Todd’s Shipyard, Galveston

13 December 1988 to 23 February 1990

 
Dry Dock:  13 December 1988 to 6 August 1989 This was the first time out of the water since Jan-Mar 1948. As the dry-dock lifted TEXAS out of water, she leaked like spaghetti sieve for water came out of the sides through numerous holes. 

Upper Structure: 6 August 1989 to 23 February 1990:   6 August 1989, BB35 went back into the water and the main deck up to the tops of the masts were sandblasted and painted.

When BB35 center Todd's Shipyard on 23 February 1990, the ship was towed to Green's Bayou while the berth at the San Jacinto Battleground was being improved.  The return to San Jacinto was  28 July 1990

 

 

The Plan

 

 

Repairing The Hull
More fluid removal: Before hull metal replacement could begin, 13,000 barrels (460,000 gallons) of additional oil and oily water had to be removed to purge flammable gasses. 1,500,000 gallons had been removed prior to the tow to Todd's

235,000 pounds of outer Hull metal replaced, where the metal was less than 3/8-inch thick. 10,000 ultrasonic soundings were taken to determine hull thickness.

Wash With Acid and Abrasive Blast:  Before the hull was painted, a bath of phosphoric acid was applied to neutralize the 40 years of San Jacinto Ship Channel chlorides. The acid bath was followed by an abrasive blasting. 
 

The Bow - Before Hull Cleaning

 

The Stern
Propeller shaft opening on port is blanked off at the hull, which was done in 1948.

Rudder has a 14.5 degree turn to starboard, which is the angle shown on the rudder angle indicator in the Steering Gear Room

9,200 Gallons of Paint on the Hull and the Rest of the Exterior
 9,200 gallons of dark blue Measure 21 paint, the fifth and final WWII paint scheme was applied to the exterior from the tops of the masts down to the water-line. The color selected was dictated by the ship’s exterior configuration. From 14 September to 14 October 1944 the mainmast was significantly altered, making any scheme other than Measure 21 or Measure 33 incorrect.  Measure 21 was the paint scheme during the 1945 invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa.
 

Other Main Deck and Upper Level Work
Concrete on main deck removed:  The concrete poured in late 1968 - early 1969 on the main deck and the superstructure was removed. The metal deck below the concrete had rusted through in many areas and was replaced.

Missing splinter shields were fabricated and installed at the 94 anti-aircraft gun locations, except the two aft 40mm gun mounts, on the superstructure.

An SK radar antenna was fabricated and installed on the mainmast.  The WWII antenna was destroyed during the 1961 Hurricane Carla

 

Gunfire Control Booth and Anchor Chain
Three-tiered gunfire control structure atop the foremast was removed and sat on the dry-dock for structural repair.

Anchor chain was pulled from the chain locker and placed on the dry-dock floor for cleaning.

 

Volunteers were allowed one trip into the dry dock and I  walked under the hull...........a really freaky feeling  !!!.

 

Looks like the ship is about to give birth ...................................to a destroyer..!!