As if the USS Iowa didn’t have enough on its plate.
On top of planning what is expected to be a blow-out L.A. Fleet Week from May 27 to 30, the World War II battleship is now in the middle of raising $100,000 for its annual hull preservation campaign.
The work is already ongoing, but considering the paint alone costs several hundred dollars a gallon, the historic ship could use the money.
It’s no secret that maintaining museum ships like the Iowa is a hugely expensive endeavor.
But as homeowners know, staying on top of what is regular maintenance helps avoid much larger expenses down the road, said the ship’s chief engineer, Michael Getscher.
Getscher, who is also executive vice president and chief operating officer for the Pacific Battleship Center, said being proactive with maintenance is how the 45,800-ton ship will have decades-long staying power and, essentially, avoid a costly and lengthy ER tuneup at a dry dock.
The Iowa has about 1,800 feet of hull that is exposed to corrosion at what is known as the wind-and water-line.
The damage can become irreversible if untreated, Getscher said — and that could mean several months in dry dock to the tune of $15 million to $20 million.
“Museum ships in the past didn’t address that,” Getscher said, “so the wind-and-water line deteriorated. What we’re doing is staying ahead of the game.”
Without that, the ship’s very future could be in jeopardy over time.
The current work entails repairing the part of the ship — essentially the foundation of the vessel — where the water and wind hit the ship’s metal, causing pitting from oxidation. The effort involves removing damaged pieces that have come loose and then re-coating the area.
There is about 850 feet of water line area on both sides of the Iowa.
“That’s a lot of ship,” Getscher said in a YouTube video outlining the process.
The work to treat the damage has been carried out in at least four of the past 10 years, Getscher estimated. The ideal is to do it every year, he said.
“We do have some corrosion but we’re ahead of the game by decades,” Getscher, in an interview this week, said of the current conditions. “And we want to be ahead of the game by decades.”
With the Iowa’s designation now as the National Museum of the Surface Navy, the ship is expected to grow in prominence and be a mainstay on San Pedro’s waterfront.
Prior to the ship coming to the Port of L.A. in 2012, it was maintained by the U.S. Navy.
The battleship came into the Port of Los Angeles berthing space on June 9, 2012, and will mark a decade in San Pedro this year.
Along with ongoing tours and special events, including a large public Memorial Day commemoration, the ship serves as the main backdrop of the expo area for L.A. Fleet Week, now in its seventh year.
This year’s celebration — following two years of online-only offerings because of the pandemic — will coincide with the Fleet Week in New York. Simultaneous celebrations of the U.S. Sea Services will be observed jointly on both coasts.
L.A. Fleet Week has permanently moved to Memorial Day after previously being staged for over Labor Day weekend. The annual Los Angeles celebration was launched in 2016, joining other Fleet Week events held annually around the country.
The event typically draws around 250,000 people throughout the long weekend but could see larger crowds this year, organizers said.
To contribute to the hull campaign, donors can call 877-446-9261, extension 747.