Structural Repairs To The Battleship Texas - La Porte, TX (LEGACY)
Posted by: 
jhuoni
N 29° 45.345 W 095° 05.412
15R E 297890 N 3293551
Note: The Battleship TEXAS was officially CLOSED to the public on Aug. 31, 2019. It is being prepared to be moved to a repair facility and upon completion it will probably NOT be returned to this location. Sad, but true.
Waymark Code: WM11449
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 08/13/2019
Views: 5
This is truly a
"Sign Of History", as Battleship TEXAS may never return to its berth in La Port.
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Structural Repairs To The Battleship TEXAS
As Battleship TEXAS has aged, key structural areas are becoming compromised and are in need of repair
What's Going On Here?
A ship is built like the human body: the skin provides protection.
major internal components make it work, and a skeleton
supports the weight of it all. Without a strong skeleton, the whole
system will fail. Currently, Battleship TEXAS is undergoing a
second round of major structural repairs to key areas of her steel
"skeleton" to insure that she remains strong enough to support
herself.
Photo Inset:
Notice the layers of supporting structure and steel skin used to
support Battleship TEXAS? These steel parts are over 100 years
old and have suffered from constant exposure to a harsh marine environment.
Why All The Fuss?
The major components inside TEXAS are heavy. Her two
engines weigh almost 2.5 million pounds! Age and brackish
water have caused the ships steel "skeleton" to corrode and
weaken. Hundreds of tons of water leak through the ship's
hull each day and the weak skeleton can not prevent the
water from moving throughout the ship. During the repair
process, crews will strengthen the ships skeleton to contain
the water and allow it to be pumped out more effectively.
Photo Inset:
These photos reveal the extensive rust damage throughout
the lower area of the ship, and what these areas look like after
repairs.
What Is To Be Done?
During the first phase of repairs in 2014, crews focused on
strengthening the steel structure beneath the engines and in some
Areas of the stern. The second phase began in 2016 and will address
weak areas between the stern and the boiler rooms that were not
repaired during the first phase. Ultimately we must remove the ship
from the water to complete the most critical repairs, which
require replacing the rusted and leaky hull with new steel.
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Associated Press
August 12, 2019.
Aug. 25 Last Date To Visit Battleship Texas Before Repairs
LA PORTE, Texas (AP) — Officials say Aug. 25 is the last date for public visits to the Battleship Texas near Houston before the 107-year-old vessel undergoes repairs.
The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department says staff and contractors, starting Aug. 26, need full access to the ship at La Porte (luh-PORT’) to prepare for $35 million in renovations.
The agency in June announced a pared-back summer schedule for visitors at the Battleship Texas State Historic Site so personnel could begin cataloging thousands of artifacts. The historic items will be put into storage before the Battleship Texas goes into dry dock to fix the leaking hull.
The Battleship Texas Foundation in May announced the ship would get a new home following repairs. No site was announced.