The steel in that area is now 1/10 of an inch instead of the 1/2 inch it originally was. The portion that is deep in the mud is in much better shape.
The section now being replaced will cost $2.1 million to replace with money coming in from a 1998 fund-raising campaign called Operation Ship Shape. Another capital campaign will be starting soon to raise money for the rest of the hull, expected to cost $15-16 million.
To have floated the ship, towed it and then dry dock it as originally envisioned would have cost $30 million. Plus, it would have been out of the state for a lengthy period of time.
The battleship commission hopes to eventually build a permanent cofferdam around the ship. This hull replacement is an anniversary gift to the state's namesake. It was brought to Wilmington 50 years ago (now 41) when it was moored Oct. 2. 1961.
It was saved from the scrapyard with a "Save Our Ship" drive with contributions from citizens and businesses around the state (and don't forget the school children donating nickles and dimes, including yours truly. The ship is a fitting memorial to the 10,000 North Carolinians who died during World War II.
A Magnificent Ship. --GreGen
The USS North Carolina (BB-55) My all-time favorite warship. As an elementary school student in North Carolina, I donated nickels and dimes to save this ship back in the early sixties.
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