[Think free or die]

I had no idea . . . we visited the Yorktown over 20 years ago. She was an impressive sight. I can imagine maintenance is expensive, and if it’s been neglected, this is a bad time to find funding to play catch up.

[tanknetter]

this is a bad time to find funding to play catch up.

That's the big problem with ship-based museums - rather than being engaged in continual upkeep (at least to the level truly needed) it tends to be roller-coasterish.

The Texas down in San Jacinto/Houston is a good example. She underwent major hull work (including a drydocking) in the late 1980s or early 90s. But there wasn't an ability to do follow-on work and she's now at a point where her condition is considered worse than what it was back then (and she almost sunk while being towed to drydock).

In the Navy, you see rust on a ship and you grab a couple of the junior deck apes, give them scrapers, some 5-gallon buckets of paint and some brushes, and you have them go take care of the problem. Museum ships don't have that kind of staff (even with volunteer support) so the ships deteriorate until there can be a capital campaign to raise the money for more comprehensive work. Which is what Intrepid (the best of the Essexes) just went through.