If all is going as planned, the giant Iowa-class battleship USS New Jersey (BB-62) is on her way back down the Delaware River today, returning to her permanent mooring on the Camden waterfront after a 91 day visit to the Philadelphia Navy Yard for maintenance and repair.

Most of that time was spent in dry dock inspecting and attending to her hull, a job that was last undertaken thirty years ago.

It’s not just that she needs care and attention as a much loved museum ship, but technically she still belongs to the US Navy and, though it’s hardly likely, the Navy could demand her back, so she has to be in good condition.

This is a fascinating video about what dry-docking a battleship entails and the work that has been done to USS New Jersey while she was out of the water.