Leaking Battleship In Texas Begins Journey For 35 Million In Repairs

To ensure the historic vessel doesn’t sink and can continue to host visitors, the foundation responsible for its care is towing the ship Wednesday from its longtime home along the Houston Ship Channel to a shipyard in Galveston for much needed repairs. Tony Gregory, president of the Battleship Texas Foundation, said Wednesday that the ship’s towing and guidance was perfect. He said any problems would have occurred in the first 15 minutes of the ferry being towed, but there were no problems. “It went smoother than we thought and faster than we thought … and left the channel,” he said. Gregory said he expects the ship to arrive in Galveston by 4 p.m The journey from its longtime mooring to the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site in the Houston suburb of La Porte is part of a $35 million project to repair the hull and eventually restore the ship to its former glory. The ship’s repairs are part of the foundation’s plans to eventually relocate it to a new location in Texas, possibly in one of three nearby cities, including Galveston, in order to attract more visitors and increase revenue. Moving the ship for repairs is “the important step in getting the ship back to top shape,” Gregory said Tuesday as he stood on board while workers made final preparations. The battleship will be towed by four tugs at a rate of about 5 knots per hour. The 40-mile (64-kilometer) trip to Galveston was expected to take about nine hours and will not be without danger, as the ship’s hull could leak enough to sink it. “Once we get going, I expect it to be pretty smooth … We feel like we’re prepared,” Gregory said. Since 1948, the USS Texas has stood at the state historic site where the decisive battle in the Texas Revolution was fought. There, it functions as a museum and tourist attraction. The battleship had previously been taken to the same shipyard in Galveston for repairs in 1988. For the past three years the ship has been closed to the public as the institution prepares for repairs. In 2019, the Texas Legislature approved $35 million to repair the hull. The foundation plans to make other repairs it is paying for. All repairs are expected to take up to a year to complete. The foundation expected many people to gather along the ship channel to watch the ship pass. Tricia Thomas, 50, who was one of the people invited to watch as the ship was not docked, said she was moved and in tears as she saw the ship move and heard its whistle as it began its journey. As the ship began to move, Thomas said, people clapped and cheered. “It’s amazing to see a 100-year-old ship back out on the water, moving as it has for so many years. It was exciting,” said Thomas, who lives in the Houston suburb of Kingwood. Thomas said she believes it is important to preserve the ship so future generations can learn its story and to remind people how they can come together for a common cause that is bigger than themselves. “I think that’s probably the greatest story he can tell,” Thomas said.

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title: “Leaking Battleship In Texas Begins Journey For 35 Million In Repairs Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-07” author: “Sean Walls”

To ensure the historic vessel doesn’t sink and can continue to host visitors, the foundation responsible for its care is towing the ship Wednesday from its longtime home along the Houston Ship Channel to a shipyard in Galveston for much needed repairs. Tony Gregory, president of the Battleship Texas Foundation, said Wednesday that the ship’s towing and guidance was perfect. He said any problems would have occurred in the first 15 minutes of the ferry being towed, but there were no problems. “It went smoother than we thought and faster than we thought … and left the channel,” he said. Gregory said he expects the ship to arrive in Galveston by 4 p.m The journey from its longtime mooring to the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site in the Houston suburb of La Porte is part of a $35 million project to repair the hull and eventually restore the ship to its former glory. The ship’s repairs are part of the foundation’s plans to eventually relocate it to a new location in Texas, possibly in one of three nearby cities, including Galveston, in order to attract more visitors and increase revenue. Moving the ship for repairs is “the important step in getting the ship back to top shape,” Gregory said Tuesday as he stood on board while workers made final preparations. The battleship will be towed by four tugs at a rate of about 5 knots per hour. The 40-mile (64-kilometer) trip to Galveston was expected to take about nine hours and will not be without danger, as the ship’s hull could leak enough to sink it. “Once we get going, I expect it to be pretty smooth … We feel like we’re prepared,” Gregory said. Since 1948, the USS Texas has stood at the state historic site where the decisive battle in the Texas Revolution was fought. There, it functions as a museum and tourist attraction. The battleship had previously been taken to the same shipyard in Galveston for repairs in 1988. For the past three years the ship has been closed to the public as the institution prepares for repairs. In 2019, the Texas Legislature approved $35 million to repair the hull. The foundation plans to make other repairs it is paying for. All repairs are expected to take up to a year to complete. The foundation expected many people to gather along the ship channel to watch the ship pass. Tricia Thomas, 50, who was one of the people invited to watch as the ship was not docked, said she was moved and in tears as she saw the ship move and heard its whistle as it began its journey. As the ship began to move, Thomas said, people clapped and cheered. “It’s amazing to see a 100-year-old ship back out on the water, moving as it has for so many years. It was exciting,” said Thomas, who lives in the Houston suburb of Kingwood. Thomas said she believes it is important to preserve the ship so future generations can learn its story and to remind people how they can come together for a common cause that is bigger than themselves. “I think that’s probably the greatest story he can tell,” Thomas said.

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title: “Leaking Battleship In Texas Begins Journey For 35 Million In Repairs Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-12” author: “Mike Day”

To ensure the historic vessel doesn’t sink and can continue to host visitors, the foundation responsible for its care is towing the ship Wednesday from its longtime home along the Houston Ship Channel to a shipyard in Galveston for much needed repairs. Tony Gregory, president of the Battleship Texas Foundation, said Wednesday that the ship’s towing and guidance was perfect. He said any problems would have occurred in the first 15 minutes of the ferry being towed, but there were no problems. “It went smoother than we thought and faster than we thought … and left the channel,” he said. Gregory said he expects the ship to arrive in Galveston by 4 p.m The journey from its longtime mooring to the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site in the Houston suburb of La Porte is part of a $35 million project to repair the hull and eventually restore the ship to its former glory. The ship’s repairs are part of the foundation’s plans to eventually relocate it to a new location in Texas, possibly in one of three nearby cities, including Galveston, in order to attract more visitors and increase revenue. Moving the ship for repairs is “the important step in getting the ship back to top shape,” Gregory said Tuesday as he stood on board while workers made final preparations. The battleship will be towed by four tugs at a rate of about 5 knots per hour. The 40-mile (64-kilometer) trip to Galveston was expected to take about nine hours and will not be without danger, as the ship’s hull could leak enough to sink it. “Once we get going, I expect it to be pretty smooth … We feel like we’re prepared,” Gregory said. Since 1948, the USS Texas has stood at the state historic site where the decisive battle in the Texas Revolution was fought. There, it functions as a museum and tourist attraction. The battleship had previously been taken to the same shipyard in Galveston for repairs in 1988. For the past three years the ship has been closed to the public as the institution prepares for repairs. In 2019, the Texas Legislature approved $35 million to repair the hull. The foundation plans to make other repairs it is paying for. All repairs are expected to take up to a year to complete. The foundation expected many people to gather along the ship channel to watch the ship pass. Tricia Thomas, 50, who was one of the people invited to watch as the ship was not docked, said she was moved and in tears as she saw the ship move and heard its whistle as it began its journey. As the ship began to move, Thomas said, people clapped and cheered. “It’s amazing to see a 100-year-old ship back out on the water, moving as it has for so many years. It was exciting,” said Thomas, who lives in the Houston suburb of Kingwood. Thomas said she believes it is important to preserve the ship so future generations can learn its story and to remind people how they can come together for a common cause that is bigger than themselves. “I think that’s probably the greatest story he can tell,” Thomas said.

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title: “Leaking Battleship In Texas Begins Journey For 35 Million In Repairs Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-05” author: “Roger Pendleton”

To ensure the historic vessel doesn’t sink and can continue to host visitors, the foundation responsible for its care is towing the ship Wednesday from its longtime home along the Houston Ship Channel to a shipyard in Galveston for much needed repairs. Tony Gregory, president of the Battleship Texas Foundation, said Wednesday that the ship’s towing and guidance was perfect. He said any problems would have occurred in the first 15 minutes of the ferry being towed, but there were no problems. “It went smoother than we thought and faster than we thought … and left the channel,” he said. Gregory said he expects the ship to arrive in Galveston by 4 p.m The journey from its longtime mooring to the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site in the Houston suburb of La Porte is part of a $35 million project to repair the hull and eventually restore the ship to its former glory. The ship’s repairs are part of the foundation’s plans to eventually relocate it to a new location in Texas, possibly in one of three nearby cities, including Galveston, in order to attract more visitors and increase revenue. Moving the ship for repairs is “the important step in getting the ship back to top shape,” Gregory said Tuesday as he stood on board while workers made final preparations. The battleship will be towed by four tugs at a rate of about 5 knots per hour. The 40-mile (64-kilometer) trip to Galveston was expected to take about nine hours and will not be without danger, as the ship’s hull could leak enough to sink it. “Once we get going, I expect it to be pretty smooth … We feel like we’re prepared,” Gregory said. Since 1948, the USS Texas has stood at the state historic site where the decisive battle in the Texas Revolution was fought. There, it functions as a museum and tourist attraction. The battleship had previously been taken to the same shipyard in Galveston for repairs in 1988. For the past three years the ship has been closed to the public as the institution prepares for repairs. In 2019, the Texas Legislature approved $35 million to repair the hull. The foundation plans to make other repairs it is paying for. All repairs are expected to take up to a year to complete. The foundation expected many people to gather along the ship channel to watch the ship pass. Tricia Thomas, 50, who was one of the people invited to watch as the ship was not docked, said she was moved and in tears as she saw the ship move and heard its whistle as it began its journey. As the ship began to move, Thomas said, people clapped and cheered. “It’s amazing to see a 100-year-old ship back out on the water, moving as it has for so many years. It was exciting,” said Thomas, who lives in the Houston suburb of Kingwood. Thomas said she believes it is important to preserve the ship so future generations can learn its story and to remind people how they can come together for a common cause that is bigger than themselves. “I think that’s probably the greatest story he can tell,” Thomas said.

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