BREMERTON — A tug eased the USS Turner Joy (DD951) from its dock at the Bremerton Marina Feb. 2.

The museum ship’s destination: Lake Union Drydock. While there, the Vietnam War-era destroyer’s hull will be scraped and repainted.

It is anticipated that the project will take approximately four weeks and cost at least $800,000. Once the work is completed, it shouldn’t need to be re-done for 15 years.

The majority of the money for the essential maintenance came through admissions, gift shop sales, and donations, according to the Bremerton Historical Ships Association, the 501c(3) nonprofit that operates the Turner Joy.

The largest donor was the State of Washington, which provided $300,000.

The Turner Joy was built at Puget Sound Bridge & Dredging Company in Seattle, launched on May 5, 1958, and commissioned on Aug. 3, 1959. The 418-foot ship carried a crew of 17 officers and 275 enlisted personnel.

The ship saw extensive service in the Vietnam War. It was decommissioned on Nov. 22, 1982.

The ship was named for Charles Turner Joy (Feb. 17, 1895 – June 6, 1956), a vice admiral during World War II and the Korean War, and superintendent of the Naval Academy.