What to Know
- Residents in the Philadelphia area saw a rare site — a battleship floating down the Delaware River.
- The USS New Jersey began moving shortly after noon on Thursday, March 21, from its dock in Camden, New Jersey. It's headed to the Philadelphia Navy Yard for extensive maintenance work. The retired battleship will initially head to the Paulsboro Marine Terminal, where it will be balanced to prepare for dry docking, and will then go to the Navy Yard six days later.
- The maintenance work is expected to take about two months.
It was a sight to be seen from both Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
America's most decorated battleship left its home on Camden's waterfront for the first time in decades. On Thursday, March 21, 2024, shortly after noon, the Battleship New Jersey began traveling down the Delaware River.
The ship arrived at Paulsboro Marine Terminal in Paulsboro, New Jersey, just before 4 p.m. for hull preparation. A week later, the historic ship will head to the Philadelphia Navy Yard for historic dry dock maintenance.
Get top local stories in Philly delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC Philadelphia's News Headlines newsletter.
"This battleship is just a tremendous piece of history," Battleship New Jersey CEO Marshall Spevak said. “This is a once in a generation opportunity really to see the ship move.”
Local
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood.
When did Battleship NJ depart?
The ship left from Camden on March 21 around high tide -- 12:10 p.m.
The museum hosted a free send-off ceremony on the Camden pier at 11 a.m.
It marked the first time the USS New Jersey has moved from Camden since she arrived in 2000.
"People are calling in telling us they are flying in from other parts of the country to be here on the 21st," Spevak said weeks before the move.
People even snagged up all the tickets for a lunchtime cruise on the Spirit of Philadelphia to witness the move from the water as it left from Penn's Landing in Philadelphia.
Before the Big J moved from her spot dominating Camden's waterfront, New Jersey State Police helicopters saluted from above. Then, ceremonial shots were fired from the ship herself.
People watching the historic moment snapped pictures and videos of America's most decorated battleship on the move.
One 13-year-old asked to be there as his birthday present and was totally in awe of the massive ship.
A stop in another part of New Jersey before arriving in Philly
Tug boats from McAllister Towing guided the ship past the Philly shipyard between 1:45 p.m. and 3 p.m. on March 21, according to the Navy Yard.
The ship will now spend six days at the Paulsboro Marine Terminal before making its way to Dry Dock 3 at the Philly shipyard.
When the ship moves from Paulsboro to Philly on March 27, four people will be on board after bidding thousands of dollars for the chance to cruise the Delaware on a piece of history.
The Battleship New Jersey will be dry docked for the first time in 32 years
According to Spevak, the $10 million dry dock project is long overdue. It is also vital for the battleship's longevity.
“Typically decommissioned navy ships are supposed to be dry docked every 20 years. We are almost at 35 now,” Spevak said.
The maintenance work in Philly is expected to take about 60 days. The battleship will return to Camden once the work is complete, but people will also have the chance to see the battleship in Philly. The museum is selling rare dry dock tours on the weekends, offering people the chance to walk underneath the battleship.
“I'm not sure when the next time an Iowa class battleship will be in dry dock," Spevak said. "That’s why we are saying it is really a once in a generation opportunity.”
"If you choose to come visit the Battleship New Jersey while in dry dock, we ask that you understand that the Navy Yard is an active business campus that is home to more than 150 businesses and 15,000 employees," the Navy Yard said on its website. "Please obey posted signage regarding parking and traffic."
And now, with this trip for much needed maintenance work, the museum says they are protecting its future by preserving it for generations to come.
What goes into moving an 887-foot-long 45,000-ton battleship?
The Battleship New Jersey Museum & Memorial was closed to tours in late February as crews prepared for the move.
In order for the battleship to fit under the Walt Whitman Bridge, they had to remove the mast and radar from the top of the ship.
"Even now at high tide we are about 11 to 16 feet clearing of the bridge so it is still a very tight space," explained Spevak.
Crews also removed the northern gangway from the ship. Contractors are coming on board to disable the electric, mechanicals, and plumbing.
"Right now our crew is starting to go and just sort of clear out a lot of the areas and batten down the hatches," Spevak said. "The wind, the weather, the tides- there’s just an incredible amount that goes into moving a ship like this especially a battleship, a decommissioned ship that hasn’t moved in decades."
A full circle moment for the man in charge of towing the Battleship New Jersey
The battleship is being towed by four tug boats.
“It’s what we call a dead ship. It doesn’t have propulsion. The tug boats will be operating in place of the ship’s engine and rudder," explained Joseph Benton, with McAllister Towing of Philadelphia.
Benton is leading the entire tow operation. It is a full circle moment for him. He captained one of the tug boats that originally brought the battleship to Camden.
"Full circle, for sure," Benton said. "To be able to come back 20 something years later and be able to be the pilot in charge of it, it is pretty awesome.”
Sign up for our Breaking newsletter to get the most urgent news stories in your inbox.
