USS Iowa Finds New Home

[carman]

http://egpnews.com/2012/06/uss-iowa-fin ... -a-waters/

[Carl Schwamberger]

Meanwhile the Olympia is still trouble

http://planphilly.com/preservation-row- ... rowed-four

[JamesL]

For reference, the USS OLYMPIA Report 2011.

http://olympia.phillyseaport.org/wp-con ... Report.pdf

Very unimaginative report. A 'no can do' attitude.

Erect a cofferdam around her, pump it dry and fix her in place. We essentially did that with the USS MAINE.

Or scrap her in place.


Edit: Marine Survey of OLYMPIA
http://olympia.phillyseaport.org/wp-con ... Deroko.pdf

[new2this]

I'd really rather not see her scrapped at all. I just wish more people had some sense of preserving some history around here. I don't expect anyone to want to preserve every warship, but come on.

On the original topic, I'm glad to see Iowa found a home.

[JamesL]

Okay, scrap the BB NEW JERSEY. It's a sister ship of the IOWA. We have 4 IOWAs serving as museum pieces. Like the OLYMPIA the Big J is foundering, soon to rest on the bottom of the Delaware River. There ain't no mo' money. I am unwilling to see my tax dollars spent on rust buckets that don't attract enough visitors to be self sustaining.

[new2this]

Who said anything about your tax dollars? I'm talking about private entities who could easily repair her, but won't. I don't expect the government to keep them going.

[JamesL]

Kudos to the NGO that can raise $10-$20 million of donations to rescue the OLYMPIA.

[carman]

so are we to scrap everything that doesn't turn a profit????

[JamesL]

In essence, yes! I am a capitalist.

I have 45 years of experience in manufacturing. If a plant was not making money we tore it down rather than be saddled with a 'boat anchor' around our necks. I have a lot of experience tearing down non-profitable factories.

I think I could dismantle the OLYMPIA in 3-4 months - 1 month for asbestos removal and 2-3 months to cut her up. The scrap value of OLYMPIA is between $1.0-1.2 million. I could scrap her for about half or 2/3 of that, the difference being pure profit for me.

We are talking about USS OLYMPIA, not HMS VICTORY. Admiral Dewey, not Admiral Nelson. Manila, not Trafalgar. Heck, some Americans think Manila is a coffee flavor at StarBucks.

There is one similarity - neither OLYMPIA nor VICTORY floats anymore. VICTORY is in drydock and OLYMPIA is sitting on the bottom mud of the Delaware River. I've been aboard both.

[JamesL]

Well, we just got back from visiting the USS OLYMPIA. We were the only 2 people on board. Had the entire ship to ourselves.

My proposal to scrap her in place stands. I think the submarine BECUNA would have to be backed out since she is docked inboard of OLYMPIA. It would be helpful to get BECUNA out of the way. However, I could work around her.

[carman]

In response to your post of 26 June ,,I understand what your saying ,I believe in capitalism too but I won't get in to an argument with someone older and more experienced than my self. That being said nobody but you mentioned anything about tax dollars. Your tax dollars are preserving the U.S.S Constitution,why don't we just scrap it??or for that matter scrap the cannons at Gettysburg and zone it for houses,again our tax dollars at work. As new2this said we cant save them all but it would be a shame after 112 years the U.S.S OLYMPIA is lost because the museum lacks willpower or imagination. I really posted about the U.S.S. IOWA because I found it interesting and wanted to share it with the rest of the members,not to get in a pissing match with some one.

[JamesL]

No pissing match intended. All I wanted to point out is that the various naval museums in the USA run a serious deficit.

Last week we boarded the OLYMPIA. There were only the two of us aboard the cruiser. I paid $10 senior citizen rate. In NYC the USS INTREPID draws close to 1,000,000 visitors per year.

The USS YORKTOWN in South Carolina is in very serious trouble. They received $9,000,000 in tax payer guaranteed funding. They need $100,000,000 to fix up YORKTOWN. South Carolina also wants the OLYMPIA.

The NEW JERSEY needs $40,000,000 in repairs.

People who get a ship from the USN and intend to start up some museum are in for a big surprise. I think they grossly overestimate the number of visitors and revenue and underestimate costs. When it goes belly up, the tax payer has to step in.

I toured IOWA when she came to NYC in the 1980's. Nice boat, then.

As an aside, the USS CONSTITUTION is an active warship in the US Navy. It will sail July 4th!

[carman]

Thanks for the reply ,,I see your point