She's About to Get Wet Again...

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Workers began removing the huge glass wall of the National World War II Museum's Restoration Pavilion, the first step to take PT 305 back to the water.

Project Manager Bruce Harris said there were no words to explain his excitement.

Volunteers have been working on the boat, saying they wanted to give back to veterans.

"Just to repay the veterans who of World War II," explained volunteer Tim Divincenti.

PT 305 was built in New Orleans at Higgins Industries and launched in Lake Pontchartrain in 1943. The boat was deployed to the Mediterranean and sailors painted two small Swastikas after they sank two enemy craft.

"She conducted 77 offensive patrols on occupied coastline," said National World War II Museum Historian Josh Schick. "She participated in two major invasions. She inserted and picked up OSS Operatives, she escorted convoys, she attacked German shipping."

Much of the original vessel remains.

"These panels are original, the bulkheads are original, we'll be able to restore all this," said Project Manager George Benedetto in 2009 as he looked through the nearly ruined boat.

After World War II, PT 305 became a tour boat, an oyster boat, and was rotting away when museum volunteers began a $3 million restoration in 2009.

Over the last seven years, a series of Action Reports aired on the boat, and Eyewitness News viewers from across the area have made donations that have made this restoration possible. Now that the boat is about to launch, that's expensive, and she's expensive to run.

"The cranes, and everything else," explained Harris. "Even gas."

Friday PT 305 will be moved out of the pavilion during a big party, and Saturday moved to the river, to be towed by barge to the lake. In April, they plan to carry passengers on high speed rides.

"It gets me giddy even thinking about it," Josh Schick said with a delighted laugh.

UPDATED: Today this happened.







PT-305 Move Video 1

PT-305 Move Video 2

PT-305 Move Video 3

PT-305 Move Video 4

PT-305 Lift Onto Barge on the Mississippi River

That is totally awesome!

AWESOME!!!

I've got to take a ride on that!


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Rafting down the river like ol' Huck Finn...



Down the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico, through Lake Borgne and the Rigolets to Lake Pontchartrain and into the Industrial Canal for Coast Guard testing. After that she'll go to the purpose built boathouse on Lake Pontchartrain where the public will be able to take deck tours and even book rides of the boat on the lake.



The original crew of PT-305. There are still a couple of men who crewed this boat in WWII... I can't wait until these heroes get to feel the wind in their faces while underway aboard their old boat again.

I hope the remaining crew members can get to reboard her and take a cruise. This is totally awesome that this rebuild was done.

Wow, that is awesome.

Thanks for posting. It's great to see this boat was saved. I'd like my Dad to take a ride on the Lake. He was in the Navy Reserve during Korea & was stationed at the lake front on a PT Boat used for Air Sea Rescue. I can imagine him in that pick holding a Thomson. I tell him that he was keeping the Lake safe from the commies. They did a good job.

mforsta said:

I hope the remaining crew members can get to reboard her and take a cruise. This is totally awesome that this rebuild was done.

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There will be a special run just for them.

Abby Normal said:

Thanks for posting. It's great to see this boat was saved. I'd like my Dad to take a ride on the Lake. He was in the Navy Reserve during Korea & was stationed at the lake front on a PT Boat used for Air Sea Rescue. I can imagine him in that pick holding a Thomson. I tell him that he was keeping the Lake safe from the commies. They did a good job.

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If he's healthy enough it could easily happen. This boat will be offering rides beginning in April 2017. $350 per person, $305 for seniors, children ages 12–17, military, and Museum Members. Children under 12 will not be allowed on the boat (even for tours).

Another photo from a better vantage point.