Save PT-658, Historic WWII PT Boat
PT-658 was rescued by a group of gray-haired ex-PT boaters
twenty years ago. PT-658 is a 1945 World-War II motor
torpedo boat that is a living restoration approaching it's original operating condition, complete with full armament
and three 1,850 horsepower Packard V-12 engines.
In keeping with Oregon's maritime tradition, we intend to operate and display
the boat in the Pacific Northwest as a living memorial to the thousands of U.S.
sailors who manned these tiny warships, the most heavily armed naval vessel ever built (non nuclear). That operated in nearly every WW II theater: The
Atlantic, the English Channel, the Mediterranean, the Pacific, the
Aleutians and the Philippines.
Many unpaid volunteers, including ex-PT boaters, have repaired the wooden hull and three
original Packard engines. In restoring the boat, they have paid attention to the
smallest detail making the boat as close to its original condition as possible, but PT-658 is in need of your help, after a
full summer of trips and tours, in early October
2012, we pulled her out and conducted a full bottom survey of the boat, in compliance with Coast Guard regulations.
After closely examining her original planking we discovered some
alarming deterioration. The boat needed 200 lineal feet of outside planking
above the water line. Most of the bottom planking does not need to be replaced.
However, much of the inner planking and forward frames needed replacement. Inside the aft (back end) of the boat, behind the engines, all 18 bottom
frames, the longitudinal stringers, the starboard shaft log, and the lower
water tight bulkheads had to be replaced in order to be seaworthy again. This work is very technical, requiring the special expertise of a Shipwright, so we have hired Port Townsend
Shipwrights Cooperative to oversee and supervise the work.
We Need Your Help!
The project budget is:
$221,169.00 Total projected Cost
- $134,400.00 Volunteer Labor. will
$86,769.00 Cash outlay Needed.
Additionally, two weeks ago our boat house was broken into and a minimum of $6,000 of hand and power tool where stolen, we are asking for help in replacing these items as well as the costs of hull repairs, $92,769.00
