Edit: Blog by Gingyflame
This is a long time coming, been over a month since I actually visited this absolutely gorgeous beast. Her name is North Carolina, designation BB-55, and otherwise known as “Showboat” for being so pretty. She is berthed, or rather beached, in Wilmington, NC, off of US-421 on her own little road named “Battleship Road” off Cape Fear River. If you’re on the East coast, or near North Carolina, you owe it to yourself to see this ship. She is by far the best ship I’ve visited, condition wise she really looks like she could be towed out to sea tomorrow, and there is so much to see and do with her, and ticket prices being only like $12 to $15, its a fucking steal. This ship will take up your day. If you plan on going, set aside the whole day, there are tours but you can self tour at your own place and there is no where the tour goes that you cannot go alone. She has so much to look at, so much to see, I really cannot explain how much stuff there is on this ship to see. There are a lot of ladders, or stairs so steep its actually a ladder with a hand rail, and tons of knee-knocker risers in the frames so if you go wear shoes or boots. No flip flops, no slides, no heels. You can bring your own food and drink, too, and drink is highly encouraged because she is not under and AC, well ventilated in most parts but aside from fans there is no temperature control on her.
So I’m pausing to try and formulate just what all I should say about her, literally I am overwhelmed with stuff to talk about.
So I took close to 600 pictures and videos, but I’m not putting them all up because, fuck, but in some of the pictures I’ve taken you will see her T H I C C and beautiful hull, her awesome guns, her massive size, her strong armor, just, just so much. I really do not know what to say, I do not know what to describe. If you want to know something specific about her just ask, I’ll eagerly answer your questions.
As for recommendation and things you should know before you go:
Wear close toed and good fitting shoes, and make sure your feet will be comfortable. There is a lot of vertical movement on her, and no elevators, there are trip and toe-stubbing hazards all over her. Watch where you step.
Bring water or something to hold water. She is hot (and hawt), and big, and there’s usually a lot of people in very tight places entirely enclosed in metal.
She is tight, if you are claustrophobic, I’m sorry, but there are just too many places where you will be grinding against a wall or hunching over to fit into a ladderwell or space.
Don’t wear baggy clothing or have many things dangling from your person. There are gears and handles and pipes and grates and such EVERYWHERE, things like that WILL get snagged on them and as welcome as holes might be at the time in clothes it’s not fun tearing clothes.
There are some spaces that are more accessible to others, and those that are not as accessible than most. An example is her rudder room. The ladder into her rudder rooms requires going down a very steep ladder, that is maybe only a foot wide, through a hatch that’ll probably make you lean on the ladder to fit. Before you go gung-ho into these places look very closely to see if you can actually fit in there realistically. When I was there a woman locked up on this ladder and needed to be helped out. It’s very rare that it happens they say, but just be careful.
Wear a hat. You’re going to hit your head. You will. Wear a hat to pad the hit, please. And be very careful, I’m not a tall guy yet I still hit my head just trying to stand up in the turret.
ALMOST EVERYTHING IS ACCESSIBLE! Yes! You can climb into turret 3, climb into the dual-purpose 5″ batter mount, play around with some 20mm guns, and when I first went you could sit on the 40mm Bofors turret and swing it around with the manual controls. But last time I went the Bofors were off limits, but people still messed with the guns as you’ll see in the video, if I post it.
There are some breathtaking views from her high rises. You want some elaboration? It’s literally what I just said.
She is only open from 8AM to 5PM. Every day of the week. Holidays are weird so check her website.
Other than that I really got nothing. Now I just have to pray that all my pictures I’m gonna try to upload fucking work.
Also, she is sexy af.
Her nickname “Showboat” was given to her after WW2, and after she had been retired, decom’d, and purchased by North Carolina, by the Governor of North Carolina, because of how pretty the ship was sailing down through the river. The name stuck and, well, she sure is perdy.
After the attack on Pearl Harbor NC was the first ship to pull into harbor, and being the newest ship in the USN, the sailors and survivors said that she was the most beautiful ship that they had ever seen.
Just some fun facts about this beauty.