Historic USS Olympia patched at Penn’s Landing

Workers at the Independence Seaport Museum in Philadelphia have applied a 16-foot metal patch to the hull of the historic USS Olympia.

Jesse Lebovics, who directs the preservation of the 19th-century cruiser, said the ship has been anchored at Penn’s Landing since 1945.

“I think it’s a record, to have a ship floating for that period of time without a haul-out, without proper hull maintenance,” Lebovics said. “So everything we’re doing is attempting to prolong the experience with very limited resources.”

The museum wants to donate the vessel to another organization with the resources to dry-dock it. Officials hope the repairs will make the vessel–a veteran of the Spanish-American War–a more attractive offering.