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I saw the USS Constitution under sail!

4K views 32 replies 15 participants last post by  Sublime 
#1 ·
We were in New England this past week visiting family on Plum Island. Monday we decided to drive into Boston and have lunch and do a Harbor Cruise. As we were walking on Long Warf to the Chart House for lunch...Holy Moly...there she was being towed across the Harbor. We had lunch and took the Harbor cruise, all the while we could see her being escorted out of the Harbor. Then she raised sails and headed back in. We finished the cruise and watched her as she came back to her pier. It was a very cool site to see.
 
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#2 ·
I thought it was the lamest thing ever . After years of restoration the best they do is a 17 minute " cruise " under sail . In my program we'd take her out & sink something . Maybe we should have sourced out that work to Denmark . To listen to all the hoopla you'd think we're beyond embarrassment about it .
 
#10 ·
Yeah, like if they had brought the old girl to Baltimore in June so she could have sunk one of the Brits boats. For old times sake of course.

It is hard to believe that I almost toured her 40 years ago; got to the gate, and had to stop; she was under reconstruction at the time. Just being near her in her berth was great. When you are near her you can feel how important she is.

Under her own sail power shows she still has it.
 
#4 ·
rhr... I'm with you. I live in Florida, so did not get to see it except in photos. And I liked that! I visited Boston once a long time ago and went aboard for the tour. I was very impressed. And very glad we have preserved her for our children to see. Ignore the foolish negativity. This was one of the original six frigates in the US Navy... a game changer in the world's navies. I hope we continue to preserve her and sail her, if only occasionally. Our kids (and their kids) need to see her.
 
#6 ·
I had forgotten all about this, funny how the mind works.

When I was a little boy, I split my head open on the USS Constitution. Got 6 stiches @ the Navy Hospital in Chelsea.
 
#13 ·
Apparently they haven't sailed her under her own sails since 1997. http://www.history.navy.mil/commemorations/1812/USSC-sail.pdf

We are very lucky to still have her and if it wasn't for a poem she would be long gone. The navy tried to dispose of her so many times and each time she was saved. Now she has a permanent commission thanks to FDR and a Congressional order to maintain her, she should be around for a very long time.
 
#16 ·
She really isn't 215 years old is kinda the point. Only about 15% of her is. (according to the navy) If she was maintained from the beginning she would be a lot more original than she is. But she has been greatly modified, and was not put back into her original configuration until the 1920s. Thanks to FDR she will continue to be maintained for the remainder of this countries existence. In another 200 years she will not be 15% of what is original today, it will be much higher than that.
 

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#17 ·
Sorry if I appear negative . It is my love of her that fuels my angst . I just believe strongly that she should be sailed as she was intended to sail . Very little of her is 215 years old & to what purpose ? She is still a commissioned naval vessel & as such she should sail as such . If she's not going to " live " .......then let her die . A 17 minute cruise under 4 of her 36 sails is not a cruise....it's an insult . 3.1 knots ???? I wish I was a tree !
 
#19 ·
I just believe strongly that she should be sailed as she was intended to sail . !
I think she out ran the British once by the crew rowing out ahead of her, dropping anchor and winch her to the anchor. The way she was meant to be sailed is anyway that kept her out of harms way:D

If you read through the article about her cruise in 1997, they say that was the first time she had been under sail in 116 years. Even when she toured the world in the early 1940s she was moved by tug. Cheaper to tow her than train and pay the men needed to sail her. The sails they did fly this past trip out took 150 volunteers to man.
 
#21 ·
She is a commissioned navy ship because FDR gave her a Permanent Commission. They take her out yearly and re-dock her facing in the opposite direction, but that is done to keep the paint and rigging from weathering unevenly.

The Commission really means nothing other than that the US President Assigned a Captain to the ship and gave them orders. The Constitution's orders are to promote the Navy and America's naval heritage.
 
#22 ·
I had the privilege of being on the Turn in Sept 2006. It was an experience of a lifetime to be out on her. The salute to the Fort and tour that they provided of the ship was fantastic. She has had extensive restorations but is still something to behold.
Something you can touch and feel to bring you back to our forefathers.
Thank You to her Sailors and Officers who serve on her. BZ
 
#23 ·
... Then she raised sails and headed back in. We finished the cruise and watched her as she came back to her pier. It was a very cool site to see....
Even though I see the Constitution on weekly basis, she always puts big smile on my face. It was disappointing on Sunday that there too little wind to fill her sails, your picture from 1997 shows more breeze. here's one from Sunday, not much sailing going on...
 

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#30 ·
Something I remember from her last true sailing adventure in 1997 was the Navy explaining why they did not have most of her canvas out. They were concerned that her masts could twist (or something like that) under the power developed.

And, several analysts of some kind said "uh, they could have done more".
 
#32 · (Edited)
We also see the Constitution at least once a week, since she's docked two piers over from the Courageous Sailing Center. But we did get to see her on the water last week as well. We saw her sailing from about a mile away, saw the 21 gun salute off Castle Island/Fort Independence from about half a mile away, and then she overtook us on the way back to the pier.



They take her out and turn her around every July 4, but this was a special event to commemorate the 200th anniversary of her first battle.



20120819 Eleni and Constitution - YouTube
 
#33 ·
She's done a lot for our country, more than most of us have. She paid her dues and deserves a nice cush life.

Would I like to see her under sail more often? Heck yeah! But I also want her around for future generations to see and experience.
 
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