Hwy 170 "Pirate Ship", Terlingua, TX 79845

"Passing Wind", Terlingua Ghosttown Pirate Ship

This property is located in the "Ghosttown" of Terlingua at the entrance of Terlingua Ghosttown & Ghosttown Road. It offers Highway frontage on Hwy 170, Utilities, and a recent survey. The history of this property is colorful and interesting. This is named "Passing Wind".Just about 100 yards south of the turn-off for the Terlingua Ghost town, you will see "Passing Wind." Inside the fence is a full-size conning tower of a submarine, a replica of a sailing ship, and a small Statue of Liberty that lights up at night. The submarine is a tribute to the "Thrasher" The owner was a retired Navy & decorated Vietnam veteran and every year he put on a fundraiser for the Fire Department and the EMS. It was called The Rocket Fuel Party" Jimmy was a retired Navy sailor from Brooklyn who fell in love with Terlingua and began building a fleet. He also built a propane-powered volcano and tiki bar to complete the south seas feel of "Passing Wind". The history of submarine USS Thresher (SSN-593) was the lead boat of her class of nuclear-powered attack submarines in the United States Navy. She was the U.S. Navy's second submarine to be named after the thresher shark. On 10 April 1963, Thresher sank during deep-diving tests about 350 km (220 mi) east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, killing all 129 crew and shipyard personnel aboard. Her loss was a watershed for the U.S. Navy, leading to the implementation of a rigorous submarine safety program known as SUBSAFE. The first nuclear submarine lost at sea, Thresher was also the third of four submarines lost with more than 100 people aboard, the others being the French Surcouf, sinking with 130 personnel in 1942, USS Argonaut, lost with 102 aboard in 1943, and Russian Kursk, which sank with 118 aboard in 2000. Now you have most of the history behind "Passing Wind" a lot of these props have fallen into disrepair and it is time for a new owner to make your mark at Passing Wind. The National Archives has a lot of information on this & other ships lost at sea. What connection Jimmy Holbrook had with this sub is still a question, but as soon as I find out, I will post it.