The Sand Locker 

Support this museum! As a Canadian several years ago I wanted some memorabilia but their online store wouldn't ship to me. I emailed them for help and the friendly lady who ran the store got me a UPS quote and delivered my stuff to the post office. That was touching and I'll support them best I can.

I continue to be amazed by the sheer number of rooms and compartments on this ship, most with apparently a very specific purpose. I half expect the next video to feature the 3/8" fastener hardware compartment, and on the other side of the ship is the 1/2" fastener compartment, while up towards the bow we find the 1/2" left hand thread fastener locker.

Can't express how glad I am that there isn't any stupid sand left in there. I worked as a millwright's assistant at a concrete plant, and sand did horrible things to the inside of steel hoppers. Welding patches. All the time. So many patches. . .

I swear this man is like the American cousin of Drachinifel. Similar hair, beard, and love of naval history.

"STOP BLOWING HOLES IN MY SHIP!" - Ryan, probably

I can't even imagine the noise in that space when the anchor was going up or down.

The ship must have been a beehive of activity 24 hours a day. Always work to be done and people doing it

Janky doesn’t do that ladder justice

I'd love to see a video about the graffiti and other art by the sailors. When Ryan went to the armored belt, he pointed out someone wrote 'Kilroy was here Nov 69.' Is there any other graffiti with a date like that?

Turns out that "what's inside the sand locker", is the lipstick marks of a very popular stow away.😏

Ryan, I enjoyed your tour videos I have seen so far (including this one), and subscribed to see more. You asked what other parts of the ship we would like to see. So I offer this list of suggestions for entertaining video content: 1. Compartment where the "red lamp oil" is stored for the port running light, and where the "green lamp oil" is stored for the starboard running light. ;) 2. Where the sound-powered phone batteries are stored ;) 3. Where a sailor can get a "gallon of prop wash." ;) 4. Where the spool of "water line" was kept ;) 5. Where the "ID-10-T" forms were kept. ;) Anyone sailor in the USN would know about these special places. :)

two sailors having fun in that compartment xD left the lipstick!

Video idea: walking from bow to stern without crossing paths with the tour route. Also, thanks Libby for all your hard work, you are truly the unsung hero of this channel!

Great videos! Having served aboard both New Jersey and Missouri I wish I had the time to see more of the ships spaces. Everyone busy with their work as well. Great history on these ships!

"What's in the sand locker?" "Why, that's where we keep our piping hot roast beef sandwiches! Crawl down there and see for yourself, Seaman!"

Ryan, that big piece of line you were standing on is called the towing hawser and as the name implies it is, in fact, used for towing.

What are the most unexpected or surprising items/artifacts the museum has found aboard the ship?

Being active duty Navy I'd love to absolutely take a curators tour!

I worked on the NEW JERSEY and the MISSOURI while they were at NISMF Bremerton and helped run alot the DH you are talking about. Also preserved the Main Engines. Booth impressive ships.

2:49 thank you for the "map" of the ship . it REALLY helps place everything

You almost need a fisheye lens to be able to capture some of these spaces! Great video

Lots of crawling! Thanks for taking us along!

Thank you. I haven't thought about holy stoning for a good bit (50+ years) when I saw the topic was the sand locker I just had to smile. I can't for the life of me remember the tune we had to sing to get the right licks though. Perhaps some things are better forgotten. I was on ca148, which we thought was big, one time we highlined to the jersey on a westpac tour, we were dwarfed!

Is filling and emptying the sand locker one of those fun jobs that you get assigned when you tick off an officer or do you just suddenly get 'volunteered' for it?

The Cheiftan's hatch, naval edition.

1:57 And this, squid, is why you will be painting when you are not training to fight fires. Also, the paint makes the fire more intense. Paint it anyway, inspection is coming up.

Excellent knowledge. As a Mech. Engr. I like seeing the details. Your way of presentation and your conveyance of it is a thing of beauty, carry on soldier!…….🤓

Interesting note, Iowa had her paravane gear removed at some point, but her crew rigged it back up in the 80s. Captain Seaquist discusses it in his interview with Drachinifel around the 48 minute mark.

Sounds like an officers club in the Pacific! The Sand Locker

That brass/copper looks polished!

It is interesting to see the shape of the bow through the bulkheads inside the ship. Now that the mystery of the front of the ship has been revealed, we need to go as far aft as we can get.

I don't know if you already made a video of this subject, I would be interested in a video about the food that the crew ate. Because I think it must've changed a lot over the years and it had to be difficult when the new jersey was on sea for a long time. Ps: Love the videos you guys make

Has to be a story behind the lipstick marks.

Another great video Ryan. I just donated $20 to the museum's Go Fund Me page. I wish it could be more, but know that I appreciate everything you are doing. Keep up the great work!

Ryan and Libby, I was a tin can sailor station out of San Diego. In the 80's I believe I was on shore duty and was asked to come on board the Battleship New Jersey to work on some of her UHF communications equipment. I will always remember that time. Thank you for the videos of the fine ship.

Paint questions: Any idea how much paint they would have on board? Was the New Jersey ever dazzle painted? Iowa was measure 32/1B I think? Maybe a video on the different paint schemes? Lots of fun photos out there! Would they have the ability to repaint a substantial portion of the ship away from port? For example the Bismarck painted over the black and white stripes of the hull and deck swastikas while in Korsfjord on 21 May 1941. Keep up the great work!

So cool. As a former Air Force Museum volunteer and Commercial pilot, thank you all so much for preserving history!

I shoveled plenty of sand from the Sand Locker on the USS Iowa (we called the Sand Locker "Iowa Beach". Inside our Sand Locker was a little kid's plastic pail and toy shovel. Battleship Veteran - USS Iowa BB-61 1985-1988

very interesting. for the two carriers i was on, the frames forward of 0 use letters. constellation i think went to frame c and Truman i believe went to frame h.

Thank you for doing another exploration video! I love these. I live in Missouri but some day I’d love to visit!

This video reminded me of a childhood memory from my father. He served aboard the Valley Forge (CV-45) during the Korean War and mentioned that the ship had a "sail locker". What would a 1950's aircraft carrier need with a sail locker? He said what they kept in the "sail locker", though I can't remember now. Does the New Jersey have a "sail locker"?

I could spend weeks going over this ship!

Thanks for a most interesting video. Sand locker: who would guess. Love from Liz and Ginger in Australia.

Methinks maybe the lipstick kiss marks on the tow line pipe might have something to do with the crossing of the Arctic Circle initiation, where the uninitiated have to kiss the bullnose of the ship as one of the tasks to receive the “Bluenose” certification. Sometimes the weather in that region is not to friendly to being on the weather decks to perform such traditional chicanery.

I talk to a sailor from the Missouri when it was in astoria before it left to Hawaii, said he got lost on board and came out a forward hatch on deck while they were underway, the captain seen him from the bridge said he got a very stern talking to

Always a treat to see !

I did not know that there were negative frame numbers!!!! That was interesting.

I really like the better audio and video quality in the videos over last few months. Great channel.

"Each length of chain, weighs 123 pounds"....? Got the giggles. Recently found your channel and love the videos!

Thanks very interesting. Never got up that far when I was on board. Even for a Gunners Mate "Holy-stonning" brings back memories !

I have a challenge for all the folks who don't like the look of the video. Film a complete tour of the interior of your car while sitting inside it with the windows closed. I want to see the interior of the glove box, under the seats, behind the visors and the seat belt anchors. I don't think some people realize just how tight and cramped these spaces on the battleship are...and these videos have 2 people in those tiny spaces. Keep in mind that the types of shots that you see in movies are made by removing a wall so you can get the camera far enough away from what you are shooting that compositing a shot is actually possible. Take a look at some of the footage that was taken inside the lunar module when it was on the moon with 2 guys inside it if you can't visualize what it means to be physically unable to get more than a couple of feet away from what you're trying to get a picture of.

I saw there are telephones in various spaces on the ship. I volunteer at a telephone museum (and we have one of those phones in the collection!). Do those phones work? I assume they would be for calling between various locations on the ship, not sure how they would connect to the "outside world". It would be cool to see how the phone switching system worked - and if it doesn't work now, it would be a fun project (at least to me!) to get it working again!

Sand could also be used on the wedges for shoring. The sand would help keep the wedges from slipping.

Abby it is time for a blooper reel! Surely there is footage of Ryan going through a hatch and demonstrating what a knee knocker is or doing his best "Oscar" impression. Is Oscar still aboard or was he recycled onto another ship?

Very informative video. I would like to recommend using a wide angle lens for shooting the tight areas because I most of the time lost my imagination of the dimensions of the ship. Thanks for the great video.

looks like fun exploring that ship

That green primer was some toxic stuff! I remember painting a space and walking out lightheaded

I'd do whatever it takes to preserve that lipstick. Someone had the brains to do that so I would consider it pretty significant to the life of that ship.

I love watching your videos daily

That ladder looked very sketchy but if I was 18 again I wouldn't have cared either.

Regarding the ladder that was cut off and re-positioned, I think this was to afford greater hand and foot purchase on the rungs. Its original position I think was too close to the hull or wall.

Ryan Zsymanski - you have talked me to sleep for the last 4-5 weeks at least. Thanks dude!

My vote would be for Shaft Alley. Not much to see there, likely, but still a place not many will have seen. Love your vids!

My last Naval ship tour was Russian. Age of Sail relic. Three mast square rigged except for the aft spanker. That tells you what vessel type it is. Every USA citizen had a 'minder' who was not going to let anyone into prohibited areas.

Great look into the bow of New Jersey. Always wanted to see that area. Battleship Texas recently did a video showing the inside of the bow and stern castings that joined to both ends of the ship's keel. Dose New Jersey have similar castings? They also showed parts of the ship's degaussing system that functioned while the ship was in operation. They showed cables mounted to the inside of the hull. I assume New Jersey has something similar. As for ideas to show the ship alive. How about the ship's surface search radar in motion. Also signal flags on lines to the mast. Does New Jersey have searchlights like the older battleships had?

Six days shalt thou labor and do all thou art able, And on the seventh -- holystone the decks and scrape the cable

I believe that line you were standing on is called a Towing Hawser if I remember right. Those lines behind are moring lines.

Sand Locker if my memory is correct just forward of the paint locker on LPH-7 in port a good place for deck division to hang out (or was that Hide Out) Lipstick on the Bull Nose? 1975 was a long time ago

The towing hawser Ryan is standing on appears to be identical (perhaps the same line) as the 10" braided nylon lines used as the bow and stern mooring lines on the BBs.

Hmm, lipstick on a bulkhead... Sounds like Deck Div was stowing away some LBFM-PBR's

Great stuff. I'm glad you guys got to stay busy during covid.

Camera person: please slow down on the ultra quick pans around, it’s quite dizzying.

I heard a from someone who served on the NJ that the hull was twisted due to not having the turrets at a 90 degree angle when they had a fire mission.

Ryan has "no clue" how the lipstick marks got there...

I guess there are times when the camera woman says to Ryan, 'No way I'm climbing into there'. Love these videos keep them coming.

"here is the sand locker" oh yeah the video topic

9:30 -- The sand locker stores sand for polishing the deck.

Great tour and explanations. Was very interesting

Ryan..... I have no idea... best line ever

Do you have to worry about confined space hazards like toxic gas buildup or rooms where all of the oxygen has been sucked up by the rusting steel?

I sure wish I’d known about you back in 2007. We would have loved a curators tour for a couple of days. I’d have bought a few nights aboard if possible. Next time I’m back in the east coast, I’m buying everything I can on new jersey

Love your videos.

Must complement you. Your presentation skills are improving a lot.

I was on dd830 enjoy your tours

Loving the channel. What’s a sand locker? The hell if I know! But I wanna see what’s inside!

I would like to see the rudder engines/room. Saw one of a wooden ship in the Netherlands , hoe the thick ropes run through the ship to the steering wheel. Would be interesting to see how it is done in this area

Please invest in a wide angle lens. That would make these videos so much better.

I'm sure it was more than likely all for holy stoning the Teakwood deck but also they say that you can't put a Willie Pete round out with water you have to suffocate it with sand or something? I forgot what else.

Thank you

Threw up three times watching this

Part of me wants a video where Ryan just goes "SAAAAAAAAAANNNNNND" and immediately cuts.

The Sand Locker, the wildly unsuccessful sequel to 2008's "The Hurt Locker"

Damn that copper looks good

as an introvert, i'd prolly hang a hammock in the sand locker, lol!

I'd be interested in seeing inside some of the fuel oil tanks and seeing the fuel pickups and associated piping. I know when you looked at the belt armor that was a tank but we didn't see much piping. Also a peek into the double/triple bottom if that's possible. I'd also be interested in seeing you climb up some of the emergency escape paths like those in the engineering spaces for example.

Excellent video thank you

that IS a janky ladder. No way, no how. That is one of those down-only ladders. If they replaced the original ladder with that one that paint mixing must have taken its toll or there was an even jankier ladder in its stead.

You don't tow a ship with directly with hawsers - you use the mass of the anchor cable - so you use messengers and lines to pass a wire / cable+wire ...and the weight of the cable itself does the work of pulling the towed vessel forward.

Must of been tricky getting the correct shade of battleship gray in that paint mixing room.

At 06:15 what is a "paravane wench?" Was the navy employing some female to operate the paravanes, and why did they keep her cooped up in that cabinet? :-) Obviously the navy yard or it's contractors did not have a very high educational bar for hiring recruits/employees. At the CA Aerospace Museum at Sacramento's former McClellan AFB, there is an F102 with hand-applied markings describing the source of the paint job in which the word Sacramento is misspelled, so the USAF had it's problems, too. I can't imagine how bad things were in the army.