The PTF-26, nicknamed “The Last American PT Boat,” has found a new home.
The Henderson City Commission on Tuesday approved a municipal order that will bring the vessel–and its complementary barge–to a spot on the banks of the Ohio River below Sunset Park.
In the deal made with Maritime Preservation & Training Foundation in Paducah, the city will get PTF-26, a custom-made barge where the PFT-26 will be docked, and accessory handrails for $50,000.
Assistant City Manager Buzzy Newman said in a previous meeting that he’s been in discussions with the Army Corps of Engineers to allow the barge and the PTF-26 moored to it to be anchored between the pylon remaining from the 1883 railroad bridge and the Third Street boat ramp near Sunset Park. He said Wednesday that the permitting work with the Corps is continuing.
Currently, the PTF-26 is docked at a location off the Gulf of Mexico. Newman said it would need to be piloted up to Henderson. He estimated the PTF-26 could arrive in Henderson in September.
The vessel is expected to complement the Veterans Memorial Park that is planned to be built in the nearby open plot of land across the street from the soon-to-open Rhythm River Distillery.
Both Newman and Tom Davis, the president of the Henderson Veterans Memorial Foundation, believe that bringing the PTF-26 to Henderson is a good thing for the community and will enhance the planned nearby Veterans Park. Davis at a June city commission meeting said it could put Henderson on the map for veterans.
According to a city memo, the barge is 40 feet wide and 10 feet long and was custom-engineered to be able dock the PTF-26, which is 95 feet long. The memo said the barge’s “vessel-specific” construction makes it unsuitable for ordinary commercial use and “uniquely compatible with the PTF-26.”
While docked at the riverfront, the PTF-26 could accommodate people who wanted to tour it on weekdays and most weekends and could be used to generate revenue, officials said. The PTF-26 would also be used on select weekends to train Sea Cadets, Sea Scouts and NJROTC Cadets, officials said.
Newman also said the city commission—after having approved the purchase of the barge and the PTF-26 that comes with it on Tuesday—would need to approve the acceptance of the boat at a later meeting.
