Checking calendar to see if it’s April 1st.

@rearspeaker6364

Жыл бұрын

I' was looking for Feb. 30th!!

@KenR1800

Жыл бұрын

Same, except he already did that a couple of years ago!

@linkerthejedi2575

Жыл бұрын

I fell for said joke several years ago and didn’t recognize it till two years later

@HKGSteven

Жыл бұрын

Lol

@Hoosier_man01

Жыл бұрын

I remember last year, I got so happy

A battleship shell as a bench. As an American, I've never been more proud. o7

@Icesniper-lm5or

Жыл бұрын

That looks to be a 15 inch ap shell fired from the iowa class

@Icesniper-lm5or

Жыл бұрын

My bad I thought they were 15 inch thanks for letting me know my error

@AdmiralDevil

Жыл бұрын

​​​@@Icesniper-lm5or I think you mean 16 inch since Iowas don't use 15s at all

@AdmiralDevil

Жыл бұрын

@@Icesniper-lm5or no problem

@totalnerd5674

Жыл бұрын

PFP checks out

The theme of bringing back the battleship will never go away as a video subject I think lol

@comradedog4075

Жыл бұрын

As long as she sails no matter how much technology progresses and how obsolete it might be. I still would switch military branches just to be a crew mate aboard her.

@isaacmatthews1966

Жыл бұрын

Ryan at 67 years old in his 22nd bringing back the battleship video: no the navy will not bring back the battleship, the boilers are scuffed, the turrets are welded, and it’s hard to train the robots on the boilers

@10_points

Жыл бұрын

@@isaacmatthews1966 The turrets and billers are still ok. But yes, training new people would be extremely difficult

@steveaird9347

Жыл бұрын

You cannot shoot down a projection battleship round I believe in battleships should have made USS Montana and her sister ships but making this fast as a New Jersey Big J Iowa mighty Mo whiskey Wisconsin

@rearspeaker6364

Жыл бұрын

@@isaacmatthews1966 the robots might think the boilers are their enslaved brothers and may try to free them!!

I was unaware that cub scouts are a curator's kryptonite. Good to know.

The Des moines class should have been preserved as a whole. Smaller units but good shelling platforms

@erichammond9308

Жыл бұрын

Or the Alaska class ships. Pity that they didn't save at least one for a museum.

@frankbodenschatz173

Жыл бұрын

Or one of the two ships of those classes as an active platform for shore bombardment as the Alaska//Guam were very low mileage! And far less costly than any of the many fiasco classes of littoral of Zumwalt things. Hell, even the Fletcher's should, could be brought back to replace some of the new crap.

@kman-mi7su

Жыл бұрын

I grew up 15 minutes from where New Jersey is docked. I remember also seeing the Des Moines sitting in mothballs at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard for years. You could drive past it on I-95 and see it from the bridge sitting there looking like a mini New Jersey.

@J.A-CA139

Жыл бұрын

I wish they were, There were efforts to Save CA-148 and CA-134 but Newport News was not in the best material condition to begin with and Des Moines I believe they were not able to raise enough funds to take her. Salem's crew got to see Des Moines before she was scrapped in 2006. I'm really glad CA-139 USS Salem is still around!

@garywayne6083

Жыл бұрын

The Salem fights its hardest to scrape up the funds they can to try and keep her as bets they can. There's only so much money out there for these ship's preservation's unfortunately

You may be the third curator, but you have to be the best. Your daily videos bring the ship to life, and really make it accessible.

@martypalmiere7672

Жыл бұрын

It wouldn't hurt if he knew what the hell he was talking about in the first place, Ryan needs to do a little more research on his topics instead of pulling his info out of his ass.

My Mother was part of the team that made sure all gun emplacements received ammunition that was up to speck (She ran the statistical surveys for gun ammunition out of WQEC West Concord Naval Weapons Station) and I so remember BB62 combat tour of Vietnam.... I literally grew up with (Big "J") my Father loaded her shells from WWII and Korea at Port Chicago and my Mom helped make sure they hit with a bang when it counted.... All 4 of the Iowa's were the grandest ladies of the Pacific Ocean.....

@Vile-Flesh

Жыл бұрын

That's pretty amazing. I agree on the Iowa's being the grandest.

@millerdp

Жыл бұрын

@PhilipFear Bravo Zulu to your Mom and Dad! They’re are unsung heroes for the New Jersey and our nation!

@warrenholmes3311

Жыл бұрын

OK, I will say it...'spec' is NOT 'speck'. 'Spec' stands for: Specification. 'Spec' is just to give standardization(s).

@PhilipFear

Жыл бұрын

@@millerdp Thanks, they both retired from NAVY Civil Service although I was the Black Sheep of the family, I went into the ARMY Military Police Corps🤔😄😉 🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲 But yes, I am dammed proud of both of them....

@kennethhamilton5633

Жыл бұрын

​@@warrenholmes3311we know whut he means don't really need an Ellen Woodhead's Speed reading course lesson but thankee ennyhow😏

I remember, as a kid, New Jersey and Missouri were both tied up in Bremerton. It was a couple bucks to go onto Missouri. Even at ten years of age, I marveled that two such important ships were just sitting at an old dock along the highway. My uncle had been on Missouri in Tokyo bay when the Japanese surrendered so I grew up with that story. He was really happy to end up on a battleship since he had spent most of the war on destroyers and had several sunk out from under him. The last time I saw BB-62 was in 1990 when it visited Portland Oregon.

@kimmer6

Жыл бұрын

The Turret #2 right hand barrel that was on the Missouri for the surrender was sidelined from the scrapper and is now on display near the North end of the Golden Gate Bridge. When the Iowa was stored at the Suisun Bay mothball fleet, I took an old sailor on my boat over to view the ship. The security boat chased us off twice. On the third time, he came close and warned us to stay away or be cited. I told him that the 94 year old feller with me served on the Fanshaw Bay and wanted to see the Iowa. He stood at attention, saluted the old guy, and left us alone. Here's that barrel #386 that your uncle was near. kzread.info/dash/bejne/pZuepbt9eb3PdLg.html

@dave928

Жыл бұрын

yep back in the 80's we'd sail over to Bremerton and stare at them for hours.

In January I got to go on the “Hidden Battleship” tour offered by BB55. In a compartment well off the main tour route I saw a “boom-box” radio that looked like it was from roughly 1990 that looked like it had been placed their while volunteers worked in the space some time ago (months? Years? Decades?). I smiled as I wondered how long items from the museum era had to remain in place before they became an artifact themselves!

@Melody_Raventress

Жыл бұрын

It's a neat idea isn't it? A sort of Meta-history where the incidental work of historians becomes part of the historical record when they were working on creating that record. You're getting your fingerprints are all over my history, Ryan! Stop!

The way this was written I had to go check the news to see if I missed something lol

@rearspeaker6364

Жыл бұрын

I'd bet it could be done, but that's a ton of money, then the govt. would stop you from doing sea trials.

The history of the museum is often overlooked by visitors but it's fascinating in it's own right.

For an museum ship the very first thing I would open is the navigational bridge(The big one that looks over the deck) Because honestly it's my favorite place to visit on museum ships as you get a great view of the ship and the scale of her.

@manhunter433

Жыл бұрын

I'd personally say the Command Bridge, you get to stand in the spot where the ship's Captain and possibly Admiral once stood.

I came as a volunteer in April 2002. The ship still had the smell of a commissioned ship.

If I were opening a museum ship, my first priorities would be (in no particular order): 1) the ship's guns & other weapons; 2) the bridge; 3) crew accommodations & officer staterooms; 4) some of the engineering spaces.

@bill45colt

Жыл бұрын

id open up the boiler rooms, engine rooms, transmission, and fuel bunkers,,,,,let me see the prop shaft,,,,and how do you reverse a turbine engine prop??

@scarling9367

Жыл бұрын

​@@bill45colt As a guy, I'm most interested in the engine room. Lol. I visited the Yorktown in Charlestown, SC and we only got to see ERUL. Cool, but mildly disappointing.

I would like to hear stories about tour incidents, like boy scout over nighter mishaps, people getting lost on the ship ect. Accidents in restoring the ship to a museum. Unusual things that perhaps involved unexpected circumstances . Thanks

@lindycorgey2743

Жыл бұрын

That would be neat. Because I got turned around on the USS Texas and had to figure out how I got on that particular outside deck. I finally found the exit. 🤣

@glennac

Жыл бұрын

Excellent idea! 👍🏼👏🏼

@jamesholcombe435

Жыл бұрын

Ghost stories please

If I had a new museum ship, I'd hire Ryan! A curator is not for the faint of heart.....

As magnificent as she is, glad it's just about the history of conversion to a museum ship. Here I was worried Grenada might be pulling some funny business I missed and we had to build up the fleet.

Oh boy Ryan is trying to get all are hopes up again.......still it's got my attention.......let's go Big J~

My wife, daughter and I just today went aboard the Big J we had a good time. Hope to come board in the future.

I hope those sixteen-inch shells have been secured. You don't want some visitor with sticky fingers to pocket a few and walk off with them.

@geofffikar3417

Жыл бұрын

Imagine seeing that happen!

@rearspeaker6364

Жыл бұрын

@@geofffikar3417 and someone trying to scrap one!!

@ronanvave560

Жыл бұрын

They'll have to have the arms of WWE wrestlers, because if they try to pick up a real one, which weighs over 1,000 pounds, they'll soon find out it won't be an easy task.

I think I was in high school or college when NJ got the ship. I remember reading newspaper articles (remember news papers?) about the local volunteerism to get the ship open. Veterans and boy and girl scouts, family members of vets, or just people who thought it was cool to work on a battleship.

I agree that the Museum needs to document its own history. In my volunteer work, I have two jobs. One is as a trained train crew. Put in the time to help work the train as a brakeman and sometimes fill in as a diesel fireman. My other job is content creation. I take many pictures to help the Museum advertise and, in a way, document the history as it happens. When this Museum first started, there was little documentation of the early years so. Now there is little to look back on.

@ThePTBRULES

Жыл бұрын

What museum?

@itsflyguy5353

Жыл бұрын

​@@ThePTBRULES 🤦‍♂️

Depends on the ship class and type. Destroyers and Cruisers, it'd be any and all guns that the ship has with corresponding dummy replicas of the ammo. Torpedoes if they had any would also be on my top 10 to do list. Battleships, you said it yourself in this video and I won't be adding anything to it. Aircraft Carriers, it'd be complicated but it'd be what's happening on and just below the flight deck.

If they ever bring the battleships Back shine me up.

@jonathanscanapico9753

Жыл бұрын

You'd be the brightest person on the ship.

@americanpatriot3638

Жыл бұрын

@@jonathanscanapico9753 🤣🤣🤣🤣

@vxrdrummer

Жыл бұрын

Sitting next to your mate having a poop...I'll stick to my modern warships thanks ha ha.

@carlousmagus5387

Жыл бұрын

Amen

I enjoy the self guided tours, but I had a somewhat guided tour on the North Carolina. My dad was on the Nevada when we visited BB55 in the mid 1970s. He was telling me how life was in different areas for him. After a bit, about 30 people was following us listening to Dad telling about his experiences. To be able to do that again.

I was able to attend the anniversary of the commisioning ceremony on the 23rd. It is awesome what all of you do to help preserve this part of history. Thank you.

My answer to the final question: I would delay actually opening in regular museum service and keep exploring by myself. Being given a battleship, what a marvellous thing.

Outstanding theme for this video! I'm a 1980-84 Navy Vet and have made a friend in a (90 something year old) Shipmate named "Art". He and I meet almost weekly for dinner to share our love (sea stories) for our time in the Navy. He told me early on that he was part of an early team of Volunteers aboard BB-62. I had toured the ship in 2004 and took the "Fire Power Tour". Art said that he used to give this tour and it was possible that he was my guide. Although there was never any doubt in my mind about his time aboard as a Volunteer, today I saw images of him in this video that I'm sure will make him happy to see for himself. Thanks for this channel and video! Cheers, here's to you RM2 Art, my Friend and Shipmate!!

Extraordinary episode. And people (little boys really, the ones where the only difference with men is the price of our toys) like to see things work. Just look at the groups around the country in the last sixty years or so that have rescued "park" steam locomotives and put them back on the rails, complete in many cases retrofitted to meet current regulation for Positive Train Control. I remember when I was in the Air Force, working with the folks at the plant in Ft Worth ramping up to produce the F-16 - in one side of the plant were depot level repairs on F-111s (also made in that plant) and talking to some of the older engineers who where at the plant when B-36 was rolling off the line (and that plant also produced the B-58 and started life producing B-24s). At the time, there was a "park" B-36 outside the gate of Carswell AFB, and the engineers related how they "conspired" with some of the old crew to restore the plane to flight. They had gotten as far as getting all the engines flight-worthy, and checking out the landing gear so the plane could be moved, and the official story was, it was still considered a nuclear-capable platform and the Pentagon denied permission to let it fly. So ask me what I would do with New Jersey ? You know I would take it out of mothballs, attract an all volunteer crew, obtain powder and "blue" shells for target practice, have the best food afloat, and go sailing, giving the passengers the views of the high seas only available previously to oath-taking uniformed sailors.

@Pentium100MHz

Жыл бұрын

The problem is that restoring a big ship like this to working order is orders of magnitude more expensive than restoring or building a new steam locomotive. However, I also think that seeing the machines operate is much better than them being on static display presumably to never run again. Even better is being allowed to operate some part of it (for example, shovel coal into the firebox of a locomotive).

@Melody_Raventress

Жыл бұрын

If only bro. I wish Elon Musk or one of those eccentric billionares would buy an old battleship and restore it to mil-spec as some crazy passon project. It could happen.

Very cool! You get to do a video sitting on a shell. Who needs an office when a shell is around.

@kiphenry4684

Жыл бұрын

I got a chuckle seeing the steel rods running between those posts around that shell. We sure wouldn’t want a 2,200 pound shell to get stolen. 😅

If I was opening a museum ship, here's what I would do: 1) Hire a great Curator. (Do you know where I can find one) - I've heard of a guy, R. ?Zamanski? 2) Guns painted...to look good from a distance & up-close 3) Mess Deck, or other large space, for general purpose - Also allows displays of smaller artifacts/items 4) Bridge 5) For or Aft plot (Where they pull the trigger) 6) Crew berthing 7) Any spaces along the paths to those locations that guests can look at along the way

I knew that there is an enoirmous burden to establish any museum. Seeing those chores in black and white, and knowing they hardly scratch the surface really puts things into perspective!

Cub Scouts on board... completely deadly to curators!" This made me laugh out loud!

FUN FACT!; The tug boats that maneuvered NJ are the same style being used to move Submarines in New London, CT. Big Reds lay up right at the ferry terminal in downtown. They seem so tiny compared to a Battleship, but when you get along side one, the sense of scale really hits home. And they are tuff chuggahs.

@ryano.5149

Жыл бұрын

The Grace Moran (pictured 2:43) was in service as late as 2017, but sadly scrapped in 2022. We've been losing a lot of single screw tugs lately.

Thinking of a museum ship as a self guided display, step one is getting an inventory of what you have or can readily get, it’s condition and maintenance/restoration requirements. Since the goal is to get the ship open (and generating revenue) as soon as possible, you would focus on your assets at hand that are ready for display or can be made so reasonably quickly…. And then trying to tie together a coherent tour focused on those assets. Obviously on a battle ship the guns are key….as with a submarine the torpedoes are key, or the aircraft for an aircraft carrier. Simultaneously you would have to coordinate with those charged with overall maintenance to make sure tours and ongoing maintenance are deconflicted. Once a tentative tour route is proposed, one needs to go over it for worst case scenario safety considerations which need to be mitigated prior to the general public use. After all, nothing begs for more mishaps than humans wandering around unfamiliar with the setting.

I enjoy an unguided tour so that I can take my time and look at everything, but seeing how some other guests behave... I can definitely see the advantages of keeping people on guided tours. With my own museum ship, priority 1 is water/humidity management, but for the tour route, guns and superstructure. Lots of good spaces and "easy" access.

I think one really interesting thing to attempt would be to split the ship... at least the upper parts... in half based on era. I suspect it would be all but in impossible to do now, but I'd find it fascinating if you could have, for example, the port side configured as it was in WWII while the Starboard side configured as it was when last in active service in the late 80s.

That would be awesome to be handed a giant ship to explore before turning it into a museum.

@lelandgaunt9985

Жыл бұрын

I ve explored damn near all of the Orleck.

Iowa may not be as complete but she does have some of her projectile handling equipment working again.

Living in the northeast, I grew up with Nautilus and Massachusetts and Constitution and was fortunate enough to visit a lot of historic stuff as a kid that started my interest in history. (Thanks, Dad.) While I admit the guns are super cool, and there's really not much as big brass ... as at the guns of an American battleship, seeing how the crew lived, the engineering spaces, the soda fountain on board Massachusetts, stuff like that is really neat to me. People are a decided afterthought on a warship, they get crammed wherever there's space.

I would think the bridge would be a highly sought after destination for tourists. It would be for me

This is an awesome sales pitch and your ship is definitely on my shortlist and soonlist.

I appreciate the work you and others do to maintain the USS New Jersey. I served on her in early 80s and while living conditions were not nearly as good as a new tin can but no ship is as beautiful

As an engineer, I always want to see the engine room, but I understand why some ships have difficulty providing access. HMS Belfast has access to most of the machinery spaces, but by contrast HMY Britannia has nothing open at all and you can only glimpse the engine room through a window. The difference there is most normies who visit her will be more interested in the owner's accommodation. The Kyles at the Scottish Maritime Museum also had a bulkhead cut away so you could see into the engine room. When I first visited Maid of the Loch many years ago, the engine room was blocked off, but it has been opened up, so you can see the engine as her passengers would have, but you can't get in about it. Same goes for Wingfield Castle in Hartlepool.

I like a guided tour for the information, but wandering a level is memorable. A level of Missouri was open when I was there, wandered through mess area, some engineering, some bunk areas. You are amazed by the size which is amplified by the tight spaces spread over a football field, don't even remember if I got to the turrets and the big round area or I only walked around under the super structure.

@lelandgaunt9985

Жыл бұрын

I could get lost on a sherm-can destroyer.😊

I am only getting audio in my left speaker. Anyone else having this problem?

@Ser_Redshirt

Жыл бұрын

Yeah, it's very distracting.

@chrisp2096

Жыл бұрын

yeah, i thought that my headphones were broken

The engineering spaces particularly the electrical systems are the most interesting to me but I'm currently serving as a electrician so that could have something to do with that

Had a chance years ago to visit the museum, and I enjoyed it very much - keep up the good work!

Ryan deserves a captains hat

Ryan you and your staff do a great jobs with these videos, for those of us too far away to come see the ship it gives us a reason to make a special trip. Thanks for all the work you do in the videos and in keeping the ship in good shape.

Number 1 priority - make as much of the vessel safe and stable as possible. Now, that could mean a number of things, but if people can't board or walk around the areas you want to open first, you don't have a museum. Areas which I would first open would depend on the ship. I think the days of battleships or cruisers being given to just anybody are long over. So, lets say I were to get a modest coast guard cutter of some sort...say an Island-class or maybe an 87' Marine Protector class patrol boat. I think I'd focus on the exterior decks, the flybridge, and the wheelhouse first, and then work my way down. I think those are probably the most interesting and easiest spaces to physically get to...follow that up with the accommodations, and then save the engine room for last, potentially for guided tours only...those vessels aren't that big. Of course, that plan subject to change based on the condition of the boat and whatever pertinent circumstances exist upon taking ownership of the vessel.

You guys have done an excellent job of keeping the Big J/Black Dragon looking as big and proud since she was launched. Sure the others who take care of the rest of the Iowas do as well, but I think you've done the best job yet.

In the study of history, we call that historiography. My first priorities would simply be making sure that we have plenty of the stuff we need. Making sure, on a surface level, we'll be ready to go. And knowledge; I'd want somebody who knows what they're doing. I wonder how often Ryan meets up with his fellow curators? That seems like there should be an annual conference or something.

@jimmiles33

Жыл бұрын

Yeah it’s called HNSA. This year USS Slater is hosting. And the ships are in very frequent contact with each other on several different levels.

@TheHylianBatman

Жыл бұрын

@@jimmiles33 Thanks!

The "Museum Fleet" is probably the best perspective to take in regards to learning and preservation.

That you keep and show the ship in her final configuration I would assume helps make the ship more complete as more equipment would be available compared to trying to find 1940's era equipment.

Awesome to see this, I did my part trying to get her sent here by purchasing 2 prints from Acme markets. I gifted one to a former shipmate of hers. You are. Doing great work. I would have had guns accessable first.

The thing that struck me most about my local iowa (actually, iowa) was the conning tower door. I don't know how deep they are into the ship now, I remember it being mostly top deck and up. Thinking about going back soon

I would focus first on restoring the donut bakery space to its best condition 😁

I will start by saying that I think it is great that warships like the New Jersey have been saved and are now museums. I remember when it was first announced that BB62 was coming home. There was an actual website from someone on the tug bringing BB62 from Bremerton to Philly/Camden, giving daily updates on the voyage. Was fortunate to get on a tour boat out of Cape May, the day BB62 entered the Delaware Bay. Was an amazing site to see even in the state she was in at that time. There were a couple of men who served on BB62 at different times, and it was interesting hearing them talking about the changes made from when they served on her. My first visit to BB62 as a museum, I took my gf since we were seeing a concert venue next door later that evening. Took a guided tour and was surprised when our names were called and we were the only ones. I even asked, if anyone else was coming on on the tour. Was like a personal guided tour, and even though a lot was not open yet, it was so informative that I had an even bigger respect for the men that served on the ship. And seeing all of the changes that were made through the years. I have tried to tour BB62 a few times every year since I live near Cape May NJ, as more parts of the ship have been opened. Unfortunately, haven't visited since the pandemic, so I am over due. Will definitely be back, this summer. Keep up the good work!

Iowa seems to be getting a lot of their turret systems working (ie rotating shell ring, gypsy head capstans, gun director rotation, etc..) is that just a factor of her condition when she was brought to LA, does she have more shore power capacity, etc..?

Thanks man for your dedication and you excellent detailed work 👍

I got the full tour of this ship, when it was still n service. I was a Marine at the time stationed in Subic Bay,PI, about 1986.

A WONDERFUL video..."behind the scenes" is always welcome -- and Ryan is a national treasure

Fascinating to hear some of the history of New Jersey as a museum, including the "errors" in the "must do" list. Ryan asks what would my priority be if I were given a "new" museum ship.... The ice-cream machine, followed by the galley and heads. This is on the basis that having travelled a few hours to get to a museum (ship or otherwise) the first thing I want is some form of refreshment, then to make space for the forthcoming tour, and the last thing is some refreshment and to to make space for the journey home.

As a volunteer at USS Orleck I can say that we are making progress. With any luck we will have the forward after birthing and the rear gun mount open and available for guests to go into unguided.

Hoping for us that you'll never leave your curator job. Hoping for you that you advance ... whatever that may mean.

First thing I'd do to physically prepare the ship is make sure we were solidly moored and had a way to board/disembark.

Well Ryan, ...Iowa figured out how to rotate turret 3 on shore power. Very cool. You Battleship Museum ship curators are doing a great, great work doing Semi Re commissioning almost every day, doing what you do. Keep up the good work

Did a world cruise with this beauty in 1987. She was the lead ship my CG had her six.

An interesting subject , to satisfy the efforts of acquiring and everything the ship you need as many visitors as possible but they need interesting things to look at and to be safe . It's a big job and one that carries on to this day . From Ryan's videos on this channel it looks like some good choices have been made over the years .I was once involved in thevery early stages of a project with two ships laid up for a few years and it was an unforgettable experience .

I was sent here by the Sacred Cow Shipyards KZread channel. If it wasn't for that, I wouldn't have known there are battleship museums.

I have been here once as a Sea Cadet in 2012 for 7 days. Much bigger than my ships here in Buffalo! I can happily report I should be back in October!

This was an extremely interesting topic! Thanks for covering it.

I am a visitor to Missouri and Iowa. New Jersey and Wisconsin yet to come. Top 5 on my bucket list.

I would open up the mess decks,the bridge,and the captains cabin/ admirals cabin.

while i doubt ill ever be able to visit all of the Iowas i will say that USS Massachusetts BB59 absolutely blew me away when i was 8yr old, which was incidentally the 8th year it was a museum. im sure opening as soon as it did after WWII and Korea helped to 'keep' stuff on board but i dont know. i love your videos and i love the work you all have been doing on her. maybe one day ill make it back out east to visit

My dad works for an aircraft simulator making company for air force pilots. I think it would be so fun for him to find out if the New Jersey gets recommissioned as a warship again but with some advanced modifications or recommissioned to sail and demonstrate fire once in a while! But for a second I thought the title was serious but quickly realized that it was for hypothesis. 😄 And I find it so American to make a battleship shell into a bench! Absolutely nice! 😂

I remember visiting the New Jersey for a JROTC field trip it was awesome, we also toured the Submarine and Older Cruiser on the Philly side of the Delaware

For me when I visited the USS Iowa (when it first opened to the public) was the main guns... without a doubt. But it was disappointing not being able to get inside the turrets themselves at the time, although I believe at least one is accessible now to the public. The second most important area was the main/command bridge and armored citadel. Its such an amazing feeling standing on the bridge and looking down on, and over those two massive turrets. The third area of interest would be the engine room down in the depths (which I have yet to see as well) but would absolutely love to do as the journey just getting down there would be interesting as hell as well. So... Main guns, Bridge, Engine room followed by the smaller secondary armaments and perhaps the internal electronics/warfare rooms etc. I'd probably use this same order for any museum warship. As far as guided tours go, they are a must, BUT it's also preferable to be able to go back around on your own and just take your time wandering around to absorb everything around you without the annoyance of other people (and children) spoiling the atmosphere.

I was in philly . tied up across the pier from bb62's refit in 1982-83, she was such a beautiful ship

I heard you mention Upper Handling room. In 1987, I got my middle finger and part of my thumb snatched off in the projectile hoist of Mt.52, 5/38. Balboa naval hospital did a great job putting my hand back together. The projectile hoist was a very dangerous piece of equipment, especially if the safety devices were slightly out of adjustment.

I got out of the Navy in 1980 because I couldn't get orders to the mighty Mo I wanted to experience a battleship before she was decommissioned for the last time. Love me a dredknot oh well did 2 tours halfway around the world on a cool old Korean class Destroyer. Nice to know this ship is still cared about.

The bridge and command center would be an interesting place to start as a tourist attraction. The shells and guns are a story all by themselves. The gun barrels are high density steel. The Cabrillo National Monument on Point Loma in San Diego has a naval museum. I visited the old lighthouse and museum a long time ago with my mom and dad. There was a display that carried a lot of weight. A 14 or 16 inch length of a 16 inch gun barrel was set on a stand for people to get some idea of what large naval guns were like. I tried to pick up that short piece of gun barrel and it would not budge. It was not fastened or welded to the stand. I realized that I would create an embarrassing incident if I knocked the thing over so I decided the safer venture would be to quit while I was ahead. And still have my toes. A 16 inch wide bullet weighing more than a ton would trim your toenails all the way back to your ankle.

From the perspective of someone who has seen a few museum ships, looking at what would excite me most about seeing a new ship would be focusing on things that aren't on, or aren't open, on other ships. Unique spaces. I imagine this would be much easier on a battleship because there is just so many things on it. Or possibly reactivating (in a limited capacity) things on the ship. Not sure the feasibility, but being able to hand crank or electronically lay a gun, even within a very small amount, would be very cool. Or seeing a demonstration of loading. Seeing a powder or shell hoist working. On smaller, simpler ships having periodic events of starting the engines/boilers. Also, I think having a scale cutaway model commissioned would be awesome. A model that's 4-8 feet long, each deck laid out so you can look in, labeled and model decorated. Id find that neat.

The first thing I'd do if I inherited a ship to be turned into a museum is focus on is hiring people who know what they are doing. I don't know anything about preserving historical artefacts or ships and wouldn't know where to start.

The guns bring the crowds no doubt. Everybody loves a big gunslinger and that's what New Jersey and her sisters were. I remember when Wisconsin was brought to Norfolk. I visited it when it opened for tours and the only thing you could do was walk the deck.

I like to do both a guided tour, and wander through on my own. (Which comes first doesn't matter to me.) The guided tour does indeed help for the context of what I'm looking at, but the wandering opens up the time to look at things ignored or glossed over on the tour. For example, the emergency lighting Ryan covered in a recent video would have been a point of interest. The fixture itself is fairly standardized, but the choices made for where to put them, how to cable them, how to keep watertight, etc. are fascinating to me.

It is great to see the BTS things like this!!! For me, the first thing I would bring back/restore would probably be the bridge, engine rooms, and gun systems, HAHAHAHA!!!

Having been aboard New Jersey Ryan, I agree it is far and away the most complete! Not even close! Missouri is good as well, Iowa is decent but a lot (barbettes, gunhouses, engineering) is not public-access frustratingly, and Wisconsin has a LONG way to go. Also totally agree on self-guided being my preferred way of exploring the ship. Docents are great, but I've seen so many of y'all's videos I already know so much of what they're talking about.

Sorry Ryan, but had I had the power to have, Iowa class battleships would have stayed rotating through active service with the Navy and reserves to this day (1 active, 1 refitting, 2 reserves). North Carolinas would have had to do for the cub scouts. They were built tougher to withstand those kind of challenges: )

@ronanvave560

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I mean, Ryan did say that North Carolina would have enough room on her to have more missile stations than the Iowas iirc.

This history of transition is at least as interesting as the war stories or deep dives into certain parts of the ship. Very cool

I think getting the main deck open for folks to come and see solo or guided tour is the key first step. Can work inside the ship like crew birth, mess hall/ kitchen, engine room.. All the main places to let folks see what it was like to live on one of the ships... Humanize the history as much as possible would be the key for me.... I know as a kid back in 91 I got to meet one of the gunners from the USS Ward, and him taken time to tell me about Pearl Harbor and the ships actions on sinking the IJN mini sub that was trying to sneak into the harbor. He then taken time to show me what each crew member job was on the 3 or 4 inch gun.... Getting to hear from him made the gun that was sitting next to the Minnesota capital more impactful then just looking at the gun as a monument....

The experience of being in the vicinity of a 16" cannon/shell firing is unforgettable.

you guys need to read the description lol

The New Jersey is fast approaching it's 100th Birthday!

If I had millions of dollars that ship wouldn't have to worry about funds. ❤

first thing i'd open to the public is giving them a paintbrush and say "get to work!" y'know, thats not a bad idea, have parties for civvies to come and work. maybe have some kool-aid and hotdogs and burgers (donated by meat distrubutors) grilled corn dipped in butter, and everyone come in before that and chips and paints. kids can stone (?) the deck, might be fun. you may get some new volunteers too :)

Pretty cool video. Thank you. Missouri could still light up Pearl. She was decommissioned 3 months before I toured her.

I think it's safe to say, from all the museum curators worldwide, you are one of the most known in the specific area (an art curator is obviously more known in the art sphere etc) but when it comes to museum ships and I would say naval history in general, few of your colleagues from other ships are so well known

I went there in 2009 and the thing that struck me most was the welds. They were expertly done but apart from removing the slag there was nothing done to pretty them up. It was such a mundane thing but it brought into laser sharp focus the overarching goal of her construction: Get. Her. Done.