Dewey’s Olympia hasn’t been out of the water since 1945 and as such is in dire need of repair. Here is a short vid of how that is being accomplished. As noted by a member of the preservation effort in a warship group I am a member of:
Olympia has been in a fresh water port since 1922. Olympia could not have survived this long if it were in a salt water port such as New York or San Francisco. Over the last fifty years Olympia suffered a lot of corrosion from electrolysis rather than just exposure to water. The other factor that has contributed to Olympia’s hull problems is that since Olympia has been constantly moored in the same spot since 1976, the marina has silted up and so at present Olympia floats for about 70 percent for the day at high tide and is aground for 30 percent of the day at low tide. So, approximately eighteen inches around the ship’s waterline has grown thin from exposure to oxygen and then water,
Sound’s bleak right? Not really. Bottom line is that Olympia’s hull needs work to ensure that last for another 50+ years however it definitely repairable and is not too far deteriorated. Drydocking will happen soon however I’m not at liberty to give any specific details.
