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Battleship Texas is Moving

6,790 Views | 64 Replies | Last: 2 yr ago by GeeBee
BlackGoldAg2011
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AG
Just saw this pop up this morning and hadn't seen anything here about it but they are moving the Battleship Texas from San Jacinto down to the Gulf Copper dry dock in Galveston today. Here's its move schedule if you want to try to see it:

3 a.m.: Work starts at San Jacinto
6 to 7:30 a.m.: Battleship Texas gets underway and enters the Houston Ship Channel.
11 a.m. to 12 p.m.: Battleship Texas will cross under the Fred Hartman Bridge and enter the bay.
2 to 3 p.m.: Battleship Texas will pass near the Texas City Dike.
3 to 4 p.m.: Battleship Texas will enter the Galveston Ship Channel.
4 to 5 p.m.: Battleship Texas will arrive at Gulf Copper Galveston.
Late August 31 to September 1: Battleship Texas will be maneuvered onto the dry dock and lifted out of the water.

or the live stream of the move if like me you won't be able to make it down there to watch.

maroon barchetta
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I was watching the stream on Channel 13 earlier. Pretty cool!

The reporter in the chopper said the Texas weighs 28 tons.

Pretty sure he left some zeros off that number.
AgBQ-00
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Is it just me or does she seem to be listing to port and down at the stern quite a bit in the wide shots?

ETA: Maybe it was her just getting under tow the later wide shots don't seem to be so bad
mAgnoliAg
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lurker76
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Anyone getting any audio right now? I'm watching on YouTube and it is silent.
Caliber
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Looks like they're ahead of schedule... Already past the fred hartman bridge.

The youtube posted above is showing previously recorded already (top right corner).
AgTDub
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As a Battleship Texas Foundation donor, it's nice to see money raised through their fundraisers actually put to use.

Glad it wasn't the old "church building fund" where nothing ever gets built….

jrrhouston98
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I'm about to head to Galveston and hop on a crew boat to escort/watch her come in. Serious history and pretty damn cool.

I'll put some pics up later.
jbeaman88
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jrrhouston98
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These were just sent to me.
Hope they don't get flagged




Cromagnum
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So many bleeding hearts on the youtube video *****ing about wasting $35 million for this. It's too much irony for me.
Mr. Dubi
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I recall taking a self guided tour back in the early '90's. Virtually nothing was off limits. The engine room was amazing!
Cromagnum
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I remember going as a kid during a field trip. That sucker would get pretty hot inside during late spring. I can't imagine trying to go inside during summer.
schmellba99
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Last of the Dreadnaughts

At one time she was the flagship of the Navy, only survivor of WWI, WWII and Korean wars. There are still craters at Point du Hoc left from her 15" guns as they supported Rudder's Rangers on D Day.
DantheAggie
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I just drove my boat around her about 2 weeks ago. There was no restraining rope or chain preventing me from coming up right beside her. I touched the hull and thought about climbing up the rusted out ladder handles on the hull but didn't. I did get some great pictures with the battleship right behind me.
KCup17
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Such a beast of a ship. Went on a few field trips to that ship in grade school. Makes me want to go get a USS Texas hat.
MouthBQ98
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Texas has 14" guns. Minor detail.

I think only 1 sailor ever died from enemy fire on Texas, and it was from a shore battery shell in the English Channel.
jbeaman88
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MouthBQ98 said:

Texas has 14" guns. Minor detail.

I think only 1 sailor ever died from enemy fire on Texas, and it was from a shore battery shell in the English Channel.
. Also, Texas was retired and moved to San Jacinto before the Korean War.
chet98
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"Camped" overnight on her with our Cub Scout pack about 5 years ago. Great experience highly recommend.
AG81
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AgBQ-00 said:

Is it just me or does she seem to be listing to port and down at the stern quite a bit in the wide shots?

ETA: Maybe it was her just getting under tow the later wide shots don't seem to be so bad
Given that her hull is rusted out, I'm surprised she's floating at all without tons of additional external floatation attached. So glad she'll be restored. Every Aggie should be behind this. The Texas provided covering fire for Rudder's Rangers on D-Day, among other distinguished engagements. She's a national and state treasure.
schmellba99
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jbeaman88 said:

MouthBQ98 said:

Texas has 14" guns. Minor detail.

I think only 1 sailor ever died from enemy fire on Texas, and it was from a shore battery shell in the English Channel.
. Also, Texas was retired and moved to San Jacinto before the Korean War.
Apparently it was, could have sworn it was reactivated for Korea, but apparently flat incorrect on that aspect.

She served as support during some of the Mexican skirmishes in the early 1900's, in WWI and WWII, where she served in the African, European and Pacific campaigns.

Also was one of the first ships to have radar, the first battleship to launch an aircraft from her deck, and one of the first to use computer fire control for the main guns.
AggieMarkSA
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Out here waiting for her. She's about 4 miles away from sea wolf park

Edit to add

Passing sea wolf park right now
AgBQ-00
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AG


Good live stream from the skycam in Galveston
La Fours
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My great grandfather was stationed on the USS Texas a few years after WW1.
Claude!
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chet98 said:

"Camped" overnight on her with our Cub Scout pack about 5 years ago. Great experience highly recommend.
I did that with the Alabama and the Lexington - both really cool stops.
CREAg87
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Is she going back to same spot once the work is complete?
AggieMarkSA
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CREAg87 said:

Is she going back to same spot once the work is complete?


I don't think so. I also don't think a final destination has been decided either. I'm guessing they'll want somewhere where she gets more traffic than she would at san Jacinto
schmellba99
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CREAg87 said:

Is she going back to same spot once the work is complete?
Either Baytown, Galveston or Beaumont

The state has stated that she needs to be somewhere that will generate enough revenue from visitors to pay for her upkeep, and San Jacinto wasn't getting it done unfortunately.
BlackGoldAg2011
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This is what I saw. The article I read said that she needs roughly 250k visitors per year to cover the expenses to maintain her, but at San Jac she was only getting 80-90k per year. So at least as of a few weeks ago, the plan was to fix her, but there wasn't a new home selected yet, just that she's not going back to San Jac.
maroon barchetta
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I can't imagine Baytown or Beaumont pulling in enough visitors unless they put it next to a Buc-ee's
schmellba99
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I wonder how they are going to dry dock her, that facility isn't equipped for a ship as big as Texas for dry docking
Caliber
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maroon barchetta said:

I can't imagine Baytown or Beaumont pulling in enough visitors unless they put it next to a Buc-ee's
Beaumont for sure no...

Baytown wants to put it right off the Fred Hartman Bridge where they are building a convention center and Hyatt Regency hotel... so that has some merit.

I still think Galveston will get more people though but Galveston has issues too with actually providing good access to the ship.
AggieMarkSA
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Caliber said:

maroon barchetta said:

I can't imagine Baytown or Beaumont pulling in enough visitors unless they put it next to a Buc-ee's
Beaumont for sure no...

Baytown wants to put it right off the Fred Hartman Bridge where they are building a convention center and Hyatt Regency hotel... so that has some merit.

I still think Galveston will get more people though but Galveston has issues too with actually providing good access to the ship.


Agreed. But galveston gets enough tourist traffic to drive those visitor numbers up.
schmellba99
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My guess is that it will be Galveston. But Galveston will have a bigger maintenance budget than Baytown will because even though both are on the water, Galveston is more saline than Baytown and by default there will be more maintenance required.
maroon barchetta
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schmellba99 said:

My guess is that it will be Galveston. But Galveston will have a bigger maintenance budget than Baytown will because even though both are on the water, Galveston is more saline than Baytown and by default there will be more maintenance required.


Plastidip!!! [/auto board]
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