Craftspeople from Naval History & Heritage Command Detachment Boston apply industrial grade tallow (i.e. fancy beef fat) to the skids where the haul blocks will slide. The blocks must be correctly positioned to support the weight of USS Constitution in dry dock.

Greasing the skids
Craftspeople apply industrial grade tallow to the skids in Dry Dock 1 in May 2015. [Courtesy Naval History & Heritage Command Detachment Boston]
The tallow, which is not for human consumption, will help the haul blocks slide smoothly into place.

Cans of tallow
Cans of tallow, labeled “inedible.” [Courtesy Naval History & Heritage Command Detachment Boston]

The cross section below shows USS Constitution in Dry Dock 1 with the haul blocks in place. Note that in this plan the haul blocks have been slid down the skids to support the ship’s lower hull .

USS Constitution dry dock cross section
[Courtesy Naval History & Heritage Command Detachment Boston]

The Author(s)

Margherita Desy, Historian, Naval History and Heritage Command Detachment Boston
Historian, Naval History and Heritage Command

Margherita M. Desy is the Historian for USS Constitution at Naval History and Heritage Command Detachment Boston.


Kate Monea
Manager of Curatorial Affairs, USS Constitution Museum

Kate Monea is the Manager of Curatorial Affairs at the USS Constitution Museum.