From the beginning of the “Save Our Ship” campaign in 1958, when school children collected coins and residents across the state rallied to save her from becoming scrap metal, the Battleship North Carolina has inspired action. Now the ship needs a facelift, and supporters have already pledged more than $7 million of the effort’s $17 million goal.

Contributions flowed from local and statewide sources this summer.

Apple Annie’s Bake Shop sold red, white and blue cupcakes over the July Fourth weekend and donated the proceeds to the project. Front Street Brewery concocted a Battleship Pale Ale, donating portions of the sales, and many area McDonald’s sponsored “Big Macs for the Battleship” over Memorial Day weekend as a fundraiser.

Large corporations have made pledges as well, such as Duke Energy Progress’ $1 million and BB&T’s $500,000. Martin Marietta gave $150,000 for an expedition walkway for education. And Piedmont Natural Gas donated $75,000 for a dock rebuild and kayak launch with access from Eagles Island to former rice plantations where markers designate old building foundations, woodworks and canal locks from long-gone rice fields.

Since there is no operational budget, the Generations Campaign was conceived to fund a cofferdam so a steel plate can be cut from the ship’s hull and repaired, a veterans-inspired walkway built around the ship and an expedition trail cut through the marsh.

The goal of $17 million in the Generations Campaign includes $12 million for repairs, $3 million for walkways and $2 million for education.

“We can go forward this winter,” Capt. Terry Bragg, executive director of the battleship, said about the work.

“The environmental inspection is ready. We have $7 million to start the cofferdam. The SECU [State Employees’ Credit Union] has pledged $3 million to build a walkway around the Battleship, 14 feet wide, ADA accessible – a great opportunity, free to the public.”

The walkway will include educational plaques with information about the World War II ship and those who served aboard, benches and lighting.

The Battleship North Carolina memorial is self-sustaining, without tax support, and it relies primarily upon admissions to tour the ship, sales in the ship’s store, donations and investments, according to a press release from Heather Loftin, promotions director for the battleship.

It is an historic site within the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources with a $240 million contribution to the local economy over the past decade, Bragg said. In July the average visitor count is 39,000, and it sees 40,000 school children each year. 

“Battleship North Carolina is the most historically accurate ship,” Bragg said.

The ship was sealed when it was taken offline, and some areas were not opened until the 1990s. All the artifacts remained in place until then.

“The message is about dedication, service and technology,” Bragg said. “The oldest computers in the state of North Carolina are on the battleship.”

He said this has been the best financial year for the entity since the battleship attraction opened in 1961, thanks in part to other events beyond visitor tours.

“We had people practice yoga on deck, music concerts, brides and 17,000 people at a rib festival on board,” he said. “The park has a panoramic view. And the film industry has made use of the ship for many productions.”

According to the donation contract between North Carolina and the U.S. Navy, the ship is to be kept in a safe and managed state, Bragg said. Inspectors come out every year, and a report lets management know if repairs need to be done. The Navy requests plans for repair or plans for scrapping the ship.

“In 2009,thin areas were discovered in the hull, so in 2011-12 emergency repairs were done,” Bragg said. “Now the ship is intact and stable, but the hull continues to deteriorate.” 

At this point, repairs to the hull are mandatory, and for many, scrapping her is unthinkable.

If the ship were towed to Norfolk, Virginia for repairs, the cost would be $35 million, Bragg said. In a similar case, the USS Alabama experienced hull deterioration and spilled oil into the bay. Officials there built a sheet-pile wall – a black metal wall – around the ship so water could be pumped out and repairs completed. That also is the most cost effective method to work on the Battleship North Carolina, and the Navy approved, local officials said.

The plan is to build a cofferdam and do repairs to the hull.

“We looked at options and what the Navy would endorse, and we started a path,” Bragg said. “We’ll get another 40 years of life out of these construction projects.”