SEPTEMBER 25, 2024

We Got A Barge

If you follow us on a regular basis, you know we use a surface piercing cofferdam to maintain IOWA’s hull at the critical wind and water line. Deploying and working in it on the starboard side of the ship – the side along the dock – is fairly straight forward, but maneuvering it into place on the port side is a tricky prospect.

Here’s our solution: a support barge!

Don’t let the rust fool you: this floating platform will clean up well and be incredibly useful to our ops team.

The barge cost $25,000 and an amazing member of our crew already stepped up to make an incredible contribution of $10,000 to offset the cost, but we expect to need another $25,000 to get it ready to go into the water.

This plan is an alternative to drydocking, which would cost us in the tens of millions. If you’d like to donate to help us reach our goal of $50,000, please click the button below.

Holiday Gift Idea

A legacy paver in our Walk of Honor allows you and/or your loved one to compose a message that will endure for generations to come.

Your paver comes with a matching complimentary keepsake. Order by November 14th to ensure your keepsake will arrive by Christmas.

For more information and to purchase yours, please click the button below.

01 Deck Project Update

The Latest On Deck

Our team is making continuous progress on the 01 deck restoration project. We have two things to report this week.

First, the teak decking has been removed from the entire port side and out from under the bustle of Turret 2. Chief Moser and Stan Sato say the wood they retrieved from beneath the turret is in fantastic condition and likely had been there since at least the 1950s.

Second, they just reinstalled a refurbished mushroom vent on the portside. The flange had rusted fairly badly, so they measured it, created a CAD (computer assisted drafting) drawing, and reconstructed it.

The shaft below the vent wasn’t looking too great either. Check out this exciting transformation!

​

Battleship Archaeology: A Mystery Uncovered

The team’s excavation of the 01 deck has revealed something of a puzzle. See that series of blocks along the deck? We have no idea what they are.

They run in an arc from port to starboard along the backside of Turret 2. They’re evenly spaced and it’s obvious they were intentionally placed, but our team can’t find any evidence of what their use was.

We’ll keep you in the loop and let you know if we figure out what they were meant to do. If you know, shoot us an email and tell us. We’re quite curious!

​

In the meantime, if you’re feeling inspired by this project and want to help, we’ve got at least a couple of ways you can.

Dates To Remember

October is always a busy month at Battleship IOWA. Here are our two biggest nights:

• October 19th – Freedom of the Seas Awards Dinner
• October 27th – Halloween Stemebration

Our annual Freedom of the Seas Awards take place October 19th, 2024. Sponsorship opportunities are available.

Contact Development Director Kyle Aube for details.

This year’s HALLOWEEN STEMEBRATION kicks off at 5:00 PM on SUNDAY, Oct. 27th. 

Join us for a trunk-or-treat with first responders, game stations, craft stations, candy stations, a spooky reading corner, marionettes, and more!

Come in costume or be yourself. There’s fun for the whole family at Battleship IOWA. Click below for more info.

Our education team comes up with cool programs and events like this one all the time. If you’d like to help them do more, hit the button! 

Fun Fact: Did you know… on average every one of our plank owners has contributed $150 to the National Museum of the Surface Navy?