Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum will reopen to visitors on Tuesday, December 19th, after temporarily closing due to the historic USS Yorktown slightly shifting its berth because of the record-setting storm surge caused by the Nor'easter that passed through Charleston. Since arriving in Mount Pleasant in 1975, the ship has only moved one other time, during Hurricane Hugo in 1989.
Patriots Point staff worked with engineering firms it has contracted to perform a complete safety assessment of the museum and its ships, the USS Yorktown and the USS Laffey.
The storm did not affect Spiritline Cruises and Fort Sumter Tours' Patriots Point location. Those businesses are open to the public.
The destroyer USS Laffey is secured through mooring lines and moves freely with the Charleston Harbor tides. The USS Yorktown is buried more than 25 feet in the mud and does not rise and fall with the tides. During Hurricane Hugo, the ship was lifted an estimated six feet before resettling. During the Nor'easter Sunday, the ship moved approximately six inches.
Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum visitors can visit www.patriotspoint.org
