Will moving SS Red Oak warship draw more visitors to historic Richmond icon?

It is the last ship of its kind standing, and 80 years after its inaugural wartime voyage it just might be on the move again.

After 24 years docked off of Canal Boulevard in Richmond, there’s an effort to move the SS Red Oak Victory, the final surviving vessel of 747 ships built during World War II at the Richmond Kaiser shipyards, to a berth near the Rosie the Riveter historical museum and the Richmond ferry dock.

The move won’t be easy, and it won’t come cheap.

Fred Klink, the director of marketing for the SS Red Oak, estimates the project would cost about $12 million.

Charles Gerard, director of the Port of Richmond, explained that new infrastructure would have to be built along the wharf, including a place for the ship to dock as well as facilities to provide electricity, water and ship boarding access.

The city and the port don’t have much money to contribute, Gerard said, so the money would need to come from the federal government, state and regional agencies, nonprofits, and corporate and private donations. 

Gerard estimates a move of this scale would take about five years to complete.

“It is a significant, large-scale project,” he said.

Despite the expense, Gerard and Klink are among many officials who support relocating the SS Red Oak to a more easily accessible location.

“We feel very strongly that moving over closer to Rosie is a key to our long-term survival,” said Klink. “We’ll see more foot traffic because of the location both from Rosie visitors and those using the ferry. We’ll also have more visibility and it will be easier for people to find us.”

“We’re in favor of it,” added Gerard. “There are no significant objections. People understand the logic and benefits of bringing it here.”

Cesar Zepeda, the city councilmember for District 2, which encompasses the Richmond shoreline, is another supporter.

“I’ve been in active conversations to see how we can find funding to move the ship to a better location that can be accessed by more people easier,” he said.

SS Red Oak named after Iowa town with high casualties

Whether the SS Red Oak remains where it is or sails to a new location, the ship has a rich history that many people say is important to preserve.

For starters, the SS Red Oak was built in just 88 days. That was common at the Kaiser Richmond shipyards as well as other manufacturing sites across the country as the United States ramped up its efforts in the war against Germany, Italy and Japan.

The SS Red Oak was launched on Nov. 9, 1944 from Kaiser Shipyard 1. An 80^th anniversary party is being held on board the ship on Sat., Nov. 9, to commemorate the occasion.

The ship was named the Red Oak after an Iowa town that had the highest per capita casualty rate in the United States during World War II.

Like the other 413 Victory ships built during the war, the SS Red Oak supplied cargo and ammunition to war vessels in the Pacific Ocean.

The 455-foot ship first traveled to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, before being deployed to the Marshall and Caroline islands. It eventually was based in the Philippines, where it continued to supply fighting ships.

The SS Red Oak was decommissioned from Navy use in 1946 and given to the U.S. Maritime Commission. It was used by private industries before ending up as one of the retired ships anchored in Suisun Bay. In 1998, a group of volunteers saved the SS Red Oak from the scrap pile and eventually moved it to the Richmond area.

The SS Red Oak is now the responsibility of the Richmond Museum of History & Culture. It is maintained by a group of volunteers from all over the Bay Area who spend countless hours every week keeping the ship in good enough condition to be used as a floating museum.

One of those volunteers is Klink. He estimates it costs about $100,000 a year to maintain the museum. It’s open to the public on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and at other times for special events.

Klink, who lives in San Ramon, said the organization receives funding from special events, visitor fees, targeted donations for specific projects and general donations. Right now, there are short-term projects to refurbish the cranes that lift cargo as well as to replace some of the lifeboat covers. The group also hopes to implement an audio tour for visitors sometime next year.

Klink noted the ship at some point needs to be put in dry dock for a more extensive overhaul. That will cost about $2.5 million.

Klink believes the time and money spent on the SS Red Oak is worth the effort to preserve an important piece of U.S. history.

“[The SS Red Oak] stands as a monument to what Americans can do when they put their mind to a cause, set aside differences and work together,” he said. “You can learn about the significance of American industrial know-how and productivity and how that contributed as much to the World War II victory as did our armed forces.”

Volunteer Greg Blasquez feels much the same way.

Blasquez, a Concord resident, is retired and volunteers as the chief engineer of the SS Red Oak. He has volunteered on other ships, including the SS Jeremiah O’Brien docked in San Francisco.

In early October, he gave Richmondside a tour of all three decks of the SS Red Oak, from the engine room to the bridge to the shaft alley to the cargo holding area that has been converted to a theater with a tiki bar.

On this day, more than a dozen people were working on various parts of the ship. Blasquez noted that all of them were volunteers. The ship has no paid employees.

“It’s a challenge, and we’re doing something we all love. We are 100 percent dedicated to this ship,” he said.

Blasquez noted that the SS Red Oak is in “great shape,” and he would like to see this piece of history moved to its proposed new location.

“It was instrumental to Richmond, and it’d be nice if more people knew that,” he said.

Steve Hawes, a retired radio engineer from Berkeley, was volunteering in the ship’s radio room on this day. He pointed out that visitors to the SS Red Oak can still talk to others around the world via radio as well as tap out messages in Morse code.

“This place is oozing with history,” he said. “If you ever want to touch a real ship, here it is.”

On this sunny morning, there was also a group of volunteers from the Chevron refinery in Richmond helping to clean and refurbish the main deck.

Caitlin Powell, the external communications advisor for Chevron Richmond, said the SS Red Oak is one of the most popular assignments for Chevron volunteers. In September and October, 84 employees are dedicating 252 volunteer hours to help maintain the historic ship.

“The SS Red Oak Victory represents an important part of Richmond’s history,” she said. “Like the Richmond refinery, the Kaiser shipyards played a vital role in supporting the military effort during the Second World War. We believe it is important to preserve that legacy and support community museums and nonprofits.”

Moving SS Red Oak a monumental task

The project to move the SS Red Oak to a new location in Richmond’s harbor is a monumental task.

The next step is to line up initial funding before any specific plans are drawn up.

Despite the long road ahead, many involved believe the relocation can be accomplished.

Mark Epperson, a retiree who volunteers as the SS Red Oak’s director, said the ship could be a “keystone” for people who take the ferry. He is optimistic the ship will eventually land there.

“That’s why I signed on for this,” said Epperson, a former Navy and American Airlines pilot. “I’m excited. I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t think it was possible.”

Gerard, the port director, is also optimistic.

“I think it’s the right thing to do,” he said. “I’m confident it can happen.”

Councilmember Zepeda is adamant that the SS Red Oak needs to be preserved.

“It’s a treasure not just for our Richmond community but for all of the Bay Area,” he said. “[The ship provides] a place to remember World War II and the sacrifices people made for our (freedom) and the freedom of the world.

“We can’t lose this great historic piece. It is very much worth preserving as it is now a piece of Richmond and its history in the world,” he added.