Dramatic progress to see over the weekend on the Jeremiah O’Brien.  Painters are wrapping up on giving the 80 year old Liberty Ship a makeover. Most of the painting is done, and the tarps have come off in the dry dock — giving us our best look yet at the historic ship. The work is happening at the Mare Island Dry Dock in Vallejo, California. The Jeremiah O’Brien is one of the last operating ships involved in the D-Day Landings and soon will return to her port at pier 35 in San Francisco for visitors — and passenger cruises later this year. The ship is powered by steam, and on the cruises, passengers can tour the engine room which was used to film scenes for the movie Titanic.

Crew have found several damaged rivets on the ship that have been welded over. But Robert Lariosa, the Executive Director of the O’Brien, says things are fine now after the work of dry dock welders. But he says the rivet’s will certainly be addressed in the ships next dry dock in four years. And Lariosa is looking at some creative fund raising plans to pay for the dry dock which can easily cost a million dollars depending on the wear and tear on the ship. Ship volunteers have been hard at work during the Dry Dock working on top side projects.

But she looks great under the new coating of paint. Even the solid bronze prop has been cleaned up and is shining in the sun of the dry dock.

When finished the O’Brien will return to her berth at San Francisco’s Pier 35 and will be doing public cruises during Fleet Week this October. The ship is powered by steam, and on the cruises, passengers can tour the engine room which was used to film scenes in the movie Titanic. There is no word yet on when the ship will leave the dry dock for the four hour trip back to San Francisco.