Battleship Texas will go to Gulf Copper Shipyard in Galveston, Texas for repairs in Summer 2022. After repairs, Battleship Texas will then be towed to a new home port somewhere on the Upper Texas Coast. Her new home port has not yet been decided, though multiple interested parties have submitted proposals, all within or near the Greater Houston Area.

We currently anticipate Battleship Texas to be moved for repairs in Summer 2022. A firm date will be announced once that date is set. Work is currently underway to prepare the dry dock for Battleship Texas.

Battleship Texas is currently closed for an extensive repair project.

We estimate Battleship Texas’ grand reopening will be in late 2023.

The 2019 Texas legislature funded $35 million in major repairs to Battleship Texas. This will cover the cost of towing to and from dry dock and the complete repair or replacement of the hull from four feet above the waterline down to the bottom of the ship. Additional funds are being raised to complete as much additional work as possible while the ship is in dry dock, including but not limited to replacement of the ship’s wooden deck, and fresh paint inside and out. On 9/10/21 the National Park Service announced the award of $500,000 to Battleship Texas through the Save America’s Treasures grant program, which will go towards repair and restoration of the ship’s superstructure while in dry dock.

From August to December 2020, work was underway to fill the ship’s torpedo blisters with marine foam. The foam is a rigid, closed-cell foam that seals existing leaks, minimizes flooding when new leaks form, and slightly reinforces the structure of the torpedo blisters. This work has dramatically reduced the need for pumps. Before foaming, 1,500-2,000 gallons per minute were being pumped off the ship 24/7. After foaming, a handful of pumps are turned on periodically, pumping on average 5 gallons per minute. This work will protect the ship from flooding while being towed to dry dock later this year.

In April 2020, the ship’s anti-aircraft guns and other deck mounted items were removed for restoration, with the help of Taylor Marine and Certified Pipe Services Houston. The items are currently being stored at an offsite warehouse facility provided by NRG. Since then, Battleship Texas volunteers and staff have been working on disassembling and restoring the guns and other equipment on a component level.