MANITOWOC (NBC 26) — Manitowoc's iconic submarine, the USS Cobia, is set to return to the riverfront next week after spending weeks in Sturgeon Bay for major restoration work.
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The Cobia left Manitowoc in early September for her first dry dock since 1996, a process where the submarine is lifted out of the water so crews can inspect, clean and repair areas normally under water.
While in Sturgeon Bay, a volunteer discovered a four-foot rip in the seam of one of the ship's main ballast tanks.
"If that would've gone unnoticed, that would've caused major structural damage to Cobia," Alexandria Bolle said.
Bolle, communications coordinator for the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, said that wasn't the only surprise. The hull was covered in invasive zebra mussels.
"We did not know how many there would be ... the hull was completely covered," Bolle said.
If the mussels are left too long, they will embed themselves into the metal and add significant weight to the ship.
"They had to be pried off, and there were actually two gentlemen who had to go in by hand and just wipe them off from the submarine," Bolle said.
Crews also inspected the deck to ensure it can safely support the thousands of visitors who climb aboard each year.
"We're helping guarantee that it'll be around for future generations," Bolle said.
Cobia will leave Sturgeon Bay Wednesday morning at 7 a.m., making an eight-hour journey by tugboat through the canal and across Lake Michigan before docking back in Manitowoc around 3 p.m.
Tours of the Cobia should start back up the week after her arrival.
When the Cobia returns, the Wisconsin Maritime Museum's Sub Pub will open 30 minutes before her arrival, inviting the community to watch history float back into Manitowoc.
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