Mast repairs to begin at Battleship
Wilmington, NC – November 16, 2021 – Work to repair Battleship NORTH CAROLINA’s upper masts is ready to begin. Contractors began building a temporary support pad this week for the crane that will remove the top of the mast for land-based repairs and then replace it. Scaffolding also will be added so repairs can be done to parts that remain on the Ship.
The Battleship is expected to remain open to visitors throughout the project, but access to some areas of the Ship may be closed at times to ensure visitors’ safety.
The repair work is necessary after record-breaking rainfall and catastrophic sustained winds associated with Hurricanes Florence and Michael accelerated normal rates of corrosion on the Battleship’s exterior steel structures and to her paint coating system.
The repairs are supported by a grant awarded through a Congressional Emergency Supplemental Historic Preservation Fund appropriated to the National Park Service. The emergency funds made $47.8 million available to six state historic preservation offices for the recovery and repair of historic resources. The North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office received the single largest state award of more than $17 million, of which Battleship NORTH CAROLINA receives $1 million for the mast repair.
The work is expected to be finished before hurricane season begins again in 2022.
Knives with Battleship teak honored by Garden & Gun Magazine
Wilmington, NC – November 16, 2021 – Nicholas Nichols Knives was awarded runner-up in the Outdoors category in the 2021 Made in the South Awards by Garden & Gun Magazine. The honor was for paring knives that use original materials from Battleship NORTH CAROLINA.
Nicholas Nichols, whose knives are also featured in the Battleship’s official BattleStar Collection of products, used reclaimed teak decking from the Battleship for the award-winning knives.
The Leland-based knife maker’s Paring Knife is sold through BattleStarCollection.com to benefit the Battleship, as is his Chef’s Knife. That knife won the Home & Garden category in the Made in NC awards from Our State magazine in 2020.
“A kitchen knife is the most-used knife you’ll own,” Nichols said, “so why not have one that means something to you?”
Nichols isn’t the first official BattleStar Collection vendor to earn recognition from Garden & Gun. Steve Watkins of Ironman Forge also was awarded runner-up, but in the Home category in the 2015 awards.
“I want my knives to be an extension of your hand,” Watkins told the magazine at the time. “Each one should feel great but also be shaped so that it does its job perfectly every time.”
The Sugar Mountain Knife, Kill Devil Hills Knife and Sea Breeze Oyster Shuckers are three products from Ironman Forge now available from BattleStarCollection.com.
(High-resolution photos of the knives and crane support pad under construction available at https://flic.kr/s/aHsmX8UuAU.)
Battleship Alive! returns to schedule
Wilmington, NC – November 16, 2021 – Battleship Alive! is back on the Battleship NORTH CAROLINA events schedule for December.
The all-day event featuring the Battleship’s Living History crew offers a window into the life of the Ship during World War II. Watch and interact with living history interpreters as they bring the Ship to life through the actions of daily duties and drills.
Battleship Alive! is scheduled for 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, December 4, and is free with Battleship admission. All visitors under age 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
About the Battleship NORTH CAROLINA
The Battleship NORTH CAROLINA is self-supporting, not tax supported, and relies primarily on admissions to tour the Ship, sales in the Ship’s Store, rentals, donations and investments. No funds for its administration and operation come from appropriations from governmental entities at the local, state or federal levels. Located at the junction of Highways 17/74/76/421 on the Cape Fear River, the Battleship is open daily. Visit www.battleshipnc.com or follow us on Facebook.com/ncbb55, Twitter.com/battleshipnc and Instagram.com/battleshipnc for more information. The Battleship NORTH CAROLINA is a historic site within the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (www.NCCulture.com).
www.battleshipnc.com
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