MISSION SANTA YNEZ, Last Stop
MISSION SANTA YNEZ April 10, 2010. Photo copyright Andrew Dyer 
- MISSION SANTA YNEZ in San Francisco Drydock April 3, 2010. Photo courtesy Anh Nguyen and Marco Souza
Updated from March 30, the MISSION SANTA YNEZ, a 1943- built T-2 tanker that has been in the Suisuin Bay Reserve Fleet since 1975, is now in a San Francisco dry dock being prepared for her tow to Texas, for recycling. According to the Maritime Administration’s acting administrator, David Matsuda, it will cost US$1.5 million to clean and deliver ship.
Following a lengthy legal dispute over the decaying “mothball fleet” in Suisuin Bay there has been an out of court agreement which paves the way for the federal government to dispose of more than 50 obsolete vessels while ensuring that flaking paint and toxic substances will no longer pollute San Francisco’s surrounding bays. This could encourage local ship recycling and perhaps see the Mare Island dry docks reopened, resulting in a boost to the Bay Area economy.
(Thanks for Anh Nguyen and Marco Souza for searching for the MISSION SANTA YNEZ, the last T-2 tanker, to photograph her for MaritimeMatters)
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quite sad to see the tanker like this…
Why could she not be saved as a musuem and tribute to all the sailors that sailed on this type or similar tanker in the second world war. Money spent cleaning her up could be put to keeping her as a museum. A bit of martime history again goes to be cut up.
I guess no one is interested in a tanker as a museum ship. Too bad, she would look good tied up next to the Jerimia O’Brien
Any ideas as to when she ll get to Brownsville.Id like to get down there and get a few photos before the welding torches get to her.Ialso agree she would look great next to any of our liberty/victory ship museums.
Marin County- Sausalito- are missing an opportunity here…the last T2…and it was built right there. The original dock is still right there…
Mark, I read somewhere that she’s heading to Esco Marine in Brownsville. You could give them a call to get an arrival date. If not, wait until you see the Santa Ynez in Esco’s project gallery and then you’ll know for sure that she’s there.
We can’t even save queen Mary in long beach. I was on her a couple weeks ago and the ship is in very poor condition. There’s holes from rust on side of ship. Promenade glass windows cracked. The wooden decks are shot.the ship black hull is a light grey. It is sad
Thinking about catching the sweet old Mission San Ynez when she goes through the canal. Anyone know who will do the tow??
thanks
wayne
I was on her last week and I am not ashamed to say I was teary eyed. The T-2’s were special ships, Agreed, this ship would have made a great museum in sausilito….covering the Marinship history, USMM and quite possibly enviromental history. I really love to get picture of her in panama canal. I have made some calls already.
Here is the URL for some video footage taken by Esteban before the ship left. What a beauty!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8NKJSplzLA
I was a crewman on the Santa Ynez during her last WWII service. I joined her in early 1945 while she was in the shipyard in the LA area. Indeed, she was a fine ship, and for me she held many memories. I had crewed on the Mission San Fernando prior to joining the Santa Ynez.
Her transit through the Panama Canal on the way to Brownsville:
http://www.travelserver.net/travelpage/aspgallery/view_ad.asp?Ad_ID=3458
Her career:
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/USNS_Mission_Santa_Ynez_(T-AO-134)?wasRedirected=true