EVANSVILLE — LST 325 is scheduled to leave Evansville Monday for Port Arthur, Texas, where it will be in dry dock for six weeks for maintenance and repairs. The ship is scheduled to return to Evansville in about two months.
“Dry docking takes place about every 10 years to maintain the integrity of the ship and maintain its status as a sailing vessel,” said Chris Donahue, a member of the USS LST Ship Memorial board of directors. “Some extensive refurbishing will be performed on the bow and the hull of the ship, as well as other areas.”
The 70-year-old ship, which saw action during the World War II D-Day invasion of France in 1944, is in generally good condition, Donahue said. The vessel was inspected by the Coast Guard on Thursday and approved to depart for Texas.
LST 325 will sail down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to the Intracoastal Waterway to Port Arthur. The trip is expected to take about a week to complete. About 50 crew members will be aboard for the trip to Texas. Most of them will return to Evansville upon reaching Port Arthur and then go back to Texas for the return voyage to Evansville.
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