Phase 3 Albany 2002 - Present

From 2002 to the present, volunteers have painstakingly driven the restoration of the USS Slater by acquiring parts and installing refurbished gear. The ship's wooden whale boat was restored to pristine condition as one of the last operational examples among 26,000 such boats produced. In 2007, a major achievement was the acquisition and installation of SL surface search radar equipment, including the operator's console in CIC and the antenna on the mast. Beginning in 2008, the crew fabricated the missing depth charge rack and roller loaders for the depth charge projectors that the Greeks had removed, and serious restoration of the aft machinery space began. In 2010, the forward head, the reefer deck, and the radio room were completely restored, including installation of the original TBL radio transmitter. This work has made the Slater one of the most authentically restored historic naval ships in the nation, while the crew continues maintenance painting and repeated reworking of spaces to move closer to perfection. The most critical remaining need is funding to dry dock the Slater so her underwater body can be repaired and neglected spaces such as fuel tanks, voids, and bilges can receive attention, in a project estimated to cost $3,000,000.

Albany, New York · United States