Streaked with rust and crusted with barnacles, major components of the Los Angeles‑class USS Jacksonville submarine arrived on East Adams Street Wednesday, marking the next phase of a community‑driven effort to restore and exhibit the vessel’s sail, rudder and fair‑water planes.
Nonprofit leads the effort
The nonprofit Bring The Sail 2 Jax coordinated the transport from the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington, fulfilling a five‑year campaign to bring the namesake submarine to its home city. Organization head Stephen Jorgensen said the move was largely drama‑free, noting a few hiccups that were quickly resolved.
“Everybody has just been superb helping us make it go well, including people from the USS Orleck,” Jorgensen said. “I am just super excited that it’s here.”
Veterans and officials on site
Dozens of onlookers, including former submariner Ray Nourse, watched as the sail structure, rudder and dive planes were placed at a temporary berth in the Fincantieri Marine Repair Shipyard. Nourse, who served aboard the Jacksonville from 1978 to 1983, called the arrival a “momentous occasion” and expressed pride as a plank‑owner.
Jim Webb, executive director of the Jacksonville Naval Museum and the restored USS Orleck, said engineers have confirmed the pier can support the roughly 55 tons of equipment. He envisions the restored pieces displayed next to the Orleck, giving visitors the impression that the submarine is pacing the destroyer at sea.
Restoration timeline and costs
Jorgensen estimates the reassembly will take about a year and cost roughly $2 million. The plan calls for welding the upper and lower sail sections together, cleaning and painting the rudder, and eventually moving the assembled components to Shipyards West for final placement.
A fundraising campaign is live on the Bring The Sail 2 Jax website to support the restoration and future display.
Historical significance
Commissioned in 1981 and nicknamed “The Bold One,” the USS Jacksonville served for 40 years before decommissioning in 2021. Its crest featured Andrew Jackson on horseback, echoing the city’s seal. The arrival of its pieces gives Jacksonville its second naval vessel—or parts thereof—for public exhibition, following earlier attempts to secure other ships for museum status.
Original reporting: Jacksonville Today — read the source article.
