USS Constitution under sail for commemoration of War of 1812?

[HeyJoe]

Something I'd really like to see the SWO nation pull off...

110619-N-AU127-480 ATLANTIC OCEAN (June 19, 2011) Aviation Electrician's Mate Airman John Fisher, assigned to USS Constitution, heaves a line during sail training aboard Friendship of Salem. Constitution Sailors hope to use this training for the possibility of sailing Constitution under her own power for the bicentennial of the War of 1812. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Shannon Heavin/Released)

 

[xj220]

That would be awesome to see, but I thought they couldn't do it because the masts were too weak to handle the force. Maybe only for super special occasions or they reinforced them. Either way that'd be a lot of fun to do.

 

[HeyJoe]

The typical annual turn in the Harbor does not include sail. I'm sure strength of masts is an issue, but also availability of sails and more importantly, a crew trained to rig, trim and sail her.

110603-N-SH953-655 BOSTON (June 3, 2011) USS Constitution greets the guided-missile frigate USS Carr (FFG 52) in Boston Harbor during an underway Battle of Midway commemoration. The underway honored approximately 200 members of Gold Star Families who lost loved ones in Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom and remembered the Navy's victory at Midway Island in World War II. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kathryn E. Macdonald/Released)

 

[gotta_fly]

Growing up there I was lucky to watch the Constitution do the turn many times. My understanding is the crew is all trained in rigging and the masts are removed and serviced each year, or at least every couple years. The last time she sailed under her own power was pretty recently, maybe 2000, so it can be done.

Sent from my Thunderbolt using Tapatalk.

 

[jmcquate]

She was underway under her own power in 2007.

 

[Uncle Fester]

There's no practical restriction on getting underway on sails; it's just usually not done because the goal is preservation of the ship, not crew proficiency. The turnaround is for preservation - even weathering of the ship on both sides.

There was a complete overhaul planned for a few years back; it's what the trees in the Naval Live Oaks reservation in Gulf Breeze are for. But the survey found the ship was in much better shape than anticipated.

Tangential threadjack: I read somewhere that one of John Lehman's pet rocks when he was SECNAV was a new-build sailing ship for USNA (a la Eagle). The too-hard light came on pretty fast and I don't think the idea went anywhere, but still, it'd be neat. I know there are European yards that still build large sail training ships.

 

[scoolbubba]

Constitution's a US Warship. She should get underway on her own power more than once a decade.

 

[Brett327]

What an amazing piece of history. Sailing her must be a craft and skill set reserved for the honored few lucky enough to crew her. Watching her actually sail would completely rock.

Brett

 

[statesman]

Someone call someone and tell them to get those bull$h!t blue cammies off the deck of Old Ironsides. She need not be demeaned and berated like that.

 

[OnTopTime]

Someone call someone and tell them to get those bull$h!t blue cammies off the deck of Old Ironsides. She need not be demeaned and berated like that.

Not to worry- the photos in the first post were not taken on the deck of the USS Constitution.

 

[statesman]

Thank god... I definitely didn't catch that...

 

[helolumpy]

Got a great picture in my house of Constitution under sail in Marblehead, MA harbor in 1997. Flying over her is the Blue Angles and behind is USS RAMAGE. It was a great birthday present.