GALVESTON, Texas – The iconic Battleship Texas refloat began in the early morning hours of Tuesday, March 5 in Galveston.
The historic 122-year-old dreadnought served in both WWI and WWII.
Tuesday’s refloat will kick off the ship’s next phase of restoration at Gulf Copper Dry Dock & rig repair. In total, the restoration of the Battleship Texas is expected to cost roughly about $75 million.
Over the next 18-24 months, efforts will be focused on deck replacement, superstructure, and interiors.
For the past 18 months, the ship has undergone extensive repairs at the shipyard totaling more than $21 million. The repairs included replacing over 700 tons of steel, painting the hull, and performing successful quality control checks.
In total, more than 200,000 hours of labor have gone into the project.