I think I will have to go with the USS North Carolina. She is a floating museum in Wilmington NC where I am from and I have been aboard her dozens of times!!
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You should check into their living history detachment. You get to explore parts of the ship the public doesn't get to see. Lots of cool stuff still tucked away.

Hi there,

I will be heading down to Wilmington this weekend for a road race they are having at the battleship. I live in Raleigh so it's not far at all. I am looking foward to touring the ship the day before the race.

- Jeff

i have an ash tray made from brass that was given out when the carolina was launched in the n.y. navy yard in 1940.

Well you wont be disappointed!!! My dad is in a ham radio club in Wilmington and the club meets on the battleship I think every wed. to do work on the intercom system. They were asked several years ago if they would mind trying to get some of the speakers working so the people touring the ship know when they are closing. Anyway as I said that was several years ago the they are still there. They see it as a hobby now.

I toured the ship a few years ago!! My family was staying at Myrtle Beach so
the drive was short!! It is definitely worth checking out!!

I've visited the USS North Carolina quite a few times having been stationed twice in NC. I remember going aboard in the 1980's and was puzzled to see battleship parts strewn about the deck. I asked a guide about it and he said they were hydraulic motors from the 16 inch turrets and were being sold to the navy for spare parts use in the Iowa's then going back in service. Made sense to me. Also, how is the plan to move the "Showboat" coming along? I was told they want it drydocked and moored on the city side of the river. Of course, they need to get it off it's mudbank first.

Will

Those parts were not being sold to the Navy. The Navy still owns the ship (and most of the other museum ships, too). The Navy came and took the parts. (Just a small tidbit of info.) This ship is not planning (at least the last I heard) of moving to the city side of the river. It's supposed to stay on the side of the river it is on, just parallel to the River instead of perpendicular. Of course this will be after it is sent to drydock for cleanup and repairs. But who really knows when that will be. Money's got to be raised first.

Also, as the CO of the USS NORTH CAROLINA Living History Crew, come join us and learn to be a battlehip sailor!.

Charlie

Captain Charlie,

Thanks for the info and the invite to join "the crew" - if I still lived in NC I'd be down there in Wilmington scraping rust every weekend but I'm back in my home state of Washington (Hey - the North Carolina's sister ship) At least your cistizens had the good sense to preserve your battleship; we in the navy rich enviroment here have no excuse.

Will

Ah, well I just want to say that I really enjoyed the race the battleship committee put on last Sunday, I ran in the half marathon. It was my first year running the race and I was glad to see the proceeds go to the battleship. I planned on returning again for the battleship alive event going on in the first week of May. Maybe i'll see you there.

- Jeff

Are you sure the Navy still owns the ship? I remember, vaguely, as a kid being hit up for donations to buy it for the state. Wikipedia says the Navy transferred the USS NC to the state for a memorial. Ownership really doesn't matter, just interesting.
Wikipedia also says there are plans to tow her to Norfolk to a drydock to clean and refit the hull but that sounds unlikely to me. Wikipedia isn't very accurate a lot of the time but just quick.

Yes. All of the ships that the Navy puts up for the donation program still belong to the Navy. The costs of preserving and maintaining the ships is the responsibility of the organization that gets it, not the Navy. The Navy inspects the ships on a somewhat regular basis. If the keepers of the ship does not maintain it in a manner befitting a Naval ship, the Navy has a right to take that ship back (and they have done it or threatened to do it to several ships over the years). The money raised through donations (such as was the case for the USS NC) was to help pay for the tow and the building of the slip and visitors center back in 1960. When they were activating teh IOWA in the 1980, they had a ready supply of spare parts available in the threee battleships that had 16" guns.

And yes, they are still planning to tow her to Norfolk to clean and repair the hull (nearest drydock big enough to handle the BB). Just need to bank the several million dollars (estimates are around $10M+) it will cost to do this.

Oh, and our website is http://www.ussnclivinghistory.com/

Charlie

Hi Charlie, Got a question for you. In one your above posts, you are the CO of the USS NORTH CAROLINA Living History Crew. Does this mean you live in Wilmington and go aboard her often?? If so you man know my dad who works on the NC one day a week I think on Wed.

No, I actually live in Maryland and drive down when we have events (7 hours). Who's your dad?

Charlie

we bought it with quarters collected by school kids. i don't think that will work to raise 10 mil.

His Name is Jack, He is in a Ham Radio club which sets up at the Battleship sometimes and his club has been working on the intercom systems onboard for a while now.

Just came across this thread, My father Arthur Dale Shaffer S2, served on the Show Boat in 44-45, I have seen the ship once when I was 18 and going in to the Army, and about 9 years ago with my 1st daughter, and now have 2 more kids, so will be making another trip to see her.

My wife and I just returned from Wilmington where we had a chance to go abord the old battle wagon. This was my first big naval vessel to inspect and I really had a great time. I can't say enough how much I enjoyed the tour and found it very interesting.
I am so glad they saved some of these old ships from the scrapyards. It is hard to imagine what serving on a ship must have been like in the pacific theatre. I don't imagine they had air conditioning back then. My tour of this ship definitely had left me hungry to see more of her when the tour was over.
I am now planning on some time in the future to go and see the BB-64 (uss wisconsin) which is based near Norfolk Va. I don't know when they will be starting tours on her but when they do I will make the trip. Jeff

My swabbie brother is stationed in Norfolk again for the time being(deploying for Somalia sometime soon). I'll ask him about the ship and tours, and will open a topic about it when I find out.

I just did some checking on the net and found out that the USS Wisconsin is berthed in Nauticus Va, near Norfolk. Tours are currently being offered, although because of the ships status as class B reserve fleet, access to the interior of the ship is not available. You are able to tour the first three levels on the outside of the ship.
They also have a large naval museum there that looks quite impressive. Perhaps some forum members have been there. Jeff

Hi Guys, Thought I would post a couple pics of my USS North carolina in 1/96 scale. She has 4 motors with two speed controls, inboards on one and the outboards on the other and is 91" in length. If anyone is on her I sure can use a couple pics...

Now that is a ship, a big one to boot! Nice job!

-Ski

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My mother is from Goldsboro and she told me about when she was a kid they took all their change to school to help bring the North Carolina to Wilmington. I've been on her a dozen or so times. I always liked watching the alligators being fed.

I just came across this thread. I have been on the North Carolina many, many times over the years and always enjoyed it. Seems like every year on vacation as a kid we went to visit the ship. I have also been on the Wisconsin at Norfolk and it was very impressive as well. If anyone gets the chance, go see her and visit Nauticus as well.

Nice job! looks like a lot of fun, my congratulations.

I don't doubt you've seen the pics at these links, but I had fun looking through them:
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-n/bb55.htm
http://www.navsource.org/archives/01/55b.htm

I lived in NC for 27yrs before I moved to PA. I bet if I go home and pull out the old photo album I can find pictures of me on the deck numerous of times. My father worked at Dupont for 25yrs. Everytime we crossed the Cape Fear bridge there she was (USSNC) to the left and going back home there she was on the right.

I'm also guilty of feeding the aligators.