HOUSTON’S PREMIER FLOATING TOURIST ATTRACTION SHUT DOWN AGAIN AFTER MORE LEAKS 
A 6-by-8-in. hole 15 inches below the water line discovered yesterday on the starboard side of the Battleship Texas caused the San Jacinto Battleground tourist attraction to tilt a “pretty serious” 6 degrees overnight, KPRC’s Cathy Hernandez reports this morning. The battleship — which was built long after the Battle of San Jacinto, but is a veteran of 2 world wars and a whole lot of 21st Century rust — has now been closed to the public until further notice. At last report, approximately 2,000 gallons of water per minute had been pumped out of the ship for more than 15 hours. Funds originally allocated to move the retired sea vessel to a dry berth were used instead to repair previous leaks. [Click2Houston; Texas Parks & Wildlife; previously on Swamplot] Photo: Coast Guard News [license]
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Move it inland to Houston and Battleship Texas State Historic Site will see more visits and generate the funds for maintenance and upkeeps. It will guarantee to get more support instead of wasting the money it spent. The Lone Star Flighf Museum will complete the move in September, and it will generate the interest it deserves.
A ship doesn’t tilt, it lists. Damn landlubbers.
@HoustonSupports
That’s slightly hard for a 565 ft long ship with a displacement of 27,000 Tons. The only feasible way to do that is to take it apart ant put it back together.
Just look at the logistics of moving the U-505 (which for reference is 192 ft long, and a displacement of 1200 tons) in Chicago:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUuQIpVuhCg
They only moved that thing a few hundred feet.
Moving the Battleship Texas anywhere inland would be an engineering marvel.
“take it apart ant put it back together” …in the astrodome
At the time the Texas was built it was an engineering marvel. It doesn’t have to be the Dome. Moving her to a climate controlled dry dock would not only raise the bar on “mega moves” but floor everyone that walks in to see it. Nothing like it in the world. The less expensive alternative is to do that right where it sits now. At a minimum it needs to sit on a dry dock pedestal.
“…floor everyone that walks in to see it. Nothing like it in the world.” …Imagine this site!
Why this ship hasn’t been supported below the water line with some sort of carriage system so that leaks aren’t consuming such a large part of the budget is a mystery.
@Purdueenginerd
Thanks for your insight. WOW! Amazing video. Stunning! @detroux idea having it in the astrodome sounds ideal but it has to be close to the water for easier access. Of course, nothing is impossible.
I believe engineers are smart people and they can make things come true, dragging it further into the bayou and then inland (a little). I hate to see Battleship Texas continuously asking for funds, and one day it will stop coming. At were it is right now, it is not getting the traffic to generate the percentage of revenue.
I would hate to see it landed like USS Houston (CL-81); No. 3 sold for scrap metal. Any takers to save the Battleship Texas?
Just for grins I looked up some numbers. About $10M was spent to move the Shuttle Enterprise from LAX to the California Science Center, a bit less than 15 miles.
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Compared to the Enterprise, the USS Texas is nearly 5 times longer, 3 times taller, a third wider and 13 times heavier. The Dome is about 22 miles away. It wouldn’t surprise me if the cost would run into the hundreds of millions to move it there.
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One thing for sure — you won’t see a Toyota pickup pulling it.
Such a shame……….Years ago Parks and Wildlife, Lt Gov and S J Battleship Foundation HAD $ 25 million lined up and then…………guess what……….when they heard about funding being available greedy Texas Legislature ‘ GRABBED ‘ it and RAN !!! But unfortunately not back to San Jacinto Battleground. Oh Well, a true national treasure languishes in barely floating condition. I’ve been on the ship and it is truly amazing and it’s history is even more so. Check it our on google and you’ll be blown away how cool it is. happysummertime all !!
@asaweldon That’s simply not true. A good chunk of the $25M voted 10 years ago was spent just trying to keep it going. The legislature authorized another $25M in 2015, but the only long-term solution is a permanent dry dock which is estimated to cost $75M.