wrong again bob

We have lasers.

@roadkill
we have sailors

@atarax
You are wrong.(whatever unpronounceable name you have) Go eat sand!

Ship of wood & men of Iron.

Wonderful to see the old girl at sea again

old iron-side; built with green oak timber, from virgin forest Oak, the builder designed two, the Constitution and the Constellation; the shipyard where she was built was owns by a Jewish ship builder, who came up with a new idea, it worked, her hull was so strong that cannon balls actually bounced off at times; great part of American history.

I would be willing to bet that our restored historic fleet could kick any other countries restored historic fleet's butt any day!

Well, the UK still has the HMS Victory in commission. A first rate against a frigate wins every time.

And that's why England won :)

My understanding is that our Frigates were bigger, had more guns and were faster than theirs and that is why they 1) stayed home when they found out and 2) bring out that one again there England!

I hired a wonderful private tour company in Boston, which took us to tour this noble old ship, we went down below, saw a total of three decks,including two gun decks. Going into battle, the crew would spread sand on the decks and then soak them down with hoses so that sparks would not ignite gunpowder.

The cannons are anchored to the 22" thick walls, as the retail when they shoot,would otherwise propel the cannon at 45MPH across the deck. The expression "Loose cannon" comes from this....can you imagine a loose 3 ton cannon rolling around you while fighting ?

You could join the navy as a cabin boy at the age of 8 or 9, and life was so tough, that there were regular desertions, and the Navy would sign on whomever they could,as replacements, consequently 40% of the crew were usually foreigners. It was unheated and sailed in the winter....brrr

Old Ironsides, aka the USS Constitution, was built at Harts Shipyard in Boston, and not by a Jewish ship maker, as someone below claims. Harts shipyard is,today, a US Coast Guard Base in Bostons Little Italy, and is just 2000 feet from where Old Ironsides is berthed today, and visible from the wooden decks of Old Ironsides.

She went to sea with a crew of 450, her US Marine contingent is the one which went onto "The Shores of Tripoli" during the wars with the Barbary Pirates of North Africa.

Have seen Old Ironsides many 4th of July outings to Boston/Charlestown. It is awesome to see her glide upon the waters (albeit with the tugs guiding her) but to watch her come bow first, then provide a broadside to let loose and fire her cannons is a sight to behold. I truly would have loved being there Sunday to see her sail under her own power! Thank you, USS Constitution for your many years of service and education!

I look forward to seeing her again and again with each visit to Charlestown/Boston area!

Defensor Fortis

300 feet from Old Ironsides, you can also see the oldest US Marine Barracks in the country, and the oldest drydocks in the nation, and the oldest rope walks in the nation...rope walks were where they made ropes, usually from hemp,treated with creosote for water protection,and they made them here for the US Navy from 1799 to 1912, and could fabricate them at any lenghth or thickness.

Old Ironsides is docked at the same place where the English Army landed on June 17,1775 to assemble for the attack on Bunker Hill, bloodiest battle of the Revolution.

Rev. John Harvard is buried nearby, he came from Stratford-on-Avon, and his father knew Shakespeare. Harvard University is 20 minutes away,it was borrowed by George Washington to use as Americas first army base during his 11 month long Siege of British occupied Boston, 1775-1776, and you can see where George and Martha Washington lived ( in a mansion later owned by the poet Longfellow, whose poems saved Old Ironsides from demolition during the Civil War).

Harvard was 139 years old when the Revolution began, if Romney is elected, that will mean that 20% of all US Presidents have a degree from Harvard. Washington disbanded the Minutemen and Militia outside Harvard Yard and created the Continental Army (U.S.Army) there,outside Harvard Yard.

@Sarita Shires,
I have some experience with sailing. Have had to tie myself and shipmates to the deck to keep from getting washed overboard. If the term "kicking butt" is too harsh for you then good for you and the privileged life you have lived. But I will gladly take me poor boys pittance and sail on.

The city of Boston has nothing to do with preserving the USS Constitution. She is still a commissioned warship in the United States Navy. As such she is crewed and maintained by the Navy.

Notso, in 1927, the ship was restored, due largely to contributions from American school children. Civilians - including those living in Boston - most certainly have contributed to the ships' well being and preservation, as it belongs to all of us. Saying "thanks" to Boston in this regard isn't totally incorrect.

As part of that restoration, her old copper hull plates were taken and melted and made into commorative ashtrays. I have one.

Her old copper hull plates had been provided and installed by the low bidder, Paul Revere, so that ash tray is much more than an ash tray.

You can visit Paul Reveres house in Boston, it was already 90 years old, a "fixer-upper" when Revere bought it. The house was built in 1680 at the end of the Late Middle Ages.

Revere was a "Frenchy", his Dad was named Apollos Rivoire, which he anglicized to Paul Revere.

The Medieval period ended roughly in the year 1500, then came the Renaissance. Revere's house, built in 1680, was hardly Medieval, late or otherwise.

BIKER: fully grown adult who plays dress up and body paints themselves then spends the rest of their money on a vehicle that is completely for show and rides it off into fantasy land,stopping at any bar with other bikers and getting drunk and comparing each others complete mindless waist of money and patting each other on the back for doing so.

I try to comment about a beautiful ship only to find that by the 12th comment that 25% are from someone missing a bit of wind in his sails... chris374639. Sail off the edge of the flat ocean, chithead.

Yeah Chris, I've seen that show too. I ride every day and every where. I've logged thousands of miles, slept in national parks in the tent and sleeping bag I carry on my bike; I ride in all kinds of weather except snow and sleet, for obvious reasons... I'll pass on rain if I can help it. As far as 'balls' go, your one big time 'tough guy' moment was when you finished that cold half cup of coffee you left in your car from the morning ride in.

Don't judge me. You don't even know me.

@Chris,

Many of your comments are a pleasure to read. Sadly this "ain't" one of them.

I can't decide what I have a bigger Crush on......Miss Liberty (statue) or the U.S.S. Constitution :)

Both are truly lovely and amazing to see.

I just did judge you. you live in IMAGINATIONLAND and you can stay there...happy posting...post post post....post post post....go post yourself...hahah you...logged thousands of miles...IN IMAGINATIONLAND!!!!

Maybe you will reply in the form of getting a tattoo and teach me how ignorant i am? Maybe you will reply in the form of revving your motorcycle up every time you pass my house? ooh not that!

RE: Chris:

Don't feed the Troll.

The War of 1812 was a waste, the King of England had already ordered cessation of conscripting merchant marines.

In a way but they didn't have internet service then.

It did give "Old Hickory" another chance to shine and shine he did. One of the best Presidents ever and truly one of the most for the people Presidents ever. We don't have leaders with that courage anymore. Andrew Jackson was one of the richest Presidents ever but he would give his horse to a common solder and walk if he needed it.

His presidency wasn't that great. As far as his persona, he used the Natives to fight in his wars and then sent way too many, not just Cherokee but Choctaw, Chickasaw and so forth, on the Trail of Tears.

He was a crook and a total failure as a human being.

My opinion on the last line. Feel free to agree or disagree.

Your misconception has no validity. "Read the American Lion."

The American Lion was written with the goal of making Jackson look good...Jackson was a liar, and he was brutal to the Indians.

The woods used in her construction were mainly pine and southern live (doesn't mean green) oak. It was the live oak that provided her strength, along with the way her ribs were constructed. the rib construction allowed for extra thick planking.

We in Erie, Pa. have a restored War of 1812 warship...the Niagara, Perry's flagship from the Battle of Lake Erie. She also is a beauty...but the Constitution is in a class of her own. An original. The original. The level of preservation and detail truely must be seen to believe. Perhaps she (and maybe me!) will still be around for her 250th birthday...in 2047.

Yes both beautiful ships in their own rights, but two different classes of ships. The Niagara is a brig a square rigged ship with 2 masts, while the Constitution is a frigate. A frigate is long, narrow, fast and has three square rigged masts.

Without cheating---I guess 32 pound carronades.

Nope. It's the 40mm ceremonial rifled cannons installed in her bow. They are both heavier and more powerful than the old 32-pounders.

Even so, you win for not cheating. Your knowledge is admirable, but you probably didn't get the excellent tour guide I had. I swear, that old man had more knowledge about that one ship than I have amassed about everything in three decades. He even knew where the some of the individual planks were formed and by whom, and why, and how they were paid, and what process they used. Truly an amazing man.

Wasn't aware of the ceremonial cannons. When installed? I looked and found some info, but no date.

I have always been an avid naval history buff. I have a photo of me standing next to a cannon on the deck of Constitution in my USN uniform, it was taken in April, 1963.

Would love to visit the HMS Victory, a 100 gun ship-of-the-line!

A first-rate ship-of-the-line! Never got the chance to see it myself but I would love to. Can you imagine what a magnificient piece of art that ship must be?

I don't know precisely when the cannons were installed because I was a forgetful, very stupid youth when I got the tour, and in truth, I still am. I think it was the thirties or forties. Somewhere around there. I remember the tour guide telling us because he made a joke about it, but I cannot remember exactly when. I will be happy to find the information for you if you desire it.

Speaking of forgetful and stupid, I would like to thank you for your service, sir. I call myslf E3M in the Nato phonetic because I will always be a lance corporal at heart (it's a long story), but I am actually a corporal of the USMC (out for three years now.) May I inquire as to your rank that I might show you proper respect?

I had the opportunity to tour the HMS Victory in 1987. Beautiful ship. Very disappointing tour guide. He had his tour script down pat but missed (as in answered wrong) every question asked by the tourists.

She's not a first rate, at the best, she's maybe a fifth, sixth, or even seventh rate (without knowing her exact armament). Only one first rate ship is still intact anywhere in the world, the HMS Victory.

FYI, for those who flounder upon the shores, the "rate" of a ship has nothing to do with the quality of the ship, but the number of her guns. A First Rate, nominally, was a ship with 90+ guns. A sixth rate would run about 36-42 or so. Every nation's definition varied somewhat.

E3M,

No need to call me sir, but thank you. I was a Torpedoman 2 (E5) and served aboard diesel/electric submarines. I have always admired the USMC.

At least you got to see the ship, Senior Chief Petty Officer.

Thank you for your service, Senior Chief Petty Officer, and thank you for providing an example to the Naval servicemen that came after you, to include Marines. Consider this whole thing as being said at a neat parade rest that was accomplished with a very motivated and satisfying snap, as befits a senior enlisted.

James, thanks for the info but we were actually talking about the Victory. You have to read the whole thread, dude.

Spike, if you're an E5 you deserve the respect an enlisted man of that rank deserves. I'd call you by your rank, except I'm not sure what it is. Is it..PO2? Petty Officer Second Class? Torpedoman? I can't imagine that you'd like being called that, but then I never learned Navy jargon all that well, despite being aboard your boats from time to time.

Anyway, thank you for your service (and submarine service at that) and consider yourself in the presence of a Marine who gladly snaps to parade rest for you. You'd be a Sergeant in the Marines, and I will treat you with the respect that rank carries, as well as the respect a veteran deserves, not to mention the respect for elders and my fascination for what life in the silent service must have been like! I love submarines! I am absolutely enamored with them. That's not sarcastic or anything, it's true. I worked to help restore the USS Cavalla in Houston!

Anyway, thank you for your service.

CS3

Sea Devil SSN-664

glad there is another "bubble-head" aboard the vine. where did you drink your dolphins? mine was in Boston, back in 74. The boat was in Portsmouth/kittery for a refit at the time.

Another submariner who is my senior? (an E-3 but still a senior, and now it's a bloody cook) It seems I will never have to stop standing at parade rest for you people. No matter, I stand parade rest all the same.

Thank you for your service, Scooter. I'd thank you even more if you could serve me some of that excellent food submariners get. Marines are total jerks to a lot of sailors because we are awesome and we know this to be true because we were told that we are awesome, but we are also sadly lacking in quality rations somehow. So much for equality in the Department of the Navy. Is it true that you get lobster on submarines?

Scooter,

Drank my dolphins in Ocho Rios, Jamaica in '62. Keep a zero bubble!

DBF---Diesel Boats Forever! :)

Agreed - from what I can see, they never even unfurled the topsails completely. The rest of the yards are completely bare.

In her day, she could outrun AND outgun any "comparable" British frigate. Unfortunately, America only had about 6 frigates, while Britain had hundreds of them, and scores of huge ships of the line.

Compared the the RN's 6th rates the Constitution was considerably larger. she would fall into the 5th rate category.

Truly wonderful post (gave me chills:)!

Thank You,

Howard

@ The_Mick, that is what I always thought too. But Even before I read your post I checked Wikipedia (I know) and it seemed there was contoversy over which Constellation is in the Inner Harbor, the Frigate or a sloop built in 1854. The FBI and ATF were mentioned as having proved documents in support of the ship being the Frigate (and sister ship to the Constitution) were forgeries. Check it out.

Always *one* idiot in the room..

Right and wrong at the same time. Depends on how you define "heaviest." The 32-pounders were the heaviest guns she fielded, but her most powerful guns are a pair of 40mm "salute" cannons installed in the bow for ceremonial purposes after she was restored in the 30's or something. Maybe it was the forties. Anyway, the 40mm guns, complete with the mountings needed to mount them to the deck of a wooden ship, weigh more, and are also more powerful.

I hereby award you one internets for being mostly right.