How To Position A Ship Onto The Blocks In a Drydock

In this episode we're talking about what it takes to get a ship down on the blocks in a drydock.
Don't forget to tune in LIVE on this channel at 1200 ET on 21 March 2024 or on this channel afterwards for the move.
For our previous video in the chain locker:
• Anchor's Aweigh! To th...
To get your drydock merchandise:
www.battleshipnewjersey.org/s...
For all the details on drydock and to get your tickets:
www.battleshipnewjersey.org/d...
To send Ryan a message on Facebook: / ryanszimanski
To support the battleship's efforts to drydock, go to:
63691.blackbaudhosting.com/63...
The views and opinions expressed in this video are those of the content creator only and may not reflect the views and opinions of the Battleship New Jersey Museum & Memorial, the Home Port Alliance for the USS New Jersey, Inc., its staff, crew, or others. The research presented herein represents the most up-to-date scholarship available to us at the time of filming, but our understanding of the past is constantly evolving. This video is made for entertainment purposes only.

[@SomeRandomHuman717]

Friday's video: The Mother Of All Unboxing Videos😁

[@JustSomeCanuck]

How to unbox your 1:1 scale Iowa-class battleship model. Only 4 were made ;)

[@DirtyMechanicG35]

@@JustSomeCanuck Comment needs to be pinned... 100%

[@justdeaf-ry6bn]

I cannot fathom the responsibility that Ryan is taking on and the stress and etc. Your doing a fine job Ryan and your crew members.

[@aserta]

Ryan straight up said, he has night terrors and his pup is aggravated because of it. Said pup is giving him the eye every time he's being awakened. So Ryan might be smiling, but if he's anything like me and i've been in his shoes from my perspective of priceless architecture under my team... he's stressed big time. Everyone else must be the same. NJ is lucky to have everyone in the museum crew, can't say i've seen more dedicated people, everywhere i read about them i hear nothing but good things.

[@justdeaf-ry6bn]

​@@aserta I hear ya. I have much respect for Ryan and his crew doing everything they can to preserve Battleship New Jersey.

[@kman-mi7su]

Yeah, you don't want to be known as the guy who screwed up BB62.

[@stretch3281]

Glad to see you have your safety specs on, it's terrible when you get a battle ship in your eye 😅

[@davecaron1213]

When I lived in Newport News, VA, I had a neighbor who worked in the shipyard. He told me when they brought the carriers into the dry dock there was an officer at the head of the dock, (usually and Ensign), with a surveyor’s transit and a handheld radio. He was the one guiding the huge ship onto the dock. He told me no matter the weather, be it hot or cold, he was ALWAYS covered with sweat. There was a lot of stress on those young men.

[@zlcoolboy]

Massive responsibility to be the lead of a dry docking operation for such an expensive ship.

[@DavidSmith-cx8dg]

It's an exciting prospect to see New Jersey in her entirety with the great props and rudders dry . The docking process is pretty identical to ours in the UK . The caisson , plumb bobs , wired and ratchets are all familiar and as Ryan said it's a process that hasn't changed much over many years and it gives a great deal of control as the ship settles onto the blocks . Ryan is doing a great job of explaining things at what must be a busy time for everyone involved .

[@aserta]

It's been the same for millennia. Even the Egyptians had the same procedures (but smaller). There's at least one "dry dock" found on the river Nile.

[@scottspilis1940]

Think of how often they had to go through this process in WWII with all the battle damaged ships needing attention.

[@ghost307]

@@aserta I attended a presentation by one of the premier companies that lift and move extremely heavy loads. It included the following: Nothing we do is fast, Nothing we do would surprise the ancient Egyptians.

[@bernarrcoletta7419]

Hey Ryan! I see a Tico in the background. When you take New Jersey home, you should just tie a line on her and bring her home too. If anyone says anything, just say: “She followed us home. Can I keep her?”

[@wembozandco.807]

"we promise to feed her twice a day..."

[@ramal5708]

It's the Vella Gulf

[@rossinimauro]

@@ramal5708SHE. Even in our times of political correctness everywhere ships are female... ;-)

[@netpackrat]

We should send the decommissioned Ticonderogas to Taiwan; they need them more.

[@bernarrcoletta7419]

@@ramal5708 Cool. Thanks

[@gwcrispi]

What's funny is I was watching the transit to the drydock video and I asked myself "How do they put blocks down in exactly the right positions and exactly the right height AND line up the ship such that when the water is pumped out the ship doesn't fall over?" And here you are today to answer that very question.

[@joelredd2978]

The Navy has blue prints (Drawings) for dry docking every ship. It tells size and location so the ship sits the main frames on the blocks. The blocks are not flat BTW.

[@fredinit]

I wondered the same thing . Also the same way a really tall building is built straight. Close to the center of the building is a hole in the floor - usually where a utility/mechanical room will end up. And a hole in the ceiling above.. and another in the floor below. 3-6" in dia (7 - 15 cm). This stack of holes goes all the way down to the basement - where there is an X on the floor. Just above the X, a brass plumb bob you can buy at any hardware store. That line provides the absolute vertical reference. Make a 345 triangle and now you have an absolute horizontal reference. The beauty of it that it doesn't matter what the terrain is outside. That weight points exactly to the center of the earth.

[@aserta]

@@joelredd2978 Yup. They followed the specs. I might be wrong (as i might have misunderstood) but they're not using the same blocks the Navy would've used, but other than that, they're following the plan. No trail blazing here.

[@ImieNazwiskoOK]

@@fredinit I wonder if you could make a Foucault's pendulum out of that

[@duanem.1567]

@@ImieNazwiskoOKa Foucault's pendulum is just a plumb bob that has been set to swinging.

[@aserta]

4:46 you guys should hire a photogrammetry crew to map the bottom in 3D. This is the best moment and it's well worth doing it in 3D mapping, because IF (and i am knocking on wood here) IF something happens, you'll know exactly where and why something has happened. You're not blind. You know down to pin point accuracy (literally as it's a map of points) where the devil is hiding. IMHO, it's well worth the money.

[@chriss3235]

A 3D laser scan would be great to capture as-built conditions and would certainly come in handy in the future.

[@michaeldorosz6446]

Someone should donate their resources for such.

[@d.akross3639]

That bow shot at 1:16 is awesome! Even when you CAN'T see the guns, you still get a sense that the ship is designed to kick ass and take names.

[@patkennedy7095]

This is exactly how it is done here in the UK. I was a shipyard crane driver in Birkenhead for many years and was involved in dry docking ships for many years. The main part of the process is called regulating the dock and is carried out the day before the ship arrives. All the work is carried out by the shipwrights, who lay out all the docking blocks according to the plan of the ship's bottom. Great care is taken with getting the blocks in the right position and made level. This is a very precise job which calls for accuracy and care particularly by the crane driver. Once all is ready, the dock is flooded to await the ship. Positioning is carried out as described in the video, using Tirfors fore and aft. The dock is drained and work commences. Interesting and highly skilled work by the shipwrights.

[@jamieknight326]

I love that Ryan has his own little hard hat with his name on it. Feels like it should have his full introduction in tiny print around the base :)

[@jimsn9624]

Haha!! Hilarious!😂

[@whatever8282828]

Might as well! He'll be there for 2-ish months straight! I think they said all the weekend tour visitors get to keep their hard hats too!

[@-DM]

On the back "battleship New Jersey is sponsored by..."

[@whatever8282828]

LOL that's how you will know the tour is over@@-DM

[@l337pwnage]

@@whatever8282828 Hardhat rules have gotten so crazy they might as well do that. One of the best money makers is come up with, or just copy, a "safety" device and get the right lobbyists to get it mandated, and, especially, replaced alot.

[@Norbrookc]

Make sure you get plenty of rest after this! All of you have earned it.

[@FranktheDachshund]

The lines of that ship are beautiful.

[@rogerwilco2]

4:52 Goodbye airplane. Nice cut, well done editor!

[@tonerotonero1375]

Regular french subscriber here. So happy to see this marvel in good hands and preciously preserved. I will follow the next steps with attention. Thanks a lot for the coverage and videos. Greetings.

[@johnparrott4689]

I wish ‘Jean Bart’ or her sister could have been preserved too!

[@tonerotonero1375]

I know the name of these battleships essentially thanks to an old hobby, plastic models. These ships were listed in the catalogue of our national brand called Heller. I wanted the Richelieu. Not sure many people will remember these kits in 2024.

[@paulstan9828]

Can’t wait to see below the waterline.

[@manitoba-op4jx]

hoping for the best...!

[@kristopherdetar4346]

I’m from Missouri, a Navy HM3 8404 “Cold War” veteran and appreciate your pronunciation of Missouri.

[@keab42]

That bow-on shot. 😍

[@aserta]

One word. Calendar. We need one of the drydock for 2025.

[@yellowcubdriver9545]

I’m a veteran navy and helped dry dock USS bunker hill cg52. And it was amazing to see the screws and the rudders. It’s very hard to imagine how all that steel can float

[@luacreskid]

Was on a carrier in and out of dry dock. What is awe inspiring (besides the propellers) is the water intakes for the main condensers.

[@johnjamieson6368]

Carriers are huge. I was on the Carl Vinson when we went into drydock in 1990. Did a few fire watches, under the ship. It's a weird feeling with all that metal right above you.

[@henrycarlson7514]

So true

[@crackerbarrel6965]

It’s great to see her getting the care she deserves by such dedicated workers. A huge THANK YOU to you all!

[@wrecksandtech]

Before your videos the only thing I knew about the New Jersey was what was taught in school about her service in WW2. After watching your videos I feel I now know more about this wonderful ship than I do about any other warship. You are doing an amazing job at spreading irreplaceable historic knowledge. I cannot thank you enough. I hope to one day tour the ship and thank you in person. My only wish is that more curators would document their vessels as you have, there are a couple others that already do and I follow them as well. Hope you find some time to rest and relax as your ship needs you at full strength.

[@FairlyUnknown]

You should keep that hardhat after this is all done! It's a cool token of history and could be a nice display, even if it's in the office. It's simple with only basic lettering of your name, but it's a symbol of so much more and speaks of the hard work you and the team put into making this happen. "This hardhat was worn by the curator who oversaw the 2024 dry docking of Battleship New Jersey."

[@garbo8962]

Hope this just turned 35 year old hard working man does not get any gray hairs working on the fast paced but extremely important work. Thanks Ryan.

[@JoshuaTootell]

I started graying when I was 23. Active duty is stressful 😂 My gray hair went away after I got out, returned 10 years later.

[@CarreraTrackOntheFloor]

Looking forward to seeing the propellers.

[@mostlyinterested1016]

When you know what you're doing and you know how to communicate it to your people, you know you're the right man for the job. Great work, sir.

[@CalifgalCindy1]

Watching as they winched her into position yesterday I was in awe at the efficiency and skill of the crew at the dry dock, there was a seamless transition from the tugs to the dry dock crew. I can’t wait to see the next video, honestly they are all awesome and educational. By the our Jersey Girl looks right at home at the Navy Yard.

[@yes_head]

And it all happened relatively quickly IMO. As the ship was moving down river they kept talking about how many hours it was going to take to do this, that or the other thing, and I felt like there was no way I was going to want to stay with a livestream for that long, and then BOOM -- they were in the drydock and the tugs were gone.

[@terrylandess6072]

If it ain't broke . . . Nice to see tried and true methods are simply the easiest. Impressive coordination.

[@richb4099]

I watched it being pulled into the dry dock and wondered how its setup and lined up. Now I know ! A lot of work for sure getting that ship in there safely. Awesome stuff.

[@user-bs2kd3kk6x]

Went through this process when I was in the Navy, but being on a submarine there were no good places to hang plumb bobs. So instead there were multiple theodolites positioned around the rim of the drydock and used to measure the exact position and orientation of the sail and upper rudder. We landed on the blocks perfectly, kudos to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.

[@bigmountain7561]

When my Father graduated from Roman in 1939 he enlisted in the Navy and was stationed at the Philadelphia Navy Ship Yard. His boat was the YP-219. And he continued to serve until the surrender in 1945. He was in the ETO and was there on a Sub Chaser during Normandy. As a kid from Philadelphia he took me to the Ship Yard. It was really cool only one problem, I am an Active Duty Coast Guard Veteran. Lol Semper Paratus 1790!!!

[@Colinpark]

Awesome that you still have the drydocking plans

[@johnparrott4689]

Great video! How educational. I’m glad we can still dry dock a big ship like that

[@firewiretvshow]

I hope you all have been keeping detailed notes or videos of everything for the next 30-year crew to dry dock the ship, love the videos please keep it up thanks.

[@whatever8282828]

That's true … this will be one of the most documented (at least museum) drydockings! It's surprising they have gaps in the records from the past.

[@bbeen40]

That camera shot of the front of the ship is just..... Gorgeous.

[@brianb8060]

2:09 OOWEE Guys. We caught us a big 'un. Don't let 'er git away.😅

[@davelindgren5245]

I have to say, this is one of the coolest things I have ever seen.

[@spliffburger]

Ryan I sincerely hope you keep that hard hat the rest of your days. That's awesome.

[@TheEDFLegacy]

I would love to see a follow-up video going through how they used to dry dock ships that were heavily damaged, and were missing bows, sterns, holes in the hull and/or torpedo protection system, listing heavily, etc.

[@randyghilarducci9509]

If ,you really want to feel small, stand centered behind the stern and look up at the props and rudders

[@Mrcaffinebean]

I googled “how to dry dock my Iowa class battleship” and found this useful video. I have the day off tomorrow and am going to attempt this project. Wish me luck!

[@michaelwhitton9490]

Wow, love to come to see this in America. One day!

[@garysimpson3900]

Following this channel from Britain. Amazing to see how this huge ship was maneuvered into the dock & looking forward to seeing it "high & dry".

[@earlmcclure9814]

Can't wait to see the hull around the screws....Still hard to imagine 212,000 shaft horsepower!!

[@robtopham6095]

I worked on the drydocking of Missouri and Iowa. I didn't hear any mention of a transit. I recall one being set up by the capstan and helping spot the ships using a marking on the fantail. I guess that is not longer needed. Also as a retired engineer I'd suggest you get someone to document the missing pieces of drawing info. that you didn't have. This will help the next person 30 years from now.

[@jonathantaylor5217]

It is definitely a sight to see. Definitely looking forward to see the propellers. Great job Ryan keep up with the videos

[@billsargent3407]

That bow just says "Gimme flank speed!"

[@Mountain-Man-3000]

The bow, the prop shaft and of course the underside of all those blanked off sea chests are what I want to see!

[@ralfie8801]

I want to see the “Not Stuck” rudder! 🤣🤣

[@duanem.1567]

We don't know that they're not stuck. They haven't been moved in 34 years.

[@ralfie8801]

@@duanem.1567 I’d hazard a guess and say they’re not. The four Iowa class ships were decommissioned with an eye to possibly reactivating them in the future if need be. They were probably better prepped for storage than the Texas was when it was a known fact she was either going to the scrapper and then finally was going to be a museum ship. Edit: I also should have said “rudders” in my first comment since there are two.

[@GaryED44]

I love these videos Thanks Ryan. Oh wait..... Why is she 500 tons lighter then Missouri?

[@avman2cl]

Ryan. 200k views! Good for you man.

[@kristyskirt9015]

That’s some precise positioning and block setting. And me thinks a U.S. Navy Officer will be doing an extensive inspection and photo shoot when BB 62 dry dock is pumped dry 😊

[@cruisinguy6024]

Why would a naval officer be doing that?

[@frederickstibbert7389]

​@@cruisinguy6024 - Museum ships like BB-62 still belong to the US Navy, so it keeps an eye on repairs.

[@RarestAce]

Hopefully you all get to rest over the holiday weekend

[@jamesrobertson9597]

Just excellent Ryan. Thank you so much for doing this so we can all share in the adventure!

[@ronswinford4952]

Great job Ryan like always. I am looking forward to seeing what the hull looks like, if it is in good shape or if it has problems you never thought of.

[@aserta]

Big milestone getting her into the dock without a hitch. Now, we await to see what's under. I'm going to cast my bet and say that she's in good nick. The boys sent her off to sleep well if topside is anything to go by. NJ was loved by all her little humans. edit: i'd say props, but i've seen the props from picture and will see the "parked" prop in two years when i'll come over state side again. But... i'll be honest, what i really want to see is her rudders.

[@poowg2657]

Man, that RoRo ship in the background looks ginormous. Can't wait to see NJ high and dry. Great video, thanks Ryan!

[@melodyszadkowski5256]

Just seeing her keel at all will be mindblowing!

[@Maw4Play]

This I was expecting for a while to happen! Great work!

[@opathe2nd973]

We had the plans for the Missouri and we just adjusted it for the New Jersey. Ya gotta love this! Keep up the good work!

[@AsbestosMuffins]

hope the brief time in drydock you guys are able to answer a lot of questions about the ship and help improve the conservation for the future

[@adamwalker9276]

We have to start the next video at the props keep up the good work

[@deerhoda7574]

God bless the divers. How brave they are, amazing. This has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I have enjoyed every minute. Thank you.

[@charinabarcillo9160]

Retired Air Force Cpt Living in Philippines Glad the NJ had a great vouage Outstanding watching the events Looking forward to seeing the entire bottom screws and rudders All of your videos have been so Informative Must be honest the USS Iowa us my favorite BB since I am originally from Iowa but your vedios Ryan and Libby are so juch better Big deal the Iowa turned a turret If you had the power and funds I know you could do it all three

[@F1REPROOFED]

I’m so happy this is getting done thanks Ryan

[@joefin5900]

Nice job, Ryan. That's the way we docked Garcia and Knox class frigates in South Boston. Our docking plans showed three different arrangements and I still have a set for Truett 1095. You Braswell guys may remember.

[@stevekirk8546]

Fascinating coverage Ryan - until now I knew nothing about drydocking! So much planning has gone into this yet as you are showing the actual process is quite basic and very hands on but certainly requires skilled and experienced people. The tugs were amazing - such precision. In flight simulation I often approach a runway at a ten degree angle and straighten up to touchdown but to approach a drydock with a battleship at an angle and straighten up just as they cleared the stern of the Navy ship was remarkable ship handling. I was amazed at how quickly and smoothly the whole docking procedure was - it made fascinating viewing on the live stream. Thank you.

[@casey6556]

Can’t wait to see the videos from the ship and really excited to come down in person end of April!

[@austin62halo]

Good job everyone involved

[@XxZeldaxXXxLinkxX]

Thanks for the guide! I was having trouble putting down my battleships.

[@jbellos1]

So cool. Excellent explanation about the blocks and centering. It would be interesting to see the condition of the wind/water line up close and her keel.

[@krazeekalvin]

I was on her while she was in dry dock in Long Beach

[@tedmiles2110]

I have been in dry docks with sailing hulls, with paddle wheels, with single screw and twin screws, but never with quadriple screws. All of these in floating docks. I am looking forward to seeing those props tomorrow! TM who likes historic vessels

[@studinthemaking]

No gps, no lasers. Just some string and a plump bob.

[@whatever8282828]

Lasers might be nice and I bet they use that too. GPS down in such a trench might not be accurate enough.

[@1300BlueStar]

Sometimes the old ways are still the best ways. Now if I could just convince the grandkids of that LOL.

[@ghost307]

Worked for the pyramids and the coliseum. Gravity never breaks.

[@studinthemaking]

@@ghost307 beat me to it.

[@michaeldorosz6446]

Thing gilligans island: no motocars, not a single luxury.....

[@CD-oq8em]

Very interesting and educational. Thank you.

[@user-ms8kr1vy5d]

My favorite part that I want to see...all of it!😄

[@Dancing_Alone_wRentals]

Very interesting. tHanks for posting

[@sharonmeier5723]

Very interesting thank you

[@blueelectricfusion]

excited to see the parts u talk about most... like thru hulls and how navy preped ship for mothballs

[@malcolmwatson9032]

Entering dry dock using "Warping and Winding" to ensure correct positioning for sitting on the blocks. Always an interesting thing to watch as the "Expert eye" on the Docking Master control the movement to ensure "Perfect Positioning".

[@PalleRasmussen]

I just want to see them sailing the oceans again. They are such beautiful ships.

[@douglasboyle6544]

This was something i was definitely wondering about, thanks for getting this info out to us!

[@dustinhess2511]

So awesome! Lowe the Jersey visited it little while ago. Also love the jacket!!

[@raymondhoyland61]

Fascinating Ryan

[@johnbattista9519]

Thank Ryan..

[@kennethmantay4484]

Most excited to see the bow. The Iowa bow's just seem to invoke a sense of speed and power coming straight at you

[@stanleydomalewski8497]

Interesting Video ! Thanks for Sharing !😊

[@markburgess4528]

Thank you for this video Ryan. I always wondered how this was done.

[@turdferguson4124]

Great video! I have been wondering how they do this for a long time. Awesome!

[@thebestisyettocome4114]

Very interesting video. 🇺🇸

[@811NJUtilityLocating]

So exciting!!!

[@Borked_Bits]

Pitsword opening in relation to the rest of the objects normally protruding from the keel. Pitsword room was my anchor station on Missouri

[@RetiredSailor60]

When were you on the Mighty MO? My brother served on her during the first Gulf War...

[@Borked_Bits]

@@RetiredSailor60 From just before the GW til decom. Worked out of Forward IC.

[@RetiredSailor60]

​@@Borked_Bits my brother was EM3 John Ziesemer...

[@Borked_Bits]

@@RetiredSailor60 We are friends on FB, did a lot of gaming back then

[@RetiredSailor60]

@@Borked_Bits That's cool. Haven't seen him since last year.

[@dreweisenhofer5985]

Looking forward to seeing the props too!

[@patbateman6729]

I am excited to see all of her features below the waterline.

[@donsimon4419]

Neat stuff! I remember when USS Joseph Hewes (FF 1078) was drydocked at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in 1990 our shipyard engineer (a US Navy Engineering Duty Officer (EDO)) told us that the shipyard docking officers have an informal competition between themselves regarding how accurately the ship is placed on the blocks. Another interesting thing is that our docking plan had several alternate block positions, and that the block plan used was supposed to be changed at every drydocking. This allows access to the sections of the hull that were covered during the previous drydocking. I assume NJ has several alternate block positions as well. Finally, I remember our docking officer was really pleased that he had nailed it and placed the ship exactly where she was supposed to be. However, when the water was drained, we found that the trailing edges of our fin stabilizers had cleared the nearest blocks by a mere 4 inches! The blocks had been checked prior to and immediately after docking with no errors found. I don't remember the final outcome; I assume there may have been a revision to the block positions.

[@dbaider9467]

Best of luck with everything, from Ireland.

[@jlivewell]

Cannot wait!

[@louisjones2653]

So freaking cool!

[@PopsP51]

To your question, I'm most interested in the screws and rudders. I've got a picture of my Dad underneath a ship in drydock during WW II. He's standing next to an enormous screw! I don't recall off hand what ship he's underneath in drydock, but I may be able to figure that out from his notes and the archives. I'd love to get a picture of me next to one of New Jerseys screws!

[@gasengineguy]

Can't wait to see the props