Is the Navy Requiring the Battleship To Be Drydocked So It Can Be Reactivated? 

During my US Navy service, I was crew while mothballing two ships. It's a several month long process. There's so many little things that have to be done to preserve the ship while she's not crewed. Everything not bolted down gets catalogued and stowed- either on the ship or elsewhere. Everything gets painted. All of the pipes and penetration points in the decks and bulkheads are sealed. All of the ships systems are systematically and carefully shut down and then also sealed and preserved. In my own experience, how a ship is mothballed is the same regardless of the ship's eventual fate. My first one, USS Henry B, Wilson DDG 7, ended up as a target ship while the second, USS Barbey FF1088, was sold to Taiwan. Both got the same treatment.

They expect you to take care of them so they don't have to step in and scrap them. So in that way i guess its a soft yes.

Suggestion for the museum store: Take some of that teak and have Battleship New Jersey commemorative grip scales made for 1911 type pistols and sell them in the store for a fair price. Battleship Texas just did that and sold out of them in a day. I would buy a set or two....or more.

I wonder if the near disasters with Texas and The Sullivans has given the public at large some exposure to the maintenance needs of museum ships (including the need for dry docking)and facilitated some of the funding for New Jersey to get her dry docking?

Your vid provides a clear and compelling explanation of and rationale for the importance of museum battleships in recruitment and military support. You serve as an excellent Ambassador - THANK YOU ‼️

Man, I can remember when it was docked across the river prior to the berthing now. I was driving 18 wheelers at the time and was in Philly 2xs a week. I’m lucky to live in NC and have the North Carolina only 2 hours away. Much love and hoping you guys can get her a slot soon. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🤙🤙

I do volunteer work at the Naval Museum here in Copenhagen, Denmark

Hey thanks for 15mins of peace , it is rare to have a channel filled with info that isn't rudely interrupted every couple of minutes with senseless bombardment of advertising.

Yay! New Jersey all the way! Everyone dig deep and donate as much and as often as you can 😃😃😃

The only thing(s) that are REQUIRED to be removed from a Navy vessel when going into drydock are fuel (to a lighter) and ammunition (to a Naval Magazine for security.) Was on a DER in New Zealand (Operation Deepfreeze 1968)when we cracked a fuel tank. Had no place to store fuel and ammo, so went on the blocks in Port Chalmers with fuel and ammo. Had to get permission from Washington to do it. Smoking lamp was out 24/7 until we undocked. Had to go off the ship to smoke.

What an enormous task you have taking care of ships like this. Well done.

Thank you for keeping history ALIVE. 👍🏼

awesome.. we would train, on ships in the moth ball fleet in Virginai, for ship boarding and take down etc.. those ships serve as huge training platforms, especially for non live fire , shipbaord recovery procedures , that as Marines, we had to train for in the 90s. keep those ships alive, a wonderful part of our history, I love to see you making these videos..I wish you success!!

Thank you for your hard work Ryan.

Thank you for diving head-first into making these videos and sharing your museum and your passion! I've loved watching you and your entire media get better and better every year.

I visited the USS Alabama in Mobile about four years ago. An unforgettable experience, I still think of it every few days. Having been raised on small boats, motor and sail, I sure did wonder about the hull maintenance. I well remember the constant battle with barnacles and other parasites.

The Navy maintains a mothball fleet at all times. When I was in A school at Philly in '86 my buddy and I walked down to the ships in that area. At that time the New Jersey was one of the many ships there mothballed. As I recall at that time the US had the largest Navy in the world and it also boasted the world's 3rd largest Navy being our mothball fleet in and of itself. Good Times with Ronald.

While it is silly that people think that the battleships are being returned to active service, it is also really telling on how much the public loves these ships. The idea of New Jersey returning to active duty is a romantic fantasy, a declaration that we don't want the history of these ships to be yet over, that we want to live in a world where they still an active and important part of our National Culture. It is kind of like wanting to see a star athlete come out of retirement one last time, for one last winning game.

Thank you from a us navy veteran (EM 2 SS)

This Ol' girl made it all the way, she dodged the scrap yard and the target line. She deserves a little sprucing up and a nice retirement as a museum ship that we can all enjoy and be proud of.