Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - It's been well over three months since we've seen the serious listing of the historic ship USS The Sullivans at the Buffalo and Erie County Military and Naval Park. The park has now sent a request for proposal (RFP) to hire a naval architect to assess the state of the ship as well as future potential costs.
"We have just put out an RFP within the last couple of weeks and the RFP is to hire a naval architect. The purpose of hiring a naval architect will be to bring in someone with the expertise to analyze the integrity of the ship's holes and not just The Sullivans, but all three of our ships and to make the determination as to whether they are seaworthy," said Paul Marzello, President and CEO of the Buffalo and Erie County Military and Naval Park.
"The Sullivans, we need to assess whether she is seaworthy or needs to be taken to a a dry dock or if there is the possibility of building a cofferdam. Which would include taking her out of her current burden as well. In either case, she needs to be looked at in terms of how structurally sound that hull is and if it isn't, what needs to be done in the short term so that she would be capable of making that trip. Certainly she can't do it on her own, she has to be tugged. The nearest drydock is in Erie, PA, their eta is about 90 miles if you're driving, but it's about an 18 to 20 hour tow for the ship. So it's going to be of concern to us to make sure that she is see where they can make that trip," Marzello says.
BIDCO, the diving contractors hired to assess the damage of the ship have raised no new concerns with the ship.
"BIDCO has been doing a terrific job," notes Marzello. "I mean, they're divers are very experienced, they're very familiar with the ship. They know what to look for. They know the weak spots. So I do think they'll be an integral part of this process going forward. But at this time, The Sullivans is in great shape. She's straighter than ever, he's sitting higher out of the water than she's ever been. So we're we don't have any immediate concerns," said Marzello.
In terms of preparedness for a leak, the park is much more equipped. Ready to bring on larger pumps if needed.
"If there was going to be some leakage, we have a series of pumps that are now strategically located in the lower sections of the hull, with monitors on them, so that we would be able to react to them quickly. We also have the ability to bring in larger pumps at a moment's notice and we feel much more prepared if something was going to happen going forward," Marzello said.
They don't anticipate more leaks however, if some additional holes were to arise, it would be likely they would occur in the beginning of the spring, as ice melts from the winter and the temperature changes, "When the snow melts and when the ice start decides to dissipate. When the structure of the steel gets tested because the temperature changes in the metal is what very often is the case that would pop some additional holes," Marzello explains.
There's been all types of funding for this vessel over the last couple years, through donations via the 'Save The Sullivans' project and well as recent funding through the state, but a clear figure for permanent repairs will be known once the naval architect assesses the vessel. The RFP is reported to return to the park before July 29th.
Tourists can only access The Sullivans' quarter deck to get to the USS Little Rock, where young sea cadets have been training on this week. They hope to have the deck of The Sullivans open in the next couple of weeks and the inside of The Sullivans to be open in time for the next 2023 season.
"I think we're we're in a good place right now and feeling very comfortable that the ship has been righted and she's sitting pretty in the water and I think we've got plenty of good direction with plenty of interest from outside firms that want to help so we'll see where we go from here," said the park's president.
