Laffey Back at Patriots Point by January

The USS Laffey, the historic U.S. Navy warship previously on display at Patriots Point, may return to the Mount Pleasant naval and maritime museum by the first of the year.

That’s according to Mac Burdette, Patriot Point’s executive director, who spoke to Mount Pleasant town councilmen during a lunchtime meeting today.

The Laffey has been in drydock since 2009 when massive erosion of its hull threatened to sink the vessel. The boat, which survived a punishing D-Day assault in World War II, needed more than $13 million in repairs.

The Patriots Point board has floated requests for proposals on final fixes for the boat, Burdette said, and if prices come back in the ballpark he predicts, the boat could be ready for a Christmas-time return.

That’s also the time when Patriot Point’s development board is expected to present finalized plans on a new vision for the troubled museum.

Between now and then, the board will wrap up a $225,000, three-phase plan to rebrand Patriots Point. The non-profit has contracted with PGAV, St. Louis-based consultants credited with turning around Biltmore House and the Gettysburg National Battlefield Museum.

The goal is to turn Patriots Point into “a national treasure” with PGAV’s guidance, said Bob Simmons, chair the development board. “This group tells us Patriots Point is the most incredible asset they’ve had to work with.”

In addition to the USS Yorktown aircraft carrier, the diesel sub USS Clamagore and the Laffey, Patriots Point owns 360 acres of waterfront property.

Ray Chandler, Patriot Point’s board chairman, in speaking to the town council, said media and blog accounts that suggest Patriots Point is broke and near collapse are just wrong. The organization will turn a profit this year, he said, and there are no immediate plans to sell off its land.

He admits that its Naval assets are in disrepair and that it has not made good on fully repaying a $9-million loan to the state of South Carolina. The Yorktown has an estimated $100 million in damage caused by saltwater erosion.

“We have deep financial obligations,” Chandler said. “We have large unfunded capital needs.”

But Patriots Point has paid interest on the $9-million loan plus about $500,000 in principle, he said.

“But we aren’t going to be able to sell enough T-shirts to pay that back,” Chandler admitted, adding that when the organization has a better long-term plan and vision, it will deal with the debt.

Simmons, speaking prior to the town council meeting, said Patriots Point stands a better chance of securing donations and other financing if it has a long-term vision.

“That’s hard money to raise,” Simmons said, referring to repair costs. “Certain monies are harder to raise.”

Donors prefer to give to organizations that are making big changes. Doing a fundraiser to repay the state loan or to fund the Yorktown repairs wouldn’t be as successful long-term, Burdette said.

“You can raise $100 million to fix the hole in the Yorktown, but that won’t sell one more ticket,” Burdette said. “That ship is not going anywhere in five years. … We need to create a bigger economic engine and invest in something that will pay for the Yorktown.”