PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Battleship New Jersey is a big fish out of water right now, getting much-needed maintenance while in dry dock at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Reporters on Thursday were invited on a tour to gain a new perspective on the floating memorial and museum — and that perspective is from below.
The crew flooded the dock to load the warship then drained it, with the ship precisely coming to rest on 302 wood-topped concrete blocks.
Tour guide Libby Jones walked reporters underneath the battleship to its keel, or spine — in a sense, recreating last week's eclipse.
"Underneath the ship here, you can see all the way down there, that light, daylight," Jones said.
All 900 feet and 45,000 tons of the Battleship New Jersey sits comfortably in dry dock at the Philadelphia Navy Yard.Mike Dougherty/KYW Newsradio
While in dry dock, the Battleship New Jersey rests on 302 wood-topped concrete blocks.Mike Dougherty/KYW Newsradio
The ship was more than 10 years overdue for this dry-dock maintenance, but crews at the Navy Yard were pleasantly surprised by how well it has held up: no holes, and only some minor rust issues.
They did find some uninvited guests, however: "If you look closely at those dark spots, that's where the spiders live."
Maintenance workers are almost finished stripping off the old paint and cleaning up the underside. The battleship will get three fresh coats — about 3,000 gallons, Jones said — including a new red bottom.
The battleship is more than 10 years overdue for dry-dock maintenance, but Navy Yard crews have been pleasantly surprised by how well it has held up: no holes, and only some minor rust issues.Mike Dougherty/KYW Newsradio
Work crews inspect and clean the underside of the Battleship New Jersey to prepare the vessel for a new paint job before it makes the short trip up and across the Delaware River to Camden, N.J.Mike Dougherty/KYW Newsradio
At nearly 900 feet long and 45,000 tons, this is no small job of course.
"One of the problems for the ship is she's sitting on these blocks," said Jones. "You can't paint underneath the blocks. So in a matter of weeks, we will refloat the ship to move her 4 feet, so we can paint where the blocks used to be."
Jones says the beautified ship will head back home to Camden in late May or early June.
