BUFFALO, NY – The U.S.S. The Sullivans, a centerpiece of The Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park, has developed several leaks and an assessment will soon be done to comprehend the severity of the holes in its hull.
“It’s like all of us when we get to be 70-plus years old,” John Branning, who is the Superintendent of Ships at the park, said. “We start to leak around the edges, smell a little different, and make funny noises.”
All joking aside however, Branning, a navy veteran who is a certified diver and who as part of his job has actually donned scuba gear to go below the surface and patch leaks, says a more permanent solution could be very complicated and beyond the parks current financial ability.
“This is a national historic landmark named for the five Sullivan brothers who lost their lives off the Solomon Islands. And it would be a tragedy and a travesty to allow these ships to get beyond the capabilities that we have to maintain them,” Branning said.
Photos: U.S.S. Sullivans in need of repairs
Persistent Leaks
The ship currently has nine active leaks, according to Branning, and an array of sump pumps, which are constantly dispelling water from areas well below decks and inaccessible to the public.
Indeed, visitors who come to tour the ship would have no idea of the problem.
“Some of these holes are very small, but as soon as you touch them you can stick your thumb through,” Branning said.
And while leaks are nothing new for the ship, Branning explained that with every year that passes, the likelihood of them popping up increases.
“She won’t heal herself,” Branning said.
Weighing Options
The park has obtained a grant to do a “hole survey” to ascertain the condition of the entire hull. A firm has been hired to do the work this summer.
Once the study is complete, the staff at the park will have a better handle on the extent of the leaks, and the options they might want to explore.
Options might include buying additional sump pumps and keep patching the holes, as has been done.
Another option would be to re-plate the entire hull.
That alone, according to Branning, might cost $3-4 million.
It would also require the additional cost to construct a coffer dam around the ship, so that several feet of water surrounding it could be pumped out to allow repair crews access, in a process that might take 18 to 24 months all told.
A third, even more costly and complicated option, would be to remove the ship and tow it to a dry dock (the nearest is in Erie, PA) where it could be repaired and then towed back to Buffalo.
However, because The Sullivans sits “nested”, on the inside of the U.S.S Little Rock and the Submarine U.S.S. Croaker, those two vessels would also have to be moved in order for the Sullivans to be towed out under that scenario.
Helping Out
Meanwhile, the Liberty Hound Restaurant at the park has begun an effort to help fund future repairs.
“All through the month of July and we're going to donate a dollar from the sales of our two most popular drinks to the capital campaign to try and kick start getting the work done,” said Jason Davidson, the restaurant’s owner.
They began promoting the effort on their Facebook page on Tuesday.