Preserving old vessels may be difficult, costly
File/Staff
The aircraft carrier Yorktown is one of four museum vessels docked at Patriots Point.
What should be done with the ships on exhibit at the Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum?
E-mail Ken Burger at kburger@postandcourier.com or call him at 937-5598 by June 8.
Comments will be considered for publication; please include contact information.
One person thinks the best thing to do with the aircraft carrier Yorktown is put it in a big swimming pool so the saltwater won't corrode it so badly.
Another believes the World War II ship should be hauled out of the mud and placed on dry land so it can be saved from the savages of the salty sea water.
There were others, of course, who think the historic fleet of ships displayed at the Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum in Mount Pleasant should be taken out to sea and sunk, an idea put forth in this space last Sunday.
While some believe it to be blasphemous and utterly traitorous to talk of abandoning the Yorktown, the destroyer Laffey, the submarine Clamagore and the Coast Guard Cutter Ingham, the cost of maintaining these old battle wagons continues to skyrocket.
The latest estimate is $64 million to do necessary repairs to keep them afloat. And that number will only rise in the years to come as time and tide take their toll.
With so much interest surrounding the future of these wartime icons, The Post and Courier is inviting readers to submit any and all ideas they may have about what to do with these aging icons.
Deep emotions
Judging from e-mails and online comments to last week's column about sinking the Yorktown and possibly bringing in another ship, opinions vary.
Some members of the Greatest Generation have deep feelings when it comes to these ships, while other folks think the attraction is a deep hole into which we continue to pour money.
Somewhere in between these two extremes could be the answer to what has become and will continued to be an unanswered question — what to do with these ships and how to do it? Taking emotion out of the equation is not easy, but people are starting to realize that a permanent, reasonable, reliable solution is not only necessary to the future of the popular tourist exhibit, but the safety and security of our port.
Allowing these ships to deteriorate along the banks of the Cooper River is surely not an option. Trying to drag them out to sea for a proper burial is equally daunting.
Bring it on
Dick Trammell, acting executive director of Patriots Point, says the authority is currently considering a variety of ideas, primary among them being ways to raise more money.
Increased marketing could be one answer to the monetary issue, but some experts believe new technologies will come to the rescue before these ships rust away.
Somewhere out there is the idea that could save the day. Maybe you've thought about it but didn't think anybody would listen to your idea. Well, this is your opportunity.
Send us your comments and we'll make sure they're passed along to the folks at Patriots Point for consideration.
As Trammell says of today's request from the public, "All ideas are welcome. Bring it on."
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Comments
eatmorecollards (anonymous) says...
The Yorktown and Laffey are just two of the famous ships that ever sailed the seas for the US Navy. For them to meet the fate of the thousands of others wouldn't be a disgrace.
Thousands and Thousands of the men who served on these ships are out there. There are organized associations for hundreds of these ships. These associations sponsor reunions and maintain contact with shipmates. Most all these men have stories to tell.
Turn Patriots Point into a reunion and convention center. Offer travel and accommodations packages. Maintain a museum for all ships artifacts and memorabilia, open to the public. With hotels, a golf course, the Shrine Club just down the street, Patriots Point is the perfect place.
Below are examples of two long gone ships that have associations.
USS Charleston (AKA-113/LKA-113) was an amphibious cargo ship, and was the lead ship of her class in the United States Navy. She was the fifth ship to be named Charleston for Charleston, South Carolina and Charleston, West Virginia. She served as a commissioned ship for 23 years and 4 months.
One of four powerful icebreakers, the USS Edisto Named after an island near Charleston, SC, the USS Edisto sailed the frozen waters of the Arctic and Antarctic continents until decommissioning in 1965, at which time she was transferred to the US Coast Guard where she served until decommissioning in 1971. It is believed that her fate was the junk yard and may have been melted down and made into razor blades.
May 31, 2009 at 7:59 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
williamwitte (anonymous) says...
Surely this is not a new problem for other ships around the country that are on display.
What has been done with them?
Just look up the coast in North Carolina and ask them what they have done to correct this problem.
Maybe the solution is one that has an answer that will not cost millions to fix!
Raising more money may help on a short term basis, but if the
problem is not solved they will be throwing money in the water with a sinking ship!
May 31, 2009 at 9:07 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
512c (anonymous) says...
I have been researching and studying the use of closed cell foams and high strength stitch inserted rebar into marine environments for a few years now... My interest in such strange combinations of technology is rooted in my ideas to use a fleet of abandoned ships as a network to form a floating village (or Seastead http://www.seastead.org) from ships. I was interviewed by the American Institute of Architects about my idea to use the James River "Ghost" fleet, which is one of 3 or 4 reserve fleets stored in our Nation's harbors. These fleets have been a continual risk in some cases, because they have (as you can imagine) deteriorated similar to the USS Yorktown.
My ideas have still continued to develop, even though much of the fleet was purchased and scraped by various agencies, I imagine there will be more ships that are not worth keeping in their original sea going state. Or even mothballed.
The Yorktown should consider using a sealant tech, that avoids keeping her sail worthy, and foam the cores and expansion joints of the structure below and outside the waterline.
One of my questions about the foam, is how it could be applied in a live wet environment, if it could.... And if it were, what its lifespan would be...
May 31, 2009 at 10:38 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
seneca264 (anonymous) says...
The state of South Carolina spends more than 64 million a year supporting illegal aliens. Why don't we cut off the funding for criminals and invest in OUR heritage? Just a thought.
May 31, 2009 at 11:42 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
postman01 (anonymous) says...
Excellent post, eatmorecollards. The confusion of many is obvious.
May 31, 2009 at 11:49 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
KidYendor (anonymous) says...
The ships should be repaired, refitted, have new engines put in them, and remanned, all paid for by the United Nations. The ships will then be sent back out to sea duty to combat the Somali pirates.
May 31, 2009 at 12:03 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
gsantos (anonymous) says...
Build a new multiuse Cruise Terminal off of the north end of the Yorktown where visiting Military ships, Tall ships and Cruise ships can call. When ships are not in, use the facility as a Convention Center. Use the revenue generated from the lease or operation of the new terminal, the new convention center, increased ticket sales from the Yorktown, parking and the additional revenue generated from the increase in tourists taking cruises (3,000 per call) and visiting the Military/Tall ships while in port as well as revenue generated through newly built retail establishments and hotel accomodations to pay for the repairs of the Yorktown and other historical vessels moored at Patriots Point.
June 1, 2009 at 6:18 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
rjs2005 (anonymous) says...
If the decision is reached to scuttle these historical ships, the area should be emblazoned with a simple billboard that states:
This is the former location of Patriot's Point, Home of the USS YORKTOWN, LAFFEY, CLAMAGORE, and USCGC INGHAM. Due to apathy, inept management, and general disregard for the historical significance of preserving these mighty warships, they are now serving as a sport diving attraction. If you are interested in the rich history of U.S. Naval warships, please continue north on US-17 to Wilmington, NC. There you will find USS NORTH CAROLINA BB-55, maintained and preserved for all who appreciate history."
I find it incredibly ironic that a city so absorbed in preserving the past would consider tossing aside history.
June 1, 2009 at 11:51 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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