Warbird Information Exchange

Technically it is feasible. I believe the supercarriers since CV-59 had the island installed in a modular fashion and craned aboard as a large single unit- at least I know that is the case with the Nimitz class built at Newport News, I am not so sure about the Forrestal class with the more comlicated stack trunking. They even entombed the wings of pre-commissoing commanding officer under the island as tradition. But in either case a massive gantry type crane, or massive derrick type crane on a barge would be able to lift off the island. I think an Island and a parking lot like area with re-creation or outline of a flight deck would be a good way to more afforadably preserve the heritage of a few of these supercarriers. You could then park an airwing on the flight deck (but therfore outdoors). A few submarine sails have been saved this way. The CVN-65 Enterprise island would be great. Now where to put it? Norfolk would be a great place.

I had no idea the Cabot island at Pensacola was a replica (I clearly overheard a guide telling a group it was the real one, though), but I was wondering how the heck could you transport anything that large.
especially so with an island from a modern carrier, you couldn't possibly move it anywhere far away from where it was craned off the ship, unless it was broken down into much smaller sections.
Would make one heck of a house, wouldn't it?

_________________
Life member, 91st BG Memorial Association
Owner, 1944 Willys MB #366014
Former REMF (US Army, O3)

Getting the Cabot island from Brownsville to Pensacola would not be insurmountable problem. Swing it onto a barge and sail to Pensacola. Then offload on the quay and truck it to the museum on Navy property.
As for the actual island from the Cabot, I think some repair was needed before display.
See video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlJIzmoTDJM
(Then again, your docent could have lied).

From what I recall, the island on the Cabot at the time of the scrapping was not the original World War II island. There was some debate on whether the island actually incorporated any of the original structure. Either way, it was so heavily modified that it was unrecognizable from the original. The replica island at Pensacola is more representative of the Cabot during her World War II service than the island that was removed at Brownsville.