These photos were taken on 4 Jan 1999 as USS PAMPANITO left pier 45 San Francisco and crossed the bay to Bay Ship and Yacht in Alemeda, CA.  There she received her third regular maintenance drydocking for hull preservation work since becoming a museum ship in 1981. Pampanito returned to her pier 45 home on Thu 28 Jan and reopened to the public on Feb 1, 1999. She is scheduled to go to drydock again in late 2005, or early 2006.

Sheedy Co. provided the shoreside crane used to remove PAMPANITO's offshore moorings. She was pushed by Sea River Co. tractor tug MARE ISLAND with the tug SEA EAGLE assisting during unmooring.

Photo of Pampanito unhooking her offshore moorings.
Unhooking her moorings.
Photograph supplied courtesy of the San Francisco Chronicle. Our thanks to the Chronicle and its photographer Brant Ward.

Pampanito being pushed across the bay with the city in the background.
Passing the city.
Photograph supplied courtesy of the San Francisco Chronicle. Photo by Brant Ward.
 

Pampanito being pushed under the Bay Bridge.
Under the Bay Bridge.
Photograph supplied courtesy of the San Francisco Chronicle. Photo by Brant Ward.
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 28 January 1999
PUBLIC INFO: (415) 775-1943

WORLD WAR II SUBMARINE USS PAMPANITO RETURNS TO SAN FRANCISCO'S PIER 45

Beautifully Restored Vessel Reopens to Public After $250,000

(SAN FRANCISCO, CA) -- The Maritime Park Association (formerly the National Maritime Museum Association) proudly announces the return of the restored World War II submarine USS Pampanito to San Francisco's Pier 45 after extensive dry dock work at Alameda's Bay Ship & Yacht Co. The submarine will reopen to the public on February 1, 1999. Visiting hours are 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. every day including holidays; 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Admission includes a 25-minute audio tour and is $7 for adults, $4 for children (6-12) and seniors, and free for children under six years old. Public information is available by calling (415) 775-1943.

Pampanito was towed to Bay Ship & Yacht Co. dry dock on January 4, 1999. Towing services were generously donated by SeaRiver Maritime, Inc. While in dry dock, the submarine's underwater hull was inspected, cleaned and painted, and all thirty-eight zincs ("sacrificial" nodes to protect against electrolysis) were replaced. Additionally, Bay Ship & Yacht Co. donated their services to paint the boat's superstructure. At a cost of $250,000, this dry- docking is the most extensive overall refurbishment of the submarine since its original restoration.

Pampanito Ship's Manager Richard Clark oversaw the dry dock work. "Ideally, the zincs on the submarine should be replaced every couple of years, so we're devising a way for divers to replace them in the future," said Clark. "The work we're doing is part of our commitment to preserving Pampanito for the next 100 years, keeping our history alive for our children's children."

Visitors to the spruced-up Pampanito and Pier 45 will also enjoy the freshly cleaned and painted pier, as well as the Pampanito Store, which opened recently and features a wide variety of books about submarine and World War II history in addition to Pampanito keepsakes. The submarine's audio tour offers an insider's look at life aboard a submarine. The audio tour is slated for technical upgrading this year and additional audio tour topics are being developed for future installation.

Considered one of the finest examples of maritime preservation in the nation, USS Pampanito welcomes more than 200,000 visitors each year. Overnight educational programs serve scout troops and other groups an average of 220 nights every year. Pampanito is managed by the nonprofit Maritime Park Association, dedicated to maritime preservation and education, which acquired the submarine in 1976, undertook its restoration, and opened it to the public in 1982. Proceeds from ticket sales and programs support the Maritime Park Association and San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park. Further information about the Maritime Park Association and the USS Pampanito is available on the Association web site at https://maritime.org

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