Service To Help Free Carrier From Harbor Mud

The aircraft carrier USS Intrepid, stuck in the mud at pier 86 in New York Harbor, will soon be free -- that is if the US Navy has anything to say about it.

As ANN reported last week, the mighty carrier of WWII battle fame has served as a popular floating museum for many years. The ship draws more than 700,000 visitors each year, but it's badly in need of a face lift. Officials at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum planned to tow the massive carrier down the Hudson to the dry docks at Bayonne, NJ.

That plan failed when the fleet of tugs pulling the Intrepid from its mooring site only succeeded in screwing its massive propellers deep into the mud at the pier.

Museum president Bill White and his team were at a loss for how to proceed when the US Navy offered to help. He told the International Herald Tribune yesterday, "On Veterans Day today, as we honor the service of those who sacrificed for our freedom, Intrepid got the greatest news, she will be saved."

Over the next few weeks, teams from the US Navy will dredge under the 900-foot long vessel's stern to free its 16-foot long propellers.

Museum chairman Arnold Fisher said, "The expertise that the military is offering to solve this situation is crucial to allowing Intrepid to get underway and for us to stay within our schedule to refurbish the ship and rebuild Pier 86."

New York builder Zack Fisher, the late father of Arnold Fisher, saved the Intrepid from the scrapyard in the '70s. His vision to transform the 27,000-ton warship into a museum was meant to honor all the US armed forces.

Intrepid saw service during both the Korean and Vietnam conflicts, but was most famous for action seen during WWII. In addition to honoring all US military members, the museum also memorializes the 270 sailors killed in action aboard Intrepid.

FMI: www.intrepidmuseum.org