The July 20th Pilot on reported that the USS Ortolan, a submarine rescue ship and USS Gage, an Attack Transport Ship launched in 1944 left on their way to being broken up in Brownsville, Texas. It also mentioned that there had been an effort to turn the latter into a museum ship.
Of course, now I will have to look this one up, plus this is a World War II ship.
There are only about 30 ships remaining in the James River Ghost Fleet.
Hate to Lose a World War II Ship. --Cooter
Showing posts with label James River Ghost Fleet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label James River Ghost Fleet. Show all posts
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
Brownsville, Texas Ship Channel
Most of the ghost ships end up at companies along the Brownsville Ship Channel which was built in 14 months from December 1934 to February 1936. It is 17 miles long, 400 feet wide, and 42 feet deep with a turning basin at the end.
Brownsville began seeking the channel back in 1928. It has been deepened over the years and always registers 40 feet at low tide.
No other US port has received more orders for ship recycling. Part of this being labor costs. The workers along the Rio Grande River area are very poor and desperate for jobs. This is also a non-union area. As such the companies can get by with very low wages and no benefits.
There was hope that more of the ghost fleet ships could be placed in the Ships to Reefs program, but still most end up as shipbreaking, where they are broken into smaller pieces.
Some of these ships also contain hazardous materials which is causing problems.
Next, the USS Gage. A Sad End. --Cooter
Brownsville began seeking the channel back in 1928. It has been deepened over the years and always registers 40 feet at low tide.
No other US port has received more orders for ship recycling. Part of this being labor costs. The workers along the Rio Grande River area are very poor and desperate for jobs. This is also a non-union area. As such the companies can get by with very low wages and no benefits.
There was hope that more of the ghost fleet ships could be placed in the Ships to Reefs program, but still most end up as shipbreaking, where they are broken into smaller pieces.
Some of these ships also contain hazardous materials which is causing problems.
Next, the USS Gage. A Sad End. --Cooter
James River's Ghost Fleet
I came across an article in the September 17th Virginia-Pilot by Scott Harper about ships being taken out of the James River Reserve Fleet (part of the National Defense Reserve Fleet) and being towed to Brownsville, Texas, where they are being broken up and salvaged.
The story was primarily about why other US ports were not getting the jobs which primarily was the low wages and non-benefits of the workers there. The average one earns maybe $17,000 a year.
In the past four years, 31 of the ghost ships have been dismantles, 23 across the border in Mexico. In 2008, eleven ships were taken here.
This ghost fleet is made up of ships not needed by the US Navy and some date as far back as World War II. One of these was the USS Gage, an attack transport ship, which I will write about later.
Let's Save Some of the Ships. --Cooter
The story was primarily about why other US ports were not getting the jobs which primarily was the low wages and non-benefits of the workers there. The average one earns maybe $17,000 a year.
In the past four years, 31 of the ghost ships have been dismantles, 23 across the border in Mexico. In 2008, eleven ships were taken here.
This ghost fleet is made up of ships not needed by the US Navy and some date as far back as World War II. One of these was the USS Gage, an attack transport ship, which I will write about later.
Let's Save Some of the Ships. --Cooter
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