Ahoy mates,

Taking the time this morning to share with all of our members a very important story for the plight of Naval icon, USS Olympia, in case you have missed it...

Link to Item

If you have comments or questions please post them here.


~Gunny

The owners are threatening to scuttle it if they can't save it. This is a serious situation.

This is almost the same situation faced by the USS Hartford fifty years ago--she lay neglected in Norfolk and foundered at her berth in 1959. The Navy then salvaged the wreck and broke her up. Despite her outstanding combat record in the Civil War, the attitudes expressed in local newspapers of the time were, "So what".

In contrast, a re-emerging China has gone to the trouble to build a full-size replica of an Imperial battleship from the 1890's.

Given the rising expenses, perhaps the Olympia should be berthed ashore in concrete, like her approximate contemporary Mikasa in Yokosuka. Yes, there would be a spike in start-up costs for such a move, but it would simplify the preservation.

--Karl

Dry berthing her although a good idea would probably much more costly then drydocking and repairing the hull. And although it can be argued the cost expenditure in the long run wouldnt be as bad, if the museum cannot afford to even dredge the harbor to pull the ship out, I cannot see them investing the money to find and purchase dry berth and have the ship transported there, much less brought ashore...

Which is a complete and total shame because I do strongly believe that ship should be preserved and to have it scrap or sank as a reef would be a complete tragedy.

This is unfortunate. It's amazing what we WILL spend millions on, but when faced with the preservation of history it's often met with silence. There may be a recession, but I can assure you funds are being collected and spent on far less noble causes as this.