Looking at the 5 Keels of the Battleship

In this episode we're underneath the ship looking at her keels.
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For all the details on drydock and to get your tickets:
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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.

[@WojciechP915]

The fact that balsa wood is used in battleships is the most bizarre and unexpected fact in this video.

[@455buick6]

That's about the last thing I'd expect.

[@HauntedXXXPancake]

I'd image it's so the keel can flex as the pressure shifts from one side to the other, reducing the forces getting transferred into the mountings that keep it attached to the ship. Not an Engineer though, just somebody who had some great years working in ship-design / -construction.

[@robinmilford2426]

Still in use on some modern ships as end-grain cores for composite sandwich structures

[@neoplan6116]

Japp, agree, was a real big surprise vor me too!

[@joemiller2629]

Hard to believe, but balsa wood is one of the strongest woods. It was used in the floor pan of c6 and c7 corvettes sandwiched between an upper and lower layer of sheet metal.

[@bod.4091]

Ryan - my Grandfather was Captain of her in 44'-45'. I was at the Recommissioning in 82' and was lucky enough to sit at the Captain's table. Makes my Heart swell to see the love for this beautiful ship! Keep doing what you're doing! Love it!

[@johnjones5354]

What really gets me is the massive amount of calculations required to design a ship of this size and complexity, and all done with pencil and paper and slide rules. No computers available. And the engineers did such a magnificent job that she has lasted over 80 years.

[@TXGRunner]

My dad was an engineer on part of the original Los Angeles class attack subs. In the early 1970s, as a young child, I only remember going to my dad's office one time. I was ushered into a huge room full of drafting boards next to desks, separated by little book cases full of references and tables. My dad, like everyone else, had two chairs, one for his desk, one for the drafting board. Along the walls were these massive drawers, very shallow, but deep and long, where drawings were stored. All the drawings were by hand. My dad had an early HP calculator - that was the closest thing to a computer. There must have been more than 50 engineers working in that one room, just on the bow dome section. What strikes me about that today is that was a highly classified project. Today, that work would be done in a SCIF. My dad had a clearance of course, but at age 5 or 6, how was I allowed in there? I cannot imagine anyone's child being allowed into a secure area like that today.

[@TheEvertw]

People are the same today as they were 100 years ago. Modern tools have sped things up and made them easier, but not radically different. Same with the pyramids. It isn't amazing that they had the skill to build them, it is amazing that someone spent the money to do that project. The difference between now and then is that we now have sensors that can measure things human sensors can not measure. A human can feel to a resolution of about 0.001", and can see to about the same resolution at close range.

[@TheEvertw]

​@@TXGRunner My dad taught cartography in the seventies. I remember halls filled with drafting tables and lined with those same drawers, where the students learned to draw maps. Sure, printing presses were used to duplicate them, but the originals were drawn, by hand.

[@ImieNazwiskoOK]

In case of battleships I think the amount of armour might actually kinda help, since all your margins go a lot up since they include things like being shot with naval guns

[@abyssaljam441]

So I recently graduated as a naval architect, and obviously went to work in a ship yard. After having done a degree where you learn all of the old hand calculation methods and how to get the same result using a computer. However all the computer is doing is putting a nice user interface on front of some old mathematical model often developed before WW2. As such i am incredibly weary about trusting what a program package like maxsurf tells me, as its all to easy to use something like a holentrop model to calculate the resistance of a submarine. (Note: holentrop is an empirical models for cargo ship resistance)Something that would never happen by hand as you'd know well before starting the days long process, which process was correct to use. The only thing the computer has done is speed things up, allowing CFD /FEA to become viable. Something practically unthinkable for all but the most complex issues. (I remember hearing somewhere that CFD was done by hand during the Manhattan project) Amazingly "my" companies design team that handles ship design's right up till production is only made of only 10 people. Far less than the pre computer days. Sorry that was quite rambling...

[@andiamocclash397]

Yes mister curator, your battleship will ''Keel' -Doug Marcaida

[@81cb750fss]

Nice pull😂

[@greghelms4458]

See what you did there. 😂😂😂

[@bertblue9683]

Bet most people won't get it.

[@Randomwyomingguy]

​@@bertblue9683 Only forged in fire fans will get that one for sure.

[@dorsk84]

You know what..... 👍I'm not happy about it, but it was creative.

[@MrDakotakid]

Ryan, Please interview some of the drydock workers on the scope of their work they will be doing.

[@shorey66]

Oooh yeah that would be cool

[@JoshuaTootell]

They are kinda busy.

[@yammbagg4866]

@@JoshuaTootellI if they are government, they likely can’t make statements. (I am one)

[@KutWrite]

@@yammbagg4866 They can and may give opinions, just not speak for their company. I believe many of them work for a private contracted company, BTW.

[@sjmuffler1]

Somehow I now know more about an Iowa class battleship than I ever thought possible...

[@oldcarnocar]

👍👍👍👍

[@ypaulbrown]

Ryan, the excitement in your voice in all these Dry Dock videos is contagious.... you have such a love the Gal......Bravo...

[@FLseahawk]

@@jeddej7884 We all would be. Just being near this thing would be awesome.

[@yankeefist9146]

Ryan's keeling it!

[@raffriff42]

“Silence! I keel you!”

[@justaskin8523]

@@raffriff42 I got that reference!

[@JustSomeCanuck]

Let's take a moment to thank Ryan for volunteering to be an additional keel block at 4:04 😁

[@vannygun]

Ryan, you are doing an outstanding job! Your passion and dedication to the USS New Jersey is amazing. This KZbin channel should be the standard for other Museums to follow. your are reaching so many more people this way! congrats to you and your team!

[@argentum530]

Thank you for showing me the 5 keels, which I would never have seen without your videos...

[@mikeh4800]

It would be interesting to have an interview with a Marine Architect discuss the effects of the Holland Tunnel hull section. The Holland Tunnel appears in the video to be asymmetrical similar to the hulls of a Hobie Cat 16. Also, as the top of the tunnel is solid, does that increase the bouncy of the ship. How does this affect the ships ride compared to “normal” hull designs?

[@LRS11B]

I setved on the USS Wisconsin BB64 from 1988 - 1990. I loved it.

[@TXGRunner]

I am very envious of those able to take a tour; it's a very rare opportunity.

[@Constantine_in_Fiji]

Never would have guessed the bilge keels are filled with balsa wood!

[@robertthomas5906]

I think just about all of us would have got that wrong.

[@justapeasant8949]

It's 2024 and the wood is still a cornerstone material👍

[@RHall2014]

I just flew into Philadelphia tonight (1:30 am) and had the pleasure of "Buzzing" New Jersey's tower so to speak. Haha. It was a great view passing her over the darkened drydock! Keep up the great coverage!

[@DerClouder]

Ryan trying to speedrun the "Battleship New Jersey receives operating support"-speech. It gets faster every time 😅

[@CustomcrowdMitroc]

Please I beg you guys to get professionally taken photos of her in the drydock, just so we can see the scale of the boat, it's so hard to get a perspective of the size in the videos or the photos I've seen so far. Some good photos of the boat taken with a wide angle lens whole she's in drydock will be unreal

[@jonathanbair523]

Man it is killing me that I will have to miss this once in a life time event odds are, but to get a replacement to take care of my mom full time then the trip and tour cost. That would be like 1k.Thank you for showing so much of the underside of the ship for those of us who can not make it out to there.

[@williamcody5271]

"Scuttle" for one in Navy jargon, has 3 meanings. A 'Scuttle' is a deck hatch, to 'scuttle' a ship is to sink it, and a 'scuttle' can be a chute as in a 'coal scuttle'.

[@timothyreilly4499]

“Head” has got to be the #1 re-used nautical terminology

[@charlesmaurer6214]

And the one most think of you want as forward as possible with sail, giving the name but with powered aft is better. As long as it is down wind. Perhaps one day rear will replace head as sailing traditions fade.

[@SwiftOnSports]

Just bought my drydock tickets. Super excited!

[@briancisco1176]

Dual meanings? "Flight Deck": the top deck of an aircraft carrier AND/OR the cockpit of a large airplane.

[@erikwellerweller8623]

Balsa wood on a battleship structure, of course!

[@simonhjc]

I support the restoration of US Texas (because my grandkids are Texan), and to contrast it with the New Jersey is incredible. It even makes me more in awe of the service history of bother vessels. Ie how the captain kept US texas safe despite being slower, less manoeuverable towards the end of ww2, and just how beautiful the New Jersey is and why they were in service for so long. Thank you

[@jwilder47]

I’ve always been curious about the use of certain words like Galley and Brig, because those are both rooms on a ship and types of ships.

[@wtmayhew]

The bilge keels probably got banged up on November 9, 1953 at the Miraflores Locks after B-62’s Korean War duty. The canal was barely wide enough to accommodate the ship at the water line. The locks are shaped like the letter U and the bilge keels ran aground at the bottom of the lock. The information is courtesy of Greytdaisy at Tripod. New Jersey’s captain didn’t suffer any negative career consequences because ships transiting the canal give their command over to a canal pilot.

[@tomtrenter3208]

The keel of a ship provides structural strength and a place to attach other structural members. Bilge keels are not structural pieces but are there to reduce the roll period of ships to make them more comfortable, not roll till everybody gets sea sick. Being located at the turn of the bilge they tend to get banged up a lot.

[@goaztecs7549]

Being keel-hauled on an Iowa class must have been brutal.

[@michaelsommers2356]

I have a suspicion that keel-hauling was never actually done, but the threat of it was used to scare the new guy as a form of hazing.

[@michaelsommers2356]

@fredbrandon1645 Can you point to documented cases? Or is it just stories?

[@jacksons1010]

It’s a fact that nobody ever experienced it twice. 😉

[@schoppepetzer9267]

@fredbrandon1645Barnacles are delicious :)

[@thecrowcook]

My psych at the VA was in a fleet with the New Jersey for one of her last few floats

[@douglassauvageau7262]

Just like naval-jargon, marine-architecture is a whole different world. Thanks for enlightening us landlubbers.

[@diegorhoenisch62]

Actually, it's called "naval architecture" even when non-military ships are involved.

[@claiborneeastjr4129]

Ingenius design from over 80 years ago. I didn't know about the "docking keels". It is amazing the Iowas could reach speeds of about 36 mph.

[@JoaoFranciscoFigueiredo]

I know I'm not American, but I like ships and history, I watched the mighty Mississippi in Lisbon in the 90's Gr8t Job Mister Curator

[@firemedic5100]

I'll have to be happy with seeing them on the tube.

[@Krahazik]

Where I work, there is a job role called a "Waterspider", however what the person does, depends on which warehouse type you are in, and if your in a Fulfillment center, which department your in. In a delivery center, the Waterspider unloads the semi-trailers and stages the pallets or carts at induct, in a Sortation Center, the Waterspider closes the pallet once it is full so that it is ready to be staged by a dock door. In Fullfilment, the job specifics depends on which department, outbond dock, or packing, etc. In FC outbound dock, the Waterspider closes pallets and open/closes trailers and dock doors. In FC packing, the Waterspider runs around and refills the consumable supplies at each of the stations. I am sure there are other areas for the term as well.

[@JeffEbe-te2xs]

Boy is another term

[@raffriff42]

Interesting. **googles** It seems to come from lean manufacturing, a production method used by Toyota. Under lean manufacturing, the waterspider’s job is to ensure that work stations are fully stocked at all times.

[@bobbenson6825]

Ryan you keep putting out so much great new information. The compendium you've created is amazing and makes all this so accessible. The Smithsonian and the U.S. Naval Institute should archive these videos.

[@derekwalker6727]

Love your work Ryan . Derek in Adelaide South Australia

[@janblake9468]

Wow, I learned some things about battleships today I never knew.

[@concretefarmer3085]

It would be cool to have a ultra VIP donation dinner party between the docking keels ( Holland tunnel)

[@Huntress236]

I've always wondered about those fins that run the length of the citadel near the bottom of a ship. Bilge keels. Got it.

[@davidedgar2818]

Ive only seen three different destroyers in dry dock. The battleship has a similar "back bone" but to a much bigger scale. I first became interested in thw WW2 era big guns when i visited the navy yard in D.C. when i was in the navy. There were still displays of big battelship gunworks then. There were still tracks through buildings used in their manufacture. The main vehicle wash was a drivethrough building with tracks going through it. That was back in the early 80's.

[@brando4221]

Cool video rarely seen underside. I'm gonna come visit to see in person. Our family loves touring the Battleship.

[@AugustusTitus]

Loving the smiley face.

[@ktwei]

Need a vid of the torpedo belt.

[@franks471]

5 keels, you get a kraken with that?

[@subman719]

I’ll be there May 4th for my birthday (which is actually May 5th) ! 🥳

[@derekwalker6727]

Happy birthday from Derek South Australia

[@subman719]

@@derekwalker6727 … Thank you!

[@alphax4785]

I know it wouldn't happen, but when Ryan was running his hand on the gap between the forward block and the ship it made me a bit nervous that a gust of wind or something might create a 45k ton pinch...

[@kevinweck2542]

Been watching for years and cant wait to bring my kids for a tour after she comes home! Wonder how many subs were gained from start of drydock until now?

[@paulreuter7763]

see you sunday 10 am good video

[@skygazer858]

lucky you.

[@oldcarnocar]

post a video!

[@JeffEbe-te2xs]

Scarey to see you underneath

[@sibhuskyguy]

Ok let's go, waiting to see the curator keel this one! (sorry not sorry about the pun)

[@ghimmy47]

Being a surveyor I'd imagine someone has thought of doing a video documentation of the outer hull by station numbers, beginning with number and elevation to the plimsol line at war loading.

[@henrycarlson7514]

So Wise , Thank You

[@user-hw8nh8cv9l]

Getting your steps in for this video

[@CalifgalCindy1]

Loving the view

[@ypaulbrown]

Bravo Ryan, all new info to me...cheers, Paul

[@wvangus82]

I really appreciate you guys putting this up on KZbin. I'm very much intrigued by the size and scope of your project! If all 5 of my family could come see it for 225 we definitely would, but 225 per person would be a hard hit to take right now. At any rate, thanks again for the awesome content!

[@josephbaker677]

Amazing how this is coming alive! I watch every video! Wish I lived closer. I would be there! Everyday!

[@ericleung1931]

Hi Ryan......you really did a good job❤

[@charlierumsfeld6626]

Thank you

[@jar8459]

Thank Ryan as always very informative video

[@SteamCrane]

I have a piece of Boeing airliner cabin floor from the 1970's. It is 1/8" thick balsa sandwiched between resin top and bottom.

[@Papermaker-fl4bh]

Very good information.. Thanks

[@bobuncle8704]

What a keeler video.

[@w6krg]

At least it stopped raining!

[@Milkman3572000]

fascinating videos

[@barrydysert2974]

We need a digital scan and re-creation of the Big J in drydock so we can walk around Her in VR !:-)

[@GlennCoffinSr.]

The information presented in various stages of the dry dock process has been excellent. The details and aspects of the ship would otherwise not have been seen or noted. Having been underway on Constitution and having visited other museum ships (Battleship Cove and USS Wisconsin) I have found the details and quality of info from the Battleship New Jersey museum group to be superior. I have two pieces of the deck of New Jersey!

[@michaelcallahan5358]

A lot of work!

[@AFNacapella]

iirc Ryan "searching" the keel was one of the first video I watched on your channel.

[@timothyreilly4499]

Did they leave any relative bearing grease containers on the battleship? Rumor has it, some of the Cub Scout and Boy Scout troops have found some!

[@aserta]

I keep forgetting that she has a flat bow and keep wondering every time had she (somehow) or her sisters been kept in functional status more, would they be retrofitted with the bulbous bow.

[@martinmarheinecke7677]

All fast battleships of the US Navy were designed with a bulbous bow from the beginning.

[@Foxtrot_UniformCharlieKilo]

This isn't really a navy example, but helmet, steel, M1 Light tractor, M1 Medium tractor, M1 Heavy tractor, M1 Light tank, M1 (M1 combat car) Heavy tan, M1 (M1 Abrums and variants) 37mm gun, M1 40 mm gun, M1 57 mm gun, M1 76 mm gun, M1 90 mm gun, M1 120 mm gun, M1 155 mm gun, M1 (long tom) 8-inch gun, M1 240 mm howitzer, M1 US. Rifle, caliber .30, M1 (M1 Garand) Us. Carbine, caliber .30 M1 (M1 Carbine) Bayonet M1 Flamethrower, M1 Morter, M1 Sub machine gun, M1 (Tompson Sub machine-gun) Underwater defense gun, M1 Chemical mine, M1 Frangible grenade, M1 Rocket launcher, M1 (bazooka)

[@bobbylinkin]

Got my ticket!

[@robertmonaghan5420]

Can't Go, But Great Video

[@supergeek1418]

Scuttlebutt for rumors, and drinking fountains.

[@Ylyrra]

The obvious reuse confusion one that people need explaining to them is Captain, and formerly Commodore, it's extra confusing because the differences seem unimportant distinctions to people who aren't naval enthusiasts, and highly important to those who are.

[@weetyskemian44]

Ships impressive from underneath as well.

[@kaltenstein7718]

ensign as a rank is called that because they were the ones to carry the flags of an army. In German for example they are called "fähnrich"

[@wayneschenk5512]

Seeing it in person one day.

[@dwayne7356]

I am still amazed that since the navy is not supporting this work that you were able to provide the shipyard with all the engineering drawings required to drydock the ship correctly and safety.

[@charlesmaurer6214]

Ryan's got an easy keel hual on record now, imagine doing that inspection of the keel under water with or without tanks.

[@neilsovern6333]

Are you taking pictures of the underside of the ship during the deadlock period? Will you make an album of the deadlock period?

[@alexwood5425]

How did they weld up the bilge keel without cooking the balsa wood?

[@user-bs2kd3kk6x]

Captain, used both for rank (O6) or to designate commanding officer regardless of rank. On my ship our captain (CO) wasn't a captain (O6), just a commander (O5).

[@terr281]

Future video idea, linked to this one. Since the primary, structural, keel terminates so far forward of the end of the stern of the ship, and the docking keels pick up the slack (both for docking, as well as structural stiffness for the stern); Is the internal "beam" armor, and overall structure, stronger at the termination of the primary keel to keep the ship from twisting? Does the primary keel terminate at the end of the armored citadel of the ship? And, towards the front of the ship, does the same apply? Do the docking keels terminate, towards the bow, at the most forward section of the citadel? Thanks :)

[@AlRoderick]

I saw somebody ask a question on a previous video about why the outer propellers have shafts out in the water while the inner two shafts have housings around them, and I suppose this answers the question. The outer shafts don't need a housing because you only need the two docking keels.

[@WinnieThePugh]

Wish I could be there

[@peter_smyth]

New Jersey has five keels, but Germany only has one Kiel.

[@TheEvertw]

Sail, i.e. that thing on top of a submarine, a noun and a verb.

[@chickencrapoperator]

Better give her a total refit, we just might need her once again.

[@03vicBlack]

can guests leave a signature somewhere on the hull before final coat of paint? that would be cool to see 20 to 30 years from now during the next dry docking

[@DavidSmith-cx8dg]

A very informative explanation by Ryan . I'm wondering if the transition area where the docking keels extend would be a weak point . The bilge keels appear act as stabilisers would on modern warships . I am continually surprised by the apparent condition of the hull , fresh water seems to be a bit kinder to ships .

[@markgordon2260]

"Head", but also used in ahead, heading etc. Is the ship going full ahead after a mistake in the galley?😀

[@samdesmet7637]

Hi Ryan, I was wondering if you could tell us about what kind of emergency pumps a battleship has? I was looking for info on this the other night and couldn't find much. Great channel, thanks.

[@stijnvandamme76]

Considering She has been a float for the better part of 80 years.. The nether regions loook pretty good rustwise.. I've seen 40 year old cars that look far worse

[@jimcronin2043]

What are the hydrodynamic effects of the docking keels?

[@charlesmaurer6214]

I agree with the 3 center keels but the outboard fins I wouldn't call a keel as it ads little to the structure in terms of support. It is placed a a level that with the blisters helps with torpedeo deffense and might even be some of that prior damage. Using compressed air I could see it even useful to house a countermeasure to repel both mines or torpedeos and small craft boarders.

[@tomtrenter3208]

"Bilge keels" is the correct term for the pieces that run along the turn of the bilge.

[@makeupyourmindinator]

Hi Ryan, I was curious if the New Jersey gets recommissioned will you stay on with the ship and continue to document the travels?