Battleship USS Texas Transits to Galveston for Dry Docking
The legendary battleship USS Texas has returned from its brief trip to the Gulf Copper shipyard in Galveston, where her hull needs urgent repairs. After 108 years on the water, the old ship’s hull has known leaks, thus the trip was carefully planned and supervised.
Four tug escorts, a diving support vessel, and a U.S. Coast Guard escort accompanied the battleship on its journey. She sailed away from San Jacinto before sunrise, being pulled south at a constant speed of roughly three knots. She landed at Gulf Copper’s facilities in the middle of the day after a smooth sail. When she arrived in Galveston, hundreds of well-wishers came up to welcome her, and other ships followed her on her unusual journey.
BREAKING: The Battleship Texas has arrived in Galveston! pic.twitter.com/5PxEuYQmze
— The Salty Dog Galveston (@SaltyDGalveston) August 31, 2022
10 Key Benefits of Regular Dry Docking for your Commercial Vessel
Regular dry docking is crucial to maintaining a commercial vessel and ensuring its safety, efficiency, and longevity. Dry docking refers to the process of taking a vessel out of the water to conduct inspections, maintenance, and repairs. This is typically done at a shipyard or other specialized facility equipped to handle a vessel’s unique needs. Ten key benefits of regular dry docking for your commercial vessel include:
10 Key Benefits of Dry Docking
Improved Safety
There are many benefits to regular dry docking for a commercial vessel. One of the most important is improved safety. During a dry docking, the vessel is carefully inspected by experienced professionals who can identify potential safety issues and address them before they become major problems. This can include checking the hull’s condition, inspecting the propulsion system, and ensuring that all safety equipment is in good working order.
Enhanced Performance
Another key benefit of regular dry docking is enhanced performance. By conducting regular maintenance and making necessary repairs, a vessel can be kept in good working order, which can help improve its performance and ensure that it is operating at its best. This can include cleaning and lubricating the engines, replacing worn or damaged parts, and conducting any other repairs needed to keep the vessel running smoothly. (more…)
Battleship USS Texas Dry Dock Tours
Dry Dock Tours Now Available!
The Battleship Texas Foundation begins seasonal dry dock tours around the ship out of the port of Galveston. It is currently undergoing an extensive $35 million repair at Gulf Copper & Manufacturing’s shipyard to refurbish the hull. The Battleship was commissioned in 1914 and is the last surviving dreadnought that fought in both World War I and World War II.
Sign up online for this unique opportunity to see Battleship USS Texas up close and out of the water! Limited tours are available on the dry dock at Gulf Copper on Sundays only, until April 30th. These are guided tours that are about an hour long, walking on the dry dock deck. Space is limited, tickets are $150.
Here’s what you need to know:
- There is a strict dress code at Gulf Copper’s facility. You must be wearing full length pants and closed toed shoes, with good traction. Pants must cover all the way to your shoes. Eye protection and hard hats will be provided. If you are not in dress code, you will have to reschedule for another time or day.
- All participants must be at least 16 years old. Under 18 will need an accompanying adult.
- You will be required to sign a liability waiver and photo release.
- Pictures are welcome, but we ask that no video be recorded during the tours.
- There will be no refunds once you have signed up, but you will be able to reschedule if necessary.
- You must sign up online, no tickets will be sold at the gate. You must sign up in advance.
For more information you can visit the Battleship Texas Foundation website.
Battleship USS Texas Is Making One Hell of a Comeback
The USS Texas, a World War I-era battleship, is undergoing a $35 million repair effort in Galveston, Texas. While the ship is in dry dock, the Battleship Texas Foundation has been providing limited tours so visitors can see the damage to the hull and the repair efforts. The tours, which began last month and run every Sunday, are only open to visitors who are at least 16 years old and who adhere to a strict dress code. The USS Texas is the oldest surviving modern naval warship and has seen service in both world wars. After the repairs are completed, the foundation intends to relocate the ship to a new location, with Baytown, Galveston, and Beaumont expressing interest in hosting it.
IDIQ Announcement
Gulf Copper was one of the awardees on a combined $300,185,454 firm-fixed price indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award contract for non-complex repair, maintenance, and modernization requirements of non-nuclear U.S. Navy amphibious (LHA, LHD, LPD and LSD) class ships homeported in or visiting Norfolk, Virginia. These efforts consist of Chief of Naval Operations scheduled docking and non-docking, continuous maintenance, and emergent maintenance availabilities of amphibious class ships to be performed in Norfolk, Virginia. Accordingly, the place of performance is Norfolk, Virginia where the Mid-Atlantic Maintenance Center (MARMC) will administer the contract. Delivery orders will be competitively awarded under this contract, which are to be performed in Norfolk, Virginia. Each of the contracts has an estimated ordering period of four years, which is expected to end in January of 2027.
Restoring a Valuable Asset
by Jonathan Hale
During the past year, Gulf Copper traveled to the Bahamas and purchased a large drydock that had been sunk, broken over its length and cut in half during salvage. The drydock as we originally found it is pictured above.
Gulf Copper assembled a project team working from Galveston and supplemented with employees from Mexico and the Bahamas to undertake repair and refurbishment of the remaining drydock section. The drydock pontoon and wingwalls were realigned while cropping out all distorted and wasted steel. Approximately 450 tons of new steel was inserted in way of damages and the dock was equipped with new pumps, valves, new electrical system, and Bergan Controls. After six months of work and prior to Hurricane season, the drydock was towed from Freeport, Bahamas to Galveston, Texas to complete commissioning and begin a new life. The completed dock, with a lift capacity of 35,000 tons, is pictured below.
The initial job for the drydock was to lift the “Superdreadnought” U.S.S. TEXAS – BB35 on August 31st. Upon completion of repairs to the Battleship Texas, it is anticipated the drydock will have many more years of job creation at our Galveston shipyard.
USS Orleck Arrives Back in Jacksonville
After a four-month makeover at the Gulf Copper Dry Docks in Port Arthur, the USS Orleck has arrived back in Jacksonville.
We at Gulf Copper are very excited to see the USS Orleck back on the St Johns river and ready for a new chapter in her life, after a few months of repair and refurbishment at the Gulf Copper Port Arthur shipyard.
Watch the final 13 miles of her journey. Can’t wait to see the Orleck take its place as the crowning jewel of the Jacksonville Naval Museum later this year.
Meet Owly – Gulf Copper’s New Mascot
Award of NOAA Henry Bigelow
Congratulations to Gulf Copper and Manufacturing being awarded the $3.9 Million Dry Docking and refurbishment of the NOAA vessel M/V Henry Bigelow. We look forward to a successful project under the guidance of Jonathan Hale and the Galveston project team of Craig Marston and Erik Stramblad.
GC / Van Dam Joint Venture Formed
Gulf Copper, a Texas employee-owned company and Van Dam (VD) a Venezuelan family-run company has formed a joint venture. This venture will allow us to offer downstream new build and plant expansion customers a local alternative for fabrication and staging large components and modules for their Gulf Coast projects.
Gulf Copper-Van Dam Onshore Services will provide fabrication services for process skids, pressure vessels, heaters, heat exchangers, flares, pipe racks and modules. We are supported by Gulf Copper fabrication services in Port Arthur and Galveston for larger fabrication projects.