USS Constitution Sails For First Time Since 1997

NAVY ^ | 19 August 2012 | Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kathryn E. Macdonald

[moonshot925]

CHARLESTOWN, Mass. (NNS) -- USS Constitution departed her berth from Charlestown, Mass. Aug. 19, to set sail for the first time since 1997, during an underway demonstration commemorating Guerriere Day.

The underway honored the 200th anniversary of Constitution's decisive victory over the HMS Guerriere during the War of 1812, marking the first time a United States frigate defeated a Royal Navy frigate at or nearly equal size. It's also the battle in which Constitution earned her famous nickname "Old Ironsides."

The ship got underway at 9:57 a.m. with tugs attached to her sides and 285 people on board, including special guests, such as the 58th, 59th, 62nd and 65th former commanding officers of Constitution; Rear Adm. Richard Breckenridge, Commander, Submarine Group Two; Rear Adm. Ted Branch, Commander, Naval Air Forces Atlantic; Vice Adm. William French, Commander, Navy Installations Command; retired Navy Capt. Thomas Hudner Jr., Medal of Honor recipient; and Dr. Phil Budden, Britain's Consul General to New England.

At 10:27 a.m., Budden and Bonner tossed a wreath into the ocean to honor and remember Constitution's battle with the HMS Guerriere.

When the ship arrived at President Roads, a body of water of Boston Harbor, the crew then set three sails from Constitution's main, mizzen and fore masts, and at 12:25 p.m., she detached from her tugs and sailed west under her own power for 17 minutes. She sailed at a maximum speed of 3.1 knots, at an average of two knots, and at a distance of 1,100 yards.

[Erasmus]

Now, there are some sailors who are really sailors.

[Billthedrill]

“No, Mr. President, I’m sorry, we don’t keelhaul people anymore. You’re going to have to deal with Mr. Biden some other way.”

[IronJack]

It's been a lot of years since I built that model ...

You're right. I forgot that she had a "royal" yard, which would make her sails mains, tops, topgallants, and royals. She's sailing under tops.

[llevrok]

And that too. ;-)

[floralamiss]

Live Oak, hard as stone; yet the wind in a powerful hurricane can twist it like taffy.

[SunkenCiv]

GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother & Ernest_at_the_Beach	join list or digest view topics view or post blog bookmark post a topic subscribe
Thanks moonshot925. Old Ironsides sails again:USS Constitution goes to sea Just adding to the catalog, not sending a general distribution. To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.