Mare Island and the danger of inherited infrastructure

How does Mare Island compare as a naval shipyard?

It was world-class when built, but later underinvestment left its dock capacity increasingly dated despite its strong original design.

Mare Island was regarded as an outstanding purpose-built naval facility when established in the nineteenth century. Its later docks included a roughly 226-metre berth completed in 1910 and another of about 211 metres completed during the Second World War. The limited enlargement that followed is treated as a missed opportunity. The problem resembles a major-power tendency to inherit abundant infrastructure and then postpone investment because capacity already appears adequate. Even a rich navy can lose flexibility when its docks cease to grow with its ships.