LA PORTE, Texas — Battleship Texas finally has a set date to sail from its La Porte home.
Initially, the historic ship was scheduled to be towed to the Gulf Copper Shipyard in Galveston for necessary repairs in mid-August. Those plans were pushed back to Wednesday, Aug. 31.
While the ship will officially leave the San Jacinto Battleground site for repairs, you might still be able to see it as it gets repaired.
Currently, the Battleship Texas Foundation is working on a plan for visitors to see the ship while it's dry-docked at Pier 21, but those plans have yet to be finalized.
At the end of July, teams installed pumps that will be used during towing to limit the ship's water intake from leaks.
Back in May, crews removed about 23,000 cubic yards of mud from the stern around the ship to clear a path for towing into the Houston Ship Channel.
The Texas still does not have a permanent home planned after it's repaired, but we know it won’t be returned to La Porte, where it’s been since 1948.
Its new permanent home is likely to be in the Houston area, but Beaumont and Baytown have also been discussed as options.
Meanwhile, the City of Beaumont hired a marine engineering firm to help them determine the cost and precise location of the Battleship Texas if it were to be moved to Southeast Texas.
Beaumont paid $20,000 for the engineering firm to help with their quest to obtain the Texas. At the time, Beaumont city councilmembers said they were the "only logical place" for the Texas because Baytown will have to spend $20 million to dredge a channel and maintain that channel for the ship.