NOAA ship takes break from storm in Wilmington

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Another ship was docked where the Coast Guard Cutter Diligence usually sits in downtown Wilmington Thursday night.

The Thomas Jefferson, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ship, is taking a break from the storm off shore for the weekend.

Capt. Shepard Smith said his crew does hydrographic surveys. They’re working on a project off the coast of Charleston, SC, at the moment.

He said two launches go out every day manned with two people to measure the water depth, and chart out channels, so ships know if they can pass through.

“So, our product is the nautical chart which most will recognize even if they use charts on their phone, or on their ipad, or on their chart plotter, that’s all derived from our work,” Smith said.

You can see inside the ship for free. On Saturday, starting at 2 p.m., you can take a tour to see the survey work, and the inside of the ship. If you miss that, Smith said the Thomas Jefferson will be back again for Memorial Day weekend. He said it will also be open for tours then.