Battleship New Jersey has been displayed in The Garden State for over three decades, and a refresh is needed, writes Tom MacDonald for WHYY.

The refresh includes repainting, applying a system of coatings, fixing and repairing the ship’s cathodic protection system.

“There are 1,200 anodes that will be replaced, and then finally, there are 160 through-hole openings. Every one of those have to be inspected, and if there’s any leaks, then they’ll need to be replaced,” said Marshall Spevak, CEO of the Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial.

The work is expected to cost $10 million, and the ship is expected to be temporarily moved to the same Philadelphia drydock where it was built for World War II.

“So this is actually a historic homecoming for us at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard now so many years later,” Spevak said.

Spevak noted that while they have enough to get the project going, they are looking to finish out the financing and pay the costs. 

To do so, Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial has set up a donation link and will host special weekend tours while the ship is out of the water. 

Read more about Battleship New Jersey’s return to Philly and efforts to raise funds in WHYY.

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