Ride Aboard the Battleship New Jersey Back to Port!

Ride Aboard the Battleship New Jersey Back to Port!

After nearly 12 weeks of intensive maintenance and repairs at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, the historic Battleship New Jersey is set to return to her home port on the Camden Waterfront on Thursday, June 20.

During this period, the SS New Jersey underwent several crucial projects.

The primary goals of this dry-docking included restoring the ship’s bottom by removing all paint, inspecting all 165 underwater through-hull openings, applying new antifouling paint, and replacing 1,200 zinc anodes with 600 aluminum ones.

The Wildwood Video Archive (WVA) documented many of Battleship New Jersey’s restoration projects. Last month, WVA filmed a dry-dock tour showcasing these efforts, which you can view at the bottom of this article.

Thanks to the success of these dry-dock tours, crews accomplished additional projects such as replacing the ship’s caulking, adding 4 tons of plates to the thinnest hull areas, and boxing in the shafts.

This week, the Battleship was fleeting to access areas hidden under the blocks.

Fleeting a ship involves flooding the dry-dock, moving the ship a few feet, and then lowering her back onto the blocks.

Crews have sandblasted and begun applying the first coat of paint to these sections. If progress continues at this rate, the work should be completed by the end of the week.

Dry Dock Guided Tour Tickets are still available, but they are selling out quickly as the ship will be moved soon. This weekend is the last weekend of the dry dock tours.

The Battleship New Jersey will depart from the Philadelphia Naval Yard on June 14, docking first in Paulsboro for six days of ballast work before making her final journey to her home berth along the Camden Waterfront on June 20.

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This reverse journey mirrors her original trip to the Navy Yard.

On her way down, crews stopped in Paulsboro to add 500,000 gallons of water to ballast the ship for dry-dock. Now that the repairs are complete, she will need to shed that ballast.

To celebrate this momentous occasion, the public is invited to join in welcoming the battleship back home.

Event Details:

When: Thursday, June 20, 2024
Gates open: 11 a.m.
Battleship Arrival: Approximately 1:20 p.m.

Where: Battleship New Jersey, 100 Clinton Street, Camden, NJ 08103

Parking: Available along Clinton Street, in Lot 1 across from Freedom Mortgage Pavilion, and at the Waterfront Garage.

For a $10 donation (children under 12 are free), attendees can enjoy a variety of activities, including games, food and drink, live music, and more.

Complimentary hot dogs from Dietz & Watson and sliders from Mission BBQ will be available for ticket holders. Additionally, food trucks, including a taco truck and Mister Softee, will offer food items for sale.

There are two exclusive opportunities for visitors to ride on the Battleship New Jersey as she makes her way back to port.

This very limited option is available on two dates: June 14 (Philadelphia to Paulsboro) and June 20 (Paulsboro to Camden). There are only 15 tickets available for each trip, totaling 30 tickets.

Each trip will begin in the morning around 10 a.m. and last a few hours. Tickets cost $5,000 and can be purchased on their website by clicking here.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to be part of the Battleship New Jersey’s historic return!

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