Crews Succeed In Moving WWII Carrier For Refurbishing

The first attempt a month ago ended only a few feet from the dock, with the mighty ship's stern mired in Hudson River silt... but on Tuesday, crews finally succeeded in pulling the USS Intrepid away from its berth on Manhattan's west side.

The trip almost didn't happen, however... again. The New York Times reports the ship once again refused to budge for the first 25 minutes that crews tried to pull the ship away from the pier. Just before 9 am Tuesday morning, however, the ship started to move.

"We got it!" said Pat Kinnier, who oversaw the towing operation as a crowd of about 100 looked on from the neighboring pier.

As Aero-News reported, the first attempt to move the Intrepid ended almost as soon as it began on November 6. US Navy crews spent have three weeks since then dredging to free the ship's massive propellers from the river floor. And this time around, instead of just one tugboat pulling the ship... crews used three.

"More is better than less," Kinnier said.

The WWII-era aircraft carrier -- which has served as the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum for nearly 25 years -- is bound for drydock in Bayonne, NJ, where its hull will be sandblasted and repainted. Crews in Manhattan will use the time to rebuild Pier 86, the Intrepid's home since 1982.

The Intrepid is due to return to the pier in the fall of 2008, with its exhibit spaces completely reconditioned. Its impressive fleet of airplanes and helicopters will also sport new paint jobs.

FMI: www.intrepidmuseum.com