Emergency Updates IV: USS The Sullivans 

Fantastic story there. Thank you for sharing!

A beautiful story of two great ships; thank you for posting and God bless your father🇺🇲🥰🙏

Bryce - thank you! I was quite relieved to see the Memorial Compartment never came close to flooding! Everything is secure...including Alleta Sullivan's (the boys' Mom) letters to the boys who served aboard this ship! Ah - you caught the camp scheme I'm interested in painting her...excellent! I will need all the advocates I can get! Thank you as always!

Very well stated. Great positive words.

@@sbrunner69 Agreed!

Fred - thank you very much! All the staff work here because we love these ships, and the stories that they tell. It's heartbreaking, but it also will allow us to continue to tell her story and we'll have this "victory" to start that story! Appreciate your support!

@@BuffaloNavalPark Victory to The Sullivans!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

People that put negative comments need to get a life! Go Sullivans!!!!!!!!!!

@@OGartondale011 ABSOLUTLY!!!!

Lack of hard work, planning, and the ability to recognize and respond to a known threat is what caused the current condition. Posting little hearts and empty videos online is not "hard work". No one from the organization is even permitted onboard because they have nothing to contribute and would be a hazard to themselves and the salvage work. If you feel compelled to thank someone, thank the salvage company workers who are performing a difficult, dangerous and dirty job that never should have been required.

S.M.R - thank you for your thoughtful comment! The weight of all those she represents and the workers at the Bethlehem Ship Yard in San Francisco, are on our shoulders. We will continue to tell her story for the next 80 years! Appreciatively!

Too bloody right mate. I can see & hear the raw emotion in Shane as he gives us the update. As another Aussie just coming off our ANZAC Day, these fine vessels need preserving for the next generation to see & experience. I am sure these efforts will succeed & we can only hope that the cash will be available for the overhaul that will allow USS The Sullivans to be around for the next 80 years.

Thank you...we think of George, Albert, Joseph, Madison, and Francis - along with Alleta and Tom, their parents every day we step aboard. I say good morning to all the boys every day! Thank you for your support! We hope to continue to bring you good news updates!

Thank you for watching, TheSiruncle! So appreciative of your views from across the pond!

Susan - thank you for the kind words! Well, I'm a deck plate too - ha! I've learned everything over the last four years of working here, but I didn't know anything (except archiving the collections) about the Navy or ship architecture. My "job" is to make the photographs, primary source materials, books, 3D artifacts available to visitors. I've bleed on board, and fell in love with these ships. Appreciate your support! We'll keep providing updates!

Richard, thanks for watching, and we won't let the Flagship of the Irish Fleet go down! Tonight's video update will bring a wee smile to everyone's face!

Thank you for your support! Continue to check back for updates and be sure, if you're able to join us on our live 20:00 Watch, Wednesday night at 8pm.

Steve - as always great to have your support! And look forward to meeting you later this year...you've been a great supporter!

@@BuffaloNavalPark Thank you Shane.

Thank you very much! We'll be making a volunteer video when we're ready and directing people on how to get in touch with us to volunteer! Appreciate it!

Thank you Phillip, and thank you to your nephew. When we pump the ship, we don't have anything close to this equipment. I'm going to be asking that one stay here on sight when she is righted again! Thank him for us!

Thanks Don B for your passionate comments. She'll come back upright and floating again soon, and will be here to tell her story for the next 80 years!

Richard - appreciate your comments! Thank you so much for your enthusiasm. It really is uplifting to our crew to know that you and so many are pulling for her from all across the globe! Appreciatively!

Randy - thanks for your comment, and yes - staff has already been updating our surveys of Croaker and Little Rock, and we are developing a 5 - 10 year plan to cut this off at the pass for them.

Thank you Steven! We'll continue to update all of our interested viewers and subscribers!

All museum ships do, Robert! Our USS Little Rock has a 4" armor belt. But, this can be her fate in another 20 years. We all must remain as diligent as we can - Covid is one of the serious culprits here as much of the staff was furloughed multiple times. We didn't have eyes on her like we normally did for two winters. Thank you for your support!

Ash Jod - Great Question. I absolutely plan on filming inside. As of now, the only people allowed on board are the workers from the two companies. But, once it is safe, I will be taking the camera in there for sure. Not only to document the artifacts that are remaining and locations of them, but the video will go into our digital archive for future generations. Thank you!

@@BuffaloNavalPark wonderful to hear, great Work,👍

And we'd like to have you Poisened Gamers!

Thank you, Shawn! We appreciate all the enthusiasm!

Well, we are "beginning" to explore a 5-10 year master plan, which may include what you're mentioning. We've reconned various slips out that way - but, you didn't hear it from me.

Do you realize how exciting this will be for Buffalo & the region? You will be surprised how many people will want to help you with this endeavor - including politicians! A naval park at the outer harbor will truly become a signature for the region!

Yes, I will try. During the test pumping phase they would pump for an hour or two, but very shortly they will begin the full pumping operations, and I'll get some footage then for sure! Thanks for watching!

Stephen, thanks for confirming what we try to get out there in public. A lot of people said "Just pump!". Well, that's not the case...we had one shot to raise her, and thankfully because of the test pumping and data analysis we were able to do that successfully!

@@BuffaloNavalPark I hope as well you are able to research through original naval yard documents from when the keel was first laid down so that you can analyse the structure with modern day engineering modelling software to be forewarned about any potential risk areas you may encounter during not just operations like the floatation of the USS Sullivans but it's general long term maintenance to preserve this wonderful historic artefact for the people to put into perspective so form of understanding of just what the crews of these ships lived in and if not what they went through what life onboard these wonderful ships would entail on a daily basis. I know through contacts of mine that for instance the use of Zinc Chromate protective paint is now frowned upon by some bureaucrats within different sections of Government but is an essential requirement for the long term survival of both Ships and Aircraft in a marine environment, That is why unless overtaken by fire various USMC and Japanese naval Aircraft wrecks are still remarkably well preserved over three quarters of a century after their demise in the Jungles of the South West Pacific Theatre. I am lucky enough to have seen many photos of such historic crash sites because my Brother in Law grew up in Papua New Guinea and he visited many of these wrecks up to 50 odd years ago, Many now no doubt lost to time and the ever growing tropical flora. Good luck and best wishes to all involved in your highly valued endeavours

@@stephencox4224 Thanks again for your thoughtful comments, Stephen. Our naval surveyor is coming after Thanksgiving and he is going to do a thorough "once over" USS The Sullivans, and will put his recommendations to us. We have a winter emergency plan currently in place for this coming winter, and hope to get to dry dock this coming year at some time. If dry dock is not the recommended course of action - maybe a coffer dam, et cetera, then we will follow his and his team's recommendation to the letter. Thanks again!

I agree look on Texas

Thanks for your smart question! Coffer damming has been reviewed by the staff for a while now. The concern we have is that The Sullivans in her current state - and I mean over the last year or so - would not be able to hold her weight. The buoyancy actually helps her. We felt when discussing this issue, that putting her on blocks she would begin to collapse. That doesn't mean when she's dry docked that it won't be the best option, but for now that's why we haven't explored it more! Thanks for the question and appreciate you viewing!

Thank you! We won't!

Thanks Maxine! So appreciative of your support! Please join us if you can for our 20:00 Watch, 8pm Wednesday night!

Thank you very much, Jim! Every staff and volunteer of our museum fleet works hard against the inevitable odds. This is a major event in the history of USS The Sullivans, and we will not fail! Appreciate your kind thoughts!

Spent 3 years with the "Moth Ball " fleet in Philadelphia baby sitting those ships and the Sullivans was there and twice we had problems in the after sections of her. Wish you the best with her.

@@davidlabar6688 Thank you for your comments. I hadn't heard that story before that there were potential issues in the transom while still in Philly. I'd like to hear more, if you have specifics or records/notes that would be really fabulous! Let me know!

Scrap that wreck.

Thank you Robert Bull. We continue to be quite hopeful. Once they solve the issues in Section C - the fantail area, she will be ready to come up and tell her story for another 80 years. Thank you!

Very true, Len! And we'll keep you updated as that happens!

RGMerkel - We are working as hard as we can! As the Sullivan family says - this ship isn't just about their family, it's about all Gold Star families. Thank you!

Neil - thank you! We are working around the clock and as hard as we can to get her on a right even keel and to continue to tell her story!

Thank you, Wide World of Trains - and you can come up at any time! Have dinner and a drink at the Liberty Hound, and you can walk right to the pier and look at the name as it sits above the waterline again! Appreciate it!

Ed, we will not let this ship go down. She's been through too much history, and we will keep telling the story of her, the boys, and all who served for the next 80 years! Thank you for sharing your story and your sacrifices!

Glad to see The Sullivans is being saved. It's a slow tough job, but well worth it. My own ship, a Knox class frigate USS Ainsworth FF-1090, was transferred to Turkey in 1994 as the TCG Ege, finally decommed in 2005. She is now a museum ship in Izmir, Turkey.

@@lancerevell5979 Thanks for sharing your story, Lance. I'm sure it would be quite interesting to go visit her there! We're all confident that Sully will come back and tell her story for the next 80 years!

@@lancerevell5979 Nice to see Turkey turn it into a museum. That's the same city we used to visit whenever we went to the Med.

@@Errr717 They also have on display an exUSN submarine next to my old ship. Nice to know other nations save a few of their old ships.

Thank you very much! Everything is going to be on the table for sure. You can donate a variety of ways - buy a membership, purchase an item or two in the gift shop on our website, or go to the links in the description of this video. They should take you to the pages!

@@BuffaloNavalPark That's great, thanks. I'll look into donating, The Sullivans deserves to be saved. Is there a list of ships in the museum? I've always wondered if any LSMR's were saved for museum purpose, they served this country and should get a place in history, instead of just razor blades.

@@Wahbooz You can visit the Historic Naval Ship Association website at: www.hnsa.org They have lists of the museum ships by state or country. Hope that helps!

@@BuffaloNavalPark Thanks. I've been going down the list, and also by state, but I suspect not one was saved. It saddened me when I read our small task force was decommissioned and sold to Japan for scrap after fighting in Vietnam for 3 years. Our history will only be on websites I guess. Keep up the good work.

Thanks for your support, Captain Obvious! We'll get her right even keeled and she'll tell her story for another 80 years!

Thank you for your sacrifices while serving, and thank you for your comments. Please keep checking back for more updates - and your kind words are appreciated! We won't give up the Flagship of the Irish Fleet!

@@BuffaloNavalPark you should put on land

@@gandalflotr2898 We've discussed this in the past, Graybeard, but the major concern in her current state is that she would collapse under he own weight on the blocks. For her, the buoyancy helps her. Once we are able to get her dry docked and the hull strakes strengthened we may consider it...but as of now, we worry she wouldn't be able to support herself. Thanks for watching and your comment!

We appreciate your passion. Answer 1: We recognized a serious issue last year, spent a few months vetting companies and plans, and went with a two part epoxy plan to coat her whole hull which would give her 10 - 15 years of protection. That would then allow us to raise the $4 - $5 million to dry dock her! This plan costs $1 million that we did raise. Answer 2: Um...I won't go there! Thanks for watching, and check tonight's update video!

Thanks for your thoughts, Random! Sometimes it's definitely true...I grab the camera and go as things are happening and don't have a script most of the time. There will be another Update video tonight, but it may be lacking in what you're looking for too! There will be videos coming that will go into greater detail, I promise you. Also, check out our "20:00 Watch live streams" you may find some detailed information there. You ask great questions, and again once she is on a right even keel, we will answer them - as an archivist, that's what I do. Thank you!

Larry - 13 holes have been plugged over the past 10 days, about 200 ft. of her starboard side is buried in the Buffalo River bed, so they haven't been able to check those spaces yet. As the divers find holes they are patching them. That's the current information I have. Thanks for watching!

We want to be the first to come back from something like this! Thank you John!

Supposing that additional holes appeared at all, then most of them likely happened when leaking into a different compartment caused some critical amount of sinking- with the resulting increase of water pressure on those weak spots, they would have turned into actual holes, resulting in even more sinking continuing the process.

Like so many things for lack of proper funding.

James - after the test pumping, the Coast Guard and two marine companies think it will be a matter of days. Thanks for watching, and continue to watch the updates. Please join us if you can for our 20:00 Watch, on Wednesday at 8pm EST. Bring questions and comments. Thanks!

Thanks for commenting and appreciate your support from the land of "The Church"! You're asking about a Coffer Dam. That would require the dam built around all three ships...pumping the water out, but most important is having a blocking plan and cradling. We worry that if the ships were sitting on block (cradles), especially for The Sullivans, she might begin to collapse under her own weight. We see the ravages of water, but the buoyancy helps with the preservation! Thanks for watching!

Thanks for your thoughts Atomic Underground. Our updates are getting better and better!

Thank you Kevin. Please check back for our Update V video tonight or tomorrow. It will bring a nice smile to your face. Slow and steady is winning the day!

they were refit

no its an extremely thin hull thickness. Fletchers were not designed to survive 5 years in salt water

brah the hull is swiss cheese. the steel was thin to begin with and now its rusted almost full through. We can bring in dozens of DW pumps and this boat will sink

Yes, Sir! So appreciative! Full speed ahead, and we're not looking back!

Thanks for your support, Roger! Greatly appreciated!

Yes, for sure. I'm taking deep breaths to prepare for when I can board her again. We will have a strong volunteer base - and I'll know we will bring her back looking better than ever - with her hull getting that added attention she deserves. Thank you!

Thank you so much! Please come on down...we're in the Buffalo River where she meets the Niagara River! Look forward to it!

Thanks for sharing and for visiting! We'll have her on a right even keel and you'll be able to visit again!

Thanks John, we've reached out to DonJon again. We had a nice meeting with them last summer. Certainly doesn't change that it will cost $4 - $5 million at least! Appreciate the comment!

csx68 Orion. Your support is so appreciate. Even your comments and enthusiasm help our staff and those of the companies. So appreciative...even if you can't supply the gold bars!