CapnMac82

So, I feel very much at odds with the staff from BTC, and they rub me wrong in many ways (and more than a few of the old hands are in this same boat)

plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose

One thing about getting older is the advantage of seeing thatnothing does stay the same over time in organizations, but the outcome is steadily mediocre.

Bill

I had a document, probably still do. It was a manual for the captain of the dock, who IIRC was a Quartermaster. Displaying my ignorance.

There was a long description ocncerning setting the blocks. Not a simple thing. Start with drawing of particular shios frames etc.

Bill

EdGrune

When the Texas was moored in SanJacinto the port side faced the constant sun to the south.

Au contrare mon ami.  The "basin" was laid out so that the ship was on a 130° bearing, hust a skosh East of SE, directly aligned on the San Jacinto Monument.

So, her port side "faced" generally NE, and her starboard side generaly SW.  This is/was roughly parallel to Carpenter's Bayou, and slightly skewed to the flow of Buffalo Bayou.

There does not appear to have benn any sort of hydrographic consideration when the location was laid out in 1946.

The previous Battleship Commission (a different entity from Battleship Texas Commission) basically grounded Texas in the slip rather than cope with the complexities of pumping or ongoing maintenance.  Selling hot dogs and popsicles in a stand by the Galley was considered far more important in those days.  TBC also chose the Sherwin Williams Garage Gray to paint her all over.  And to rip up all the wood decks and replace them with concrete (o_O), and that was her life from 1948 to 1988.

Having TPW come in, and actually care about history, and to bring actual museum experience was such a great wonder.

TPW had been beat up of late, and has been forced, through funding changes, to divest many of its expensive operations across the State.  All of which are being now put under not-for-profit and nonoprofit Commissions.

And, I have some strong biases here, I'll freely admit.  I spent a lot of time volunterring with the Ship and got to know many of the TPW staff closely.  Reserve Duty taking me either through or to Houston on a regular basis.  So, I feel very much at odds with the staff from BTC, and they rub me wrong in many ways (and more than a few of the old hands are in this same boat).

GMorrison

I'm confused though. Is the weathering slow to progress, or fast to?

From my Naval experience, weathering is incredibly slow compared to how quickly the pain crews work.

EdGrune

The keel blocks are interesting. They are cement blocks topped with a wooden sandbox. On top of that are wooden timbers. If you need to move a block to access the area you break the sandbox and flush the sand. This releases the timbers so that they can be moved. Forklift to reposition the block and rebuild it with additional wedges as needed.

That's a "dodge" to not have to "fleet" the shipe (e.g. refloat and move 2-3 feet) to expose the hull where the blocks were.

EdGrune

 If you need to move a block to access the area you break the sandbox and flush the sand.   This releases the timbers so that they can be moved.

Thanks,

Bill

The rudder

The rudder is offset 19 degrees, supposedly the final rudder order given when she arrived at SanJacinto in 1948.   The steering gear is fused solid and the cost/effort to repair is not worth it.   Additionally there is reported to be some 1912 beef tallow lubrication in the rudder stock which no one wants to open and remove

Its black, like the rest of the lower hull

The prop shaft supports were cut away before the Navy turned her over to the state in 1948  The oval plate in the upper center is the upper arm,   The lower arm rested in the notch above the rudder counter.   Both are rough cut

Rust never sleeps!   BST photo

Port aft showing rust through the hull, including the double bottom.  The white stuff is mostly spray foam, although there are also cement salvage patches.  Foam and cement were place to keep her from sinking at her mooring in SanJacinto.  They were described as tourniquets applied until the patient could get to higher care.  It was all jack hammered/pressure blasted out.   

In the 88/89 refit the entire lower hull was painted in a black epoxy.   The white speckling is the result of bio-fouling and the pressure washing used to remove it before work could begin.

The keel blocks are interesting.   They are cement blocks topped with a wooden sandbox.   On top of that are wooden timbers.   If you need to move a block to access the area you break the sandbox and flush the sand.   This releases the timbers so that they can be moved.   Forklift to reposition the block and rebuild it with additional wedges as needed.

You want weathering?   We got weathering!

BST photo, taken from top of drydock wall.

Painted in a commercial 5N equivalent epoxy covering during the 1988/1989 refit.   The plan is to go back with the same.   

The checkerboard hull is the replaced torpedo blisters.   They started here on the starboard side.   The forward 1/3 was 'stick built'  using formers and plates.   They determined that the original drawings were accurate enough that they could factory build the rest and install them as units.

The square structures near the scaffolding are part of the access/mooring system from the old SanJacinto location.  Their is another pair farther aft.   They will remain in place.

The Texas legislature allocated $35M for the repair and rehoming of her.   They removed her from the overview  of the Texas Parks & Wildlife and gave her to the non-profit battleshiptexas.org.   One of the stipulations was that she would be moored at a site with better visitation potential.  

the battleshiptexas folks have been proactive on raising additional funds; selling sponsorships, merch, and tours.  The drydock fees alone were $10K a day, plus parts and labor.   A lot of the work on the AA gun systems have been done by BST volunteers at their facility in Houston.  

Go the BST website at https://battleshiptexas.org/battleship-updates/ for pictures and a description of work done.  They're also on Instagram

Just wow.

I just see a whole lot of work and a whole lot of shekels. Happy to know there are those dedicated to the cause.

I'm confused though. Is the weathering slow to progress, or fast to?

Bill

No date on the Captain's photo, but from the configuration of the torpedo blisters that picture is a year old before much of the rebuild work was commenced.   

The 1925 configuration blisters smoothly faired into the hull bottom near the bilge keels.   This design was a sharp angle which made getting pump intakes into the spaces difficult.  The blisters stayed wet and lead to rusting from the inside out.   

The replacement hull blisters are truncated  just below the waterline.  They have a flat bottom which is more conducive to keeping dry.  They are also accessible and coated with a better rust proofing.  

And if you examine photos closely, including those from the tow and those taken from the drydock walk around tours, the port side is faded more than the starboard side.  When the Texas was moored in SanJacinto the port side faced the constant sun to the south.  Unlike the Constitution she was not annually pulled out of the moorings and turned around.  

i took the drydock walk around tour back in April.  Tours continue into December. She will be pulled out of the drydock in January/February and go alongside at Gulf Copper for more topside work.   The plan is to permenantly moor her in Galveston, adjacent to the cruise ship docks

Not to contradict CapnMac82 in any way, but appearances in the photo above MAY be a bit deceiving:  in that the Texas has had a great deal of 'emergency' hull work recently -- including, I believe, the removal of her heavily-corroded torpedo blisters, and replating of various damaged and degraded areas. So part of her current 'patchwork' appearance is due to these very necessary preservative measures.

The main point, however, is beyond argument: ships' surfaces, both above and below the waterline, pretty much look pristine only on the day they're painted. Weather and wear begin taking their toll almost immediately. And this grand old Lady has seen more than her share of both!