If you’re in New England this summer and looking for something more than a barbecue on Independence Day, why not take a cruise through Boston harbor on the world’s oldest commissioned warship afloat? A lottery for 150 open spots on the USS Constitution’s annual July 4 voyage went live Feb. 3, for the ship’s last turnaround cruise before it goes into a dry dock for repairs through 2018. Guests aboard “Old Ironsides” will enjoy a three-hour trip around the harbor, complete with 21-gun salute exchange with Fort Independence on Castle Island in South Boston. To enter, simply fill out a…
Browsing: Constitution
On this date in 1797, one of six frigates authorized by the Naval Armament Act of 1794 was launched in Boston. Safe to say, it outlasted the other five. The frigate Constitution entered service to battle pirates and protect a young country’s global maritime concerns, but its success during the War of 1812 began a legacy that’s lasted more than two centuries. It’s impossible to sum up the history of the world’s oldest active commissioned warship afloat in a few words, but this passage from the London Times, courtesy of Naval History and Heritage Command’s Constitution website, comes pretty close.…
