Old Texas A&M And WWII Ship To Be Sunk For Artificial Reef

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas (AP) – Weather continues to push back the Gulf of Mexico scuttling of a 473-foot former Texas A&M/Galveston training ship.

The 7,000-ton Texas Clipper is now set for sinking — on Saturday, off South Padre Island.

The vessel will become an artificial reef. The ship served as a World War II troop carrier, a cargo and passenger liner and then a training vessel for generations of A&M sea cadets.

Now, it’s about to have a new life as an underwater habitat and diving destination.

The sinking caps almost ten years of planning and four million dollars in preparations.

Holes eight feet wide and five feet tall have been cut into the side of the ship – where the Aggie maroon and white paint is now pockmarked with rust.

Valves that have been installed in the hull will be opened — to allow the sinking.