USS KIDD DD-661 High and Dry Due to Historical Low Mississippi River Water Level Baton Rouge 

At least this will give the museum time to do maintenance to the hull without taking the ship to a dry dock.

Great time to inspect, repair, and repaint the hull. Thank you USS KIDD 🇺🇸

Yup, I was thinking the same thing as was mentioned earlier. A great time for fixing any hull problems, or at least a quick cleaning and getting a new coat of paint on the hull.

They don't make them like that anymore, 80 years later and she's still just a little maintenance away from being ready for battle. Fletchers were excellent ships, and a lot were built. It's good to know at least one is preserved so well.

That was my grandpas ship. He was a gunner. He also was on the USS black until it was sunk

What a perfect time to do some ship maintenance.

Her mooring is designed to cope with the extreme changes in river level at Baton Rouge (hence the permanently installed hull blocking under her to hold her level when the river drops) but I’ve never seen any pictures with the water that far away.

Neat, she still has her screws unlike most museum ships!

This happens pretty much every year. It's just that the river is usually at its lowest in the winter instead of the fall, and never this ridiculously low even then.

The Kidd was used in the Tom Hanks movie Greyhound. Not on water, but used for on ship scenes. Great movie if you’re interested.

My Dad was an MM on another Fletcher Class, USS Beale. I was an MM on the USS Richmond K Turner, CG-20. He got to tour the Turner when we were in NY Harbor for the Bi-Centennial in ‘76. I finally made it down to Baton Rouge and toured the Kidd a few years ago. It was pretty emotional, imagining what it was like in the Pacific during the war. The engine rooms were not open for the public, but the fantastic staff let me roam around down there for 45 minutes. At that time the river was just below the propeller hubs.

Judging by the vegetation this has not just suddenly occurred.

My bootcamp CC served on the Kidd. It's wild to see this ship. That was a loooong time ago.

My grandfather sailed on dd667 uss Chauncey I’ve always wanted to visit this museum, it being my grandfathers sister ship

Just saying and it might already be happening but now, with a natural dry-dock going on, would be the perfect time to do any below the waterline maintenance, cleaning, patching, or painting needing to be done to maintain hull integrity. I saw one of the drains letting (probably) rainwater or condensation out

Unreal but at the same time I do believe the USS Texas wouldn't have minded free drydock time. If there's work to be done below the waterline get some crews out there and fix the ol' girl up.

Wow! She's in ROUGH shape! Looks like she hasn't seen so much as a fresh coat of paint in YEARS.

I'm sure the water levels will be back, its good they had it set on blocks for just this type of water drop. Love these WWII ships that kept us safe and free!

Great video but yes conduct hull maintenance with a quickness.

Best time for any repairs to the hull. Maybe some new anodes, scrap and paint. However it's not good for the ship to stay out of the water too long.

Looks like a good time to do some scraping and painting of the hull.

Dry dock is expensive Sounds like a good time to do some preservation maintenance

This would be a good time to get any repairs that is needed on the ships Haul done before the water comes back up.

Now would be a good time to some work on the bottom and paint it

Thank you as a modeler, for the full hull view of a Fletcher class destroyer.

Sharp bow, narrow hull and two huge props. Looks like a speed boat.

Exactly now this is the time to do below the water line repairs and it cost a hell of a lot less

I toured her in Feb 2021. Fascinating part of history

Take advantage of this free drydock access.

Absolute perfect setup for a museum piece.

A refurb of the boat would never be cheaper than it is now. Don't even need a dry dock. Someone should consider that.

I thought it having hull blocks was sus and I was right. The ship has hull blocks because the river can go up and down forty feet throughout the year.

Get the bottom painted while you're waiting for the water to return! This would also be a good time to repair all of those aging levees.

I just attended a conference at the Capitol Hilton a week before this video was shot. I was there for the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission. All the states signed it to help students with educational issues from PCS moves. Baton Rouge was a great host. I saw the Kidd from my hotel room every day there. It was fitting visiting the Kidd this year since I just visited the Arizona this summer.

i've lived here long enough that i remember the last time the kidd was that dry (around the last time they fired a full power 5" blank for july 4th, which broke windows all over down town, concussion on the west bank was like getting popped in the chest) i don't remember being able to reach the screws, so the since then added casino mooring to the stern has allowed silt to accumulate under the kidd

Good opportunity for the museum to hire volunteers to clean the bottom hull, take pictures show some historical references of how the ship looks in and out of water. Heck it's a good opportunity to make a makeshift false dry dock so it looks like it's being worked on. So many opportunities

I think this is a perfect time for some hull or exterior paint work

Perfect time for descaling the hull and repainting it.

It was this way sometime around '86-87 time frame. I had pictures just like this.

I can't believe these tiny little ships were fighting the battleship Yamato at Leyte Gulf by themselves and had to fight kamikazes everyday as the vanguard line for 3 months at Okinawa!!! Also they were the ones responsible for fighting submarines. Destroyers are amazing.

This is an opportunity for hull maintenance and painting...hopefully not a wasted opportunity

Just an FYI, I was there today and the water level is fully floating this ship.

Good time to clean and touch up. They will wait until the water rises. So it will cost three times as much.

good time to start painting

2150 class destroyer just like the ship I served on in 1965 - 66. Took that boat to Vietnam in the end of 65. This 1 looks just like her.

Looks like a great time to repair and paint the hull on this great vessel

Great chance to paint the hull.

I was on the Porterfield dd682 for about 7 months in '64 before I went to EMA school it was an experience being on a tincan

Great drone work!

It’s a crazy low river right now.

Now it’s a good time to do maintenance. Dry docking is expensive.

Those were just incredible ships. Serving both in the Atlantic and the pacific

Wow. I knew it was low, but not this low. I was there last spring

To Third Coast Drone, thanks for the vid, professional all the way. 🙂👍

I was there in July and the water was just barely kissing the keel.

“Preacher man says it’s the end of time and the Mississippi River is going dry”

Good time for much needed repairs and refurbishment

now is a good time to sandblast the hull and paint it and do maintenance

Good time for maintenance and upgrades.

Well thank god she didn’t end her career in a scrap pile. There are some that care and are proud to work on them. A ship that hopefully many generations will get to see and learn all about her history. 🇺🇸

Great video thank you 😊

Good time to scrape and paint.... where's the Bosun at?

why it still have its screww??

My brother served on the Kidd

That is insane wow

On the bright side now you can do maintance on the ship hulls that sre showing signs of deterioration without taking them to dry dock

To the people saying "FrEe DrY dOcK" and "RePaInT hEr" That's not going to happen. 1.) Chipping, and repainting a vessel and one especially one of her age poses an environmental hazard. Even when you look at vessels like USS Texas for example who is in a floating dry dock, notice the buoys around the ship, and environmental impact studies and mitigation efforts had to be taken before she could even be taken to dry dock. So no such work will be conducted until then. 2.) Hypothetically even if plans had been submitted. NO ONE would approve of them, given the volatile state of the water level in the river, sure its low now, but for how long? IF work hypothetically began, and the water level began to rise, then what? Care for these historic vessels isn't as simple as just hastily spraying some now paint on the hull from time to time. I understand the concern, but trust me, most if not all museum ships are in good hands. Kidd had/s plans for dry docking in her future.

Too funny how many people in the comments are like "TIME FOR A PAINTJOB"

Well now it won't rust.

Great video👊

I’ve been to the kidd several times, sure would love to get up close to those props though

The model ship I have is the same kind. Blue devil destroyer

Get that hull looking better!

Looks like Someone had to think fast on instant Dry dock cribbing great job all hands bellow deck. Amazing.

Good time to break-out the welder and paint brush. Turn a negative situation into a positive.

Sounds like the right time to prime and paint the bottom.

The big issue is not some old ship. The real important issue is none of us can survive without water!

I'll say this much, I had no idea she is permanently moored. Then again, an old Fletcher class like she is, I'm not surprised. Honestly, this situation could be easy for fixing some of that rust and rot.

In normal condtions, the ship would be afloat? The two frame structures on the river side keep the ship in the same position so in event of low water like this, they guide the ship to the blocks, correct? It looks like its been on dry land for quite a while.

Painters man your brushes!

I guess its time for some free dry dock repairs

Why does the Kidd still have its propellers when all other ships and subs do not?

Well done.

干ばつのせいでフルハルの模型みたいになってんじゃん… というか、これ竜骨で艦底支えてあったのね

Now is an excellent opportunity to scrape and paint

Be the time to do some work on it an paint the bottom.

Calling all Boatswain mates for a painting party on the pier....lol!

Going on a field trip to there and the state capitol tomorrow

Now would be a good time for sand blasting and paint

Maybe it's time to repair the bottom of the ship before the river levels back up

You guys need to take advantage of the low water levels and get out there and sand blast the hull and re-paint the boat. Cheaper to do it now than have to rent a drydock.

good time to repaint the lower hull

Look at the bright side. "Mommy, can we go to the drydock?" "No, Kidd. We've got drydock at home."

Looks like the hull is porous along the water line. I hope water doesn't regularly flow in and out of the Kidd

Looking at the rust at the water line, she's going to have the same issues as the Texas before long.

She's in better shape than the Texas.

Well at least the hull looks to be in good shape

Time for hull work boys!

What an ideal time now the ship is out of the water, no dry dock fees to pay, just get the hull repainted and stop neglecting her. Brighten her up and it will attract more visitors

You can almost see Tom Hanks, on the bridge, taking on the "Grey Wolf."