The U.S.S. Constitution

My posts have recently began with "On a sunny, beautiful (insert day of the week), I..." well, yesterday was sunny, beautiful and really freakin' cold! But it was still a great day to check out the USS Constitution, the oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world. Let's break that down.

Oldest: launched from a shipyard on Oct. 21, 1797 right across from where she is currently docked. 

Commissioned: Still sails on the sea as part of tours

Warship: Has seen battle, most notably the capture of HMS Guerriere in the War of 1812 *cue music*

afloat: this boat is not dry-docked, nor has it sunk. It is still afloat and maintained, crewed, and operated by the U.S. Navy. 

As my fellow curly brown-haired friend and I stood in a line waiting to board the USS, and older gentleman behind us struck up a conversation. I think he was wondering why two local little twenty-something girls were at the shipyard, surrounded by tourists and boy scouts. Well, we just like doing things like this! We're not exactly history buffs, but I have a great newfound pride when someone asks me a question about the history of Boston and I can actually answer it. 

After showing our fresh anchor stamps on our hand (after going through security) (I should also add that I was proudly sporting my anchor pendant on my necklace...however you couldn't see it due to my jacket and scarf being bundled all the way up), we were allowed up the ramp and onto the top deck. We learned that the spine of the boat is still the original oak, and it's one piece of oak too, meaning the tree they cut down to make it was over 100 years old! The hull is also made of Live Oak (found in the south), and was the reason she has the nick-name "Old Ironsides" (a story I will soon tell). She remains undefeated, 33-0...as our tour guide said "She's the only undefeated Boston sport's team!" 

She was given the nickname "Old Ironsides" during the war of 1812 which is a remarkable story. In order to free trade and sailors rights, America declared war on Great Britain. An enemy ship was spotted south of the Gulf of Lawrence, which turned out to be HMS Guerriere. HMS started firing cannons at the USS, but the cannon balls were falling short, and when the ships got closer, because the hull was made of such strong oak, the cannons did very little damage, making one sailor say "Huzzah! Her sides are made of iron!". The captain of the USS didn't tell the crew to fire until the boats were abreast, and only about 25 yards away, and then he commanded the crew to "pour into her!". The USS began to circle around, creating a T shape with the other boat, but then (awkwardly) got stuck on the HMS. As the USS pulled away, it tore down the entire length of the enemy's decks, cutting away most of the rigging. This forced the HMS to shoot a cannon in the opposite direction, signaling surrender. 

 There are a huge amount of pictures today for the simple reason that I love boats:

All the cannons have names written above them.  I believe this one is named "Victory or Death".
Each cannon was manned by 4-6 men, and having 30 something cannons on deck, and a whole bunch on the second deck, the boat needed at least 400 sailors. That's one crowded boat. 

This is a scuttlebutt. Also the term for "gossip". This is where sailors could come and get fresh water, much like the water cooler at the office. Men would come down with their friends while the other men aboard were busy rigging, and the captain's quarters being at the other end of the deck, they were able to talk about who did what and when. 

Little hammock beds. I can't imagine a night on the high seas in a swinging hammock. 

The very precarious and steep staircase down. I'm surprised there were some people who weren't afraid to go down. There was even an old Asian man with a cane who made it down. 

The USS constitution bell

The USS with a sunset and the city of her birthplace, beautiful Boston. 

The stern

As it turns out, catching the last tour of the day (at 3:30) has many upsides, despite the setting sun and dropping temperature. I overheard someone say something about a cannon, and when I asked a nearby seaman, he said to follow the fence to the back of the ship, where I could not only get a good picture, but a good view of the cannon being fired. I did attempt to take a video, but sadly it did not save. We were back there with a small group of people left over from the tour whose curiosity also took precedence over the temperature. The crew aboard did a 2 minute countdown, then one minute, then 30 seconds, and then there was a huge bang, complete with smoke, reverberation, and the startled screams of most of the girls. A lone trumpet sounded, and the boat closed for the day.

After the boat closed, we walked over to the USS Constitution Museum and were able to see most of the museum before they also closed. We even took a walk through the kid's exhibit and had a little fun there. I think a lot of people don't go to visit the USS because it's kind of a hike, and not really close to a T stop. We got off at the Haymarket stop on the Green Line, and my friend had never been, so we took a walk through the produce and loud-mouthed Italian families haggling over the price of squash. We then figured out we had to take the 93 bus, which was about a 10 minute bus ride over a bridge and down the highway...not really a place you would want to walk. We did have to wait a while for the bus back, but we were in a good part of town in a well lit area in front of a store (for the family members who read my blog). 

When all was said and done, we had a great time, and a little too much fresh air...the kind that really tires you out (I did take a little nap when I got home). Obviously, I recommend the USS to anyone, locals and travelers alike...the subway-to-bus-to-Navy-yard really isn't that complicated, and is totally worth it. 

Oh, and did I mention that the whole thing is free? (Suggested donation, of course)