Men and their sons are invited to join us for a unique opportunity to spend the night aboard the historic World War II-era battleship, the USS Alabama, in Mobile on Friday, May 3.  This remarkable ship began her World War II adventures in the North Atlantic in 1943, then later that year went to the South Pacific seas.  Home to a crew of 2,500 courageous Americans, this 45,000-ton war machine’s WWII adventure culminated with BB-60 leading the American Fleet into Tokyo Bay on September 5, 1945.  Nine Battle Stars for meritorious service were awarded the “Mighty A” during her brief three-year tenure as the “Heroine of the Pacific.”  Learn more about the history of the battleship we are visiting and staying on by going to www.ussalabama.com

What will we do?

We will meet at the Battleship Park in Mobile at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, May 3.  After eating dinner together, we will be able to do all of the self-guided tour areas aboard the battleship at night without the typical daytime crowds.  We will spend the night as a group sleeping in the racks just like the sailors did.  Then on Saturday morning, we will pack up our sleeping bags and have the option to further explore the battleship as well as the other exhibits of Battleship Park, including the aircraft pavilion and the World War II submarine, the USS Drum.  We plan to return to Montgomery by late afternoon Saturday.

Who can participate?

• This trip is open to dads and their sons ages 6-18.
  
• Per battleship rules, children under age 6 are not allowed to participate.
• As this is a trip geared for children and teens, it is not open to adults unless they are accompanying a child on the trip or an approved chaperone.
• Youth guys ages 13-18 are allowed to participate without their dads if their dads are unable to accompanying them.
  
• Due to the nature of this trip, registration is limited to Gateway members and regular attendees.  (If a dad and his son desire to bring a guest child/teen with them, please discuss that with Mike Presley or Grady Smith prior to registering).
  
  

What is the cost?

The cost is $25 per person which covers battleship admission for both Friday and Saturday, your lodging on board the ship, dinner Friday night, and breakfast on Saturday morning.  There is a picnic area within Battleship Park where we plan to have dinner and breakfast.

The cost is due when you register and is non-refundable.  The registration and payment deadline is Monday, April 1.

Before registering, please review these important notes:

• The battleship is very strict on group arrival time.  As such, everyone on the trip must be able to be at the Battleship no later than 4:30 p.m. on Friday, May 3.  That means you will need to be able to leave Montgomery by 1:30 p.m.   Please note that the battleship will not allow anyone in the group to board until everyone registered is present together.  They also do not allow late comers to join the group.  If you cannot make it by those times on Friday afternoon, please do not register for this event.
• Please review the age limits noted above.  Those are battleship rules that we must follow.
• Due to the nature of this trip, there will be a required short pre-trip meeting at Gateway on Sunday, April 28.  All participants should plan to attend for important trip details.
• You will need to bring your own sleeping bags and pillows for sleeping in the sailor bunk racks.
• Dads are responsible for supervising their children at all times.  Please remember that the battleship is open for exploration at night, but that comes with risks. 
  
  

Register for this event:

The registration deadline in Monday, April 1. 

ONLINE REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED FOR THIS EVENT
If you are still interested in participating, please reach out to Pastor Grady or to Mike Presley to see if additional spots are available.

If you have questions, please contact Mike Presley at mikewpresley@gmail.com.