MANITOWOC – The USS Cobia arrived safely in Sturgeon Bay at about 4:30 p.m. Sept. 7 for weeks-long restoration work.
The World War II submarine’s departure from the Manitowoc harbor up Lake Michigan and to Sturgeon Bay’s Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding took about eight hours. It was towed by two tug boats.
The Cobia’s journey was delayed a few days because of gusty winds and Lake Michigan waves.
The Wisconsin Maritime Museum raised $1.5 million for the dry docking project, including a $500,000 grant from the state of Wisconsin. The Cobia was last dry docked in 1996.
The sub was built in 1943 in Connecticut and completed six war patrols during World War II. After the war, it was used for training until the ship was relocated to Manitowoc in 1970.
What happens during the dry docking of the USS Cobia?
While in dry dock at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding, the quagga and zebra mussels covering the hull of the USS Cobia will be removed and the entire submarine will be inspected, including flood spaces that can only be accessed while in dry dock.
After any necessary repairs are made and the outer tube gaskets replaced, the boat will be painted and returned home. The process is expected to take four to six weeks.
The USS Cobia is expected to make the journey back to Manitowoc in mid-October.
Contact reporter Patti Zarling at pzarling@gannett.com or call 920-606-2575.
This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: USS Cobia arrived safely in Sturgeon Bay. Now, dry docking begins. Here’s what it entails.
Reporting by Patti Zarling, Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter / Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter
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