Old Ironsides

We landed in Boston, MA and decided to cruise around the city for a little bit since it was my first visit.  We didn’t want to spend too much time in town though because we had a cabin waiting for us in Bar Harbor.  So we circled Boston Commons which is beautiful and if I have the chance to revisit the city I will certainly spend some time enjoying the park.  My target for this trip was centered on the USS Constitution.

Also known as Old Ironsides, the USS Constitution is the world’s oldest commissioned warship afloat.  She is quite amazing to see.  The tour is free and it is conducted by midshipmen wearing period uniforms.  They are knowledgeable and friendly.  I’m finding it difficult for once to put into words what I have seen.  The attention to detail on the ship is simply impressive.  The fact that something made of wood is still floating hundreds of years later is a little mind boggling.

Now that doesn’t mean living and working aboard this ship was like a vacation on a cruise liner.  This was a war ship.  The enlisted men slept in cotton hammocks in shifts below decks.  Officers had slightly better quarters but they were still cramped.  Unless you were blessed to be short, you had to walk crouched down or knock yourself unconscious on a cross beam.  The masts were incredibly tall with ropes all over requiring skilled sailors to make sure all the lines were appropriately placed for their specific functions.  The canons also required a skilled hand and several sailors to manage different tasks in order for them to fire.

To learn how the USS Constitution earned her nickname of Old Ironsides, please follow this link to The History Channel.  http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/old-ironsides-earns-its-names