Ship's Boats

Ship's Boats. Battleship New Jersey. , The USS New Jersey (BB-62) carried small boats to transfer officers and crewmembers to and from ships or points onshore. When visiting less-developed or shallow ports of call where USS New Jersey (BB-62) could not moor to a pier, the Battleship's three 40-foot boats were used to transfer sailors to and from shore., When the USS New Jersey (BB-62) was the flagship for Admiral Paul Reason in 1990, the black boat on the starboard (right) side of the ship was placed onboard. This is the "Admiral's Barge," a special 33-foot personnel boat outfitted with a head (bathroom) and other amenities for transferring an embarked admiral to and from the Battleship. The "Captain's Gig" was a similar vessel. Also 33 feet long, it was painted white and lacked bathroom., The U.S. Navy required ships with crews larger than 250 men to provide at least 10% more lifeboat space than the entire crew would require. With a crew of over 1,500, the USS New Jersey (BB-62) was outfitted with eighty-one "Mark Six" inflatable lifeboats capable of holding over 2,000 people., Made from a tough rubberized fabric, the Mark Six was stored in a hardshell case and located in special "quick-release" cages throughout the USS New Jersey's (BB-62) decks. Each Mark Six could be manually or automatically inflated. Crewmen could inflate the life raft simply by pulling on a rope at one end of the storage canister., With a double canopy to protect crewmembers from the elements, each Mark Six is equipped with life saving supplies such as bottled water, food, flashlights, and first aid kits., Should a lifeboat actually sink with a ship, water pressure would automatically release and inflate the lifeboat when less than 40 feet underwater; allowing it to float back to the surface. The U.S. Navy continues to use the Mark Six as its primary inflatable lifeboat on active-duty warships., [Caption:] , Above: New Jersey sailors conduct a boat inspection in 1989. Each boat had its own list of survival gear, including food rations, fresh water, life jackets and medical gear. The USS New Jersey's (BB-62) boats, however, were primarily used to transport crew to and from the ship, rather than lifesaving equipment.,

New Jersey's (BB-62) Boats. Quantity - Type of Boat - No. Men Each - Total Men , 3 - 40' Utility Boat (Mark Three) - 75 - 225 , 2 - 33' Personnel Boat (Mark Two) - 24 - 48 , 2 - 26' Motor Whaleboat (Mark Ten) - 20 - 40 , 81 - Inflatable Lifeboat (Mark Six) - 25 - 2,025 , [Total] 88 boats - 2,338 total men