The battleship isn't going to Philly ... first

Fans of the Battleship New Jersey have been watching diligently for updates on the ship's historic move to a Philadelphia shipyard.

But the ship won't be going to Pennsylvania ... first.

Instead, the New Jersey will depart Camden on March 21 for a four- to six-hour trip downriver to Paulsboro.

The ship will take a pitstop there for about six days to be ballasted, or having about 2,000 tons of water added to its tank.

Ballasting is needed to ensure there's no damage to the hull when the ship is dry docked, said Marshall Spevak, CEO of the battleship museum.

The ship will be docked at the Paulsboro Marine Terminal, which will be closed during its stay.

The ship currently is unbalanced because its stern is stuck in mud, causing the bow to be elevated.

"We're trimming the ship out so when the ship goes over the sill of the dry dock we essentially don't crack the hull in half," he said.

The battleship's expected to cross the river to Philadelphia on March 27.

That should only take about an hour.

No events or public access are planned for the March 27 move.

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This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: The Battleship New Jersey isn't just going to Philadelphia