USS Constitution reopens after COVID hiatus
The USS Constitution heads to Castle Island in South Boston July 4, 2018, to fire guns in salute and to receive a salute from three military canon there. (Lane Turner/The Boston Globe via AP)
USS Constitution, also known as Old Ironsides, is a wooden-hulled, three-masted heavy frigate of the United States Navy. She is the world’s oldest commissioned naval vessel still afloat. She was launched in 1797, one of six original frigates authorized for construction by the Naval Act of 1794, and the third one constructed.
The USS Constitution, and the USS Constitution Museum in Boston reopened to the public Friday after being closed for several months because of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a statement.
Guests on board the ship, known as “Old Ironsides,” as well as in the museum will be required to wear face coverings. Guest capacity will be limited and the museum will require timed tickets.
Both the ship and the museum will undergo more frequent cleanings.
The Constitution is the world’s oldest commissioned warship afloat and played a crucial role in the Barbary Wars and the War of 1812, actively defending sea lanes from 1797 until 1855. The ship was undefeated in battle and destroyed or captured 33 enemy vessels.
It earned the nickname “Old Ironsides” during the War of 1812, when British cannonballs were seen bouncing off its wooden hull.
The museum collects, preserves, and interprets the stories of the ship and its crew.
Read the entire article here: Navy Times
Category: Navy
From the Navy Times Headline (TINS)
“USS Consitution……” A comment was made by the Aeronautically Designated Naval Aviator Admin Type 1 (one) each just the other day on the struggle to avoid the typos in so many of the articles that are presented to us miscreanted d’weeds/wedettes. Bless His Heart!
Kudos to the Swabbies that got “Old Ironsides” back to sea and open for the business of teaching the glorious history of this icon.
And a big kudo to said Admin on insuring that the headline that we see has the name of the USS Constitution spelled out correctly. Not sure what a typesetter makes for Navy Times but I am sure it is way yonder over the $0.00 that Admin on this site make.
Less egregious than flat misspelling the name of the oldest commissioned ship in the Navy, but still indicative of a willful ignorance is the use of “The” when referring to a Naval vessel. “Old Ironsides” is never “The USS Constitution” but always simply “USS Constitution.” This applies to every named ship in the Navy, and is thought to hail back to superstitious sailors considering their ships to have a life of their own. This also may be why it’s unlucky to change the name of a ship without an involved re-christening ceremony.
While the Nautically Challenged among us may shrug it off, it’s another bit of Naval lore and it’s misuse is the sure mark of a lubber. Now heave out and trice up, Seadogs.
I’m up for all of it except for that whole “Away Borders” thing. Prefer to do my fighting at at least Dahlgren Range.
What’s for mid-rats? Bug juice and sea biscuits?
KoB, it’s “away all BOARDERS”, not borders.
Borders are boundaries. Boarders either sponge off the landlord, or BOARD vessels of various types, sizes and designations, including city buses.
yes’um, it’s late, a longish day, and my auto corrupt kicked in on the post comment step. ObiJuan put a new program on this thing the other day and it will sometimes change what you typed to something it thinks is what you mean to say. On that “Away All Boarders” thing, bum shoulder won’t let me toss a grappling hook like I used to and I’m using my cutlass to slice up that fresh baked crusty bread.
Now, back to the real question…mid- rats? Y’all know I can’t miss a chow call.
My going dark, off the net time frame got changed, moved to the next day or so. Hope to be back in time for Thursday’s Servings.
As AW1Ed has indicated, Navy ships go by their given names. They are not “the”, because if they were, Old Ironsides would be The Old Ironsides, which is ridiculous.
Also, all Navy ships are referred to as “she”, never “it”. This has to do with the figureheads that used to be attached to the bow of any ship. In the days of sail, and likely going back to when Noah built his ark/floating zoo, the figureheads were usually female figures meant to appease Neptune/Poseidon/Jotunn, the Norse god of the sea whose wife was Ran, and whatever other gods there were in other mythos.
Therefore, Constitution a/k/a Old Ironsides, is a ‘she’, not an ‘it’ or a ‘he’. Period.
OMG, Richard Cooper trashing Tomi Lahren!!111
“Boarded” and toured “Her” when I was a kid.
Then I joined the Army.
Same same. I was astonished at the copper lined powder magazine.
I don’t remember who explained it, but it was to prevent sparks from shoe nails, or other iron on the person of the powder monkey, from putting Constitution fragments into low earth orbit.
Building a 3+ foot long plank-on-bulkhead model is on my bucket list.