Most people don’t know that Boston Harbor is often used as a dry dock location for ships in need of repair. Many ships have come into the dry docks over the years to be repaired, even the Queen Elizabeth 2, which was in need of hull repair in the dry docks after running aground on the Nantucket Shoals during a Southampton to New York run.
Dry docks. Despite this being a topic that is clearly not on most people’s list of most exciting and captivating subjects, I wanted to write about it since 1) I saw Boston’s long closed General Ship dry dock open the other day for work, implying that it could be coming back on line (?) and 2) I have a cool historical photo of it that I took many years ago (at least I think it is cool).
The pier 5-6 dry dock in July 2012, open wide with some type of work being done. Perhaps this is related to all of the extensive development of new housing, restaurants, museums and office space in the Seaport area:
The dry dock many years ago, as seen from the fish pier, looking East. Note the General Ship crane still present. Also note the aircraft coming in for approach in the background. It is a Boeing 727- they don’t fly too many of those anymore.
Here is a photo from earlier in the year, when a Red Cross Ship was in the other dry dock (which is currently active) located North of Reserved Channel.
A US Navy Ship recently in Boston Harbor’s Drydock:
