Texas tall ship called unseaworthy

GALVESTON, Texas, July 12 (UPI) -- Texas officials say the Elissa, the state's official tall ship, is no longer seaworthy as its iron and steel bottom is almost rusted through in places.

The U.S. Coast Guard has declared the three-masted Elissa, built in 1877, no longer seaworthy, the Houston Chronicle reported Monday.

The tall ship is inspected twice every five years, said John Schaumburg, assistant director of the Texas Seaport Museum in Galveston.

The latest inspection by the Coast Guard uncovered the worst rot since the tall ship was rebuilt in 1982, he said.

In a previous inspection in 2008 very little corrosion was found, Schaumburg said, and the latest inspection results came as a shock.

"Everyone's jaw just dropped," Ed Green, one of about 100 volunteer crew members, said.

The inspections were conducted at Texas City, and enough repair was done to allow the Elissa to sail back to Galveston, where it will remain until it celebrates the 30th anniversary of its rebuilding.

The museum hopes to raise $3 million to repair the hull and do other restoration to have the Elissa sailing again in 2012, officials said.