additional amenities.

Originally Posted by SugLandDAd

True.....neither I, nor the battleship should be scrapped....although please don't pour concrete around me.

Don't they place coffins in a protective concrete casing to keep water out of your final resting place ? You and the Battleship may have more in common than you thought. Something to think about.