Battleship New Jersey To Move This Week

Battleship New Jersey To Move This Week

It is a busy week ahead for the most decorated battleship in American History, who will be leaving her home port for the first time in many decades.

The Battleship New Jersey has been moored along the Delaware River in Camden New Jersey since 2001 after Bayonne, New Jersey lost a bid to bring her north.

Since that time she as welcomed hundreds of thousands of visitors who got to experience firsthand the history and legacy of the ship.

Over the past few weeks, the Wildwood Video Archive has been documenting many aspects of the Battleship New Jersey from drone videos to quick history minutes.

This week we released the last one in this series which talks about the history and the future of the vessel. To watch, check out the video at the bottom of this article.

The vessel, weighing a formidable 45,000 tons, is slated for detachment from its long-time moorings for a journey southward, steered by four tugboats to the North Atlantic Ship Repair facilities located at the historic Philadelphia Navy Yard.

This temporary relocation marks a return to its roots for the battleship, as it is destined to be dry-docked in the very berth where its construction commenced in 1940, culminating in its grand launch on December 7, 1942.

Known simply as Berth 3, it is the sole location vast enough to accommodate the sheer mass of the vessel.

Upon arrival, the USS New Jersey will undergo a comprehensive regimen of routine maintenance, repairs, and repainting—a much-needed overhaul, its first in 32 years.

With a projected cost of $10 million, the endeavor encompasses a meticulous inspection of all 1,200 zinc nodes constituting an electrical circuit, pivotal for safeguarding the submerged hull from corrosion.

It is anticipated that approximately half of these nodes will necessitate replacement.

While in dry dock, a thorough examination will be conducted on approximately 165 underwater through-hull openings essential for various operations, such as engine cooling.

These openings were safeguarded with sheet-metal plates upon the ship’s decommissioning in 1991, and to date, only one instance of failure has been recorded.

Also See: The Mystery of New Jersey’s Pine Barrens Giant Letters

Preparing the battleship for its voyage posed its own challenges. To facilitate passage beneath the Walt Whitman Bridge, the mast and radar atop the vessel were removed, along with the northern gangway.

Furthermore, contractors were enlisted to deactivate the ship’s electrical, mechanical, and plumbing systems.

Given the ship’s inactive state, reliant solely on external propulsion, a fleet of four tugboats will be enlisted to tow it to its dry-docking destination.

The entire operation is projected to span at least two months, with the ultimate aim of returning the USS New Jersey to Camden in time for Memorial Day and the ensuing tourist season.

The departure date from Camden is set for Thursday, March 21st, timed precisely with high tide at 12:10 p.m. A ceremonial send-off is scheduled to take place on the pier at 11 a.m., marking a momentous chapter in the vessel’s storied history.

There will be a drydock departure celebration open to the public which will have live music, vendors, and food. Gates for that will open at 10 am.

The WVA will be there to film the departure for our YouTube channel. Be sure to subscribe to help us hit 100,000 subscribers.