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$20 million was voted as part of a bond issue last fall by Texas voters to fund a solution for BB35. Cost estimates for doing proposed work on the ship seems to be around $25 mil. and a condition that the remaining $5 million come from private donations was a part of the issue. It looks like this can happen, so there is a lot of optimism. However, the politicians in Austin have diverted money in the past, so it is not a done deal until it has been spent on the ship.

TEXAS has not suffered a significant hull leak since before her last drydocking in 1988. There was a significant leak in the starboard torpedo blister about 4 years ago that created some problems. These would have not been such and issue if they had not "commonized" all of the compartments within the blisters during the drydocking so that the entire blister floods if there is a leak anywhere. Big Mistake. The blisters were thin when they were installed in 1925 and they are paper thin in many places now. The problem is not with flooding interior spaces, but with the damage caused to the mooring system and boarding ramp if the ship lists due to flooding of the blisters. Having said that, there is one area on the hull where plating thickness is a concern. It is impossible to correct this situation without hauling the ship, so the space behind this area was re-enforced and sealed so that if there is a leak, flooding will be contained within a very limited area. Obviously, this is an issue that will significantly grow over time, but the good news is that general hull condition seems to be pretty good.

A survey of the ship to determine structural issues was recently completed, but the final results are not back yet. Understandably, no one wants to discuss possible issues until the report comes out. Regardless of what it says, the possibility of towing TEXAS to drydock in the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico may still be on the table, but it is by far the least popular solution for the reasons given in this thread. No survey will guarantee that a 95 year old riveted hull will survive a 100+ mile tow in open water. IMO, whatever the odds are, they are not good enough to risk loosing the last Dreadnought battleship. Even if the the tow is made, drydocking is only a 10-15 year solution. How easy will it be to raise money in 2025, 2040, 2055, etc. for future drydock sessions? Will there be facilities available then to do the work? If towing it is questionable now, how good will it be 30-40 years from now? That is why the most attractive solution is to spend an estimated $25 million now and get the ship completely out of the water. Maintenance costs and deterioration will be significantly reduced and the costs and danger of towing will be eliminated. There are a couple of solutions being looked at. One is to enclose the ship in its own graving dock, which may include the possibility of allowing it to float, but easily dried for hull work. This is attractive because the ship will remain in her natural element and context, and eliminates the dangers of towing. However, it does not eliminate the deterioration and costs that occur as a result of continued contact with water. The other is to get the ship entirely out of the water and on blocks. This is the best solution from a maintenance standpoint, but the ship will be a "fish out of water" and will loose its visual context. I personally think that this visual problem will be offset by the amazing sight of seeing how massive the ship truly is, but this is a matter of personal taste.