• Donate
  • Join Now
  • Sign Up for eNews
USS Constitution MuseumUSS Constitution MuseumUSS Constitution MuseumUSS Constitution Museum
  • Visit
    • Plan Your Visit
    • Directions & Parking
    • Groups & Field Trips
    • Calendar of Events
    • Museum Map
    • Host an Event
    • In Our Neighborhood
    • Library Pass Program
  • Exhibits
    • Past Exhibits
    • Ship Model Show
    • The Model Shipwright Guild
    • Hands-On Areas
  • Collections
    • Art and Artifact Collections
    • Library and Manuscript Collections
    • Research Library
    • Order an Image
    • Support Our Collections
  • Constitution History
    • Chronology
    • Ship’s Crew
    • Articles
    • War of 1812 Lectures
    • ConstitutionCam
  • Blog
  • Educators
  • Shop
    • Shop Now
    • Buy a Membership
  • Support
    • Donate
    • Membership
    • Chairman’s Dinner & Awards Ceremony
    • Memorial Bricks
    • Support Our Collections
    • Legacy Giving
    • Foundation Support
    • Amazon Smile
    • Host an Event
      • Approved Caterers
      • Guide to Hosting Functions and Special Events at the Museum
    • Donor Privacy Policy
  • About
    • Mission & History
      • Founders
      • National Awards
    • Board of Trustees
    • Family Learning Project
    • National Outreach
    • For Press & Media
    • Jobs & Volunteering
    • Contact Us

Work on USS Constitution Continues…

    Home Blog Restoration Current Work Work on USS Constitution Continues…
    NextPrevious

    Work on USS Constitution Continues…

    By USS Constitution Museum | Current Work, News, Restoration, Video | 2 comments | 15 September, 2017 | 30

    USS Constitution‘s successful undocking on July 23, 2017, from the Charlestown Navy Yard’s Dry Dock 1, marked the end of the first phase of restoration work on the ship. Once in the water, Constitution‘s hull needed several weeks to swell the planks below the waterline. On August 2, 2017 “Old Ironsides” and USS Cassin Young were switched around Pier One in the Navy Yard and returned to their regular berths (photographs below). Constitution‘s restoration is now in its final phase, which includes outfitting the ship and re-installing the rest of the rig. This work will be finished by the spring of 2018.

     

     

    A Boston Towing & Transportation Company tow boat snugs up alongside USS Constitution’s starboard quarter while the Naval History & Heritage Command Detachment Boston beaver boat ties up to the ship’s starboard bow. Both vessels propelled and maneuvered Constitution from Pier One East and out into the mouth of the Charles River, where she awaited USS Cassin Young’s move back to this berth. [Courtesy Naval History & Heritage Command Detachment Boston]

     

     

    A second Boston Towing & Transportation Company tug assisted in moving the Charlestown Navy Yard’s 1901 caisson to Pier Two West. The 2015 caisson floats in the foreground, awaiting its return to Dry Dock 1. [Courtesy Naval History & Heritage Command Detachment Boston]

     

    This short video captures the moving of USS Constitution from the Navy Yard’s Pier One East berth to the mouth of the Charles River and the subsequent move of USS Cassin Young from Pier One West back to Pier One East.

     

     

     

    USS Cassin Young, with a Boston Towing tug and the NHHC Detachment Boston beaver boat, being maneuvered toward her regular Charlestown Navy Yard location, Pier One East. [Courtesy Naval History & Heritage Command Detachment Boston]

     

    USS Constitution is now back at her regular Charlestown Navy Yard berth at Pier One West (photo below). The crew of “Old Ironsides” are once again offering multiple deck tours of the ship for the visiting public.

     

    A view of USS Constitution, which is once again located at her Charlestown Navy Yard berth, Pier One West. [Courtesy Naval History & Heritage Command Detachment Boston]

     

    While the dry docking is over and the ship has returned to the waters of Boston Harbor and to her Pier One West berth, work on Constitution continues. Over the course of several days in August, “Old Ironsides'” replica guns were installed. Her saluting battery of two retro-fitted replica 24-pound long guns were some of the first to be put aboard the ship.

     

    Naval History & Heritage Command Detachment Boston riggers use a crane hoist to remove parts of the main hatch structure in preparation for the two saluting guns (one is in the foreground) to be brought aboard USS Constitution. [Courtesy Naval History & Heritage Command Detachment Boston]

     

    A view through one of USS Constitution’s gun ports, as a saluting gun is hoisted off the pier and swung aboard the ship. Each replica 24-pound long gun and carriage weighs close to 7,000 pounds. [Courtesy Naval History & Heritage Command Detachment Boston]

     

    NHHC Detachment Boston riggers Daniel MacLean and Ryan Whitehead carefully guide the saluting gun through USS Constitution’s main hatch while rigger William Rudek waits to receive the gun below. [Courtesy Naval History & Heritage Command Detachment Boston]

     

    USS Constitution’s starboard bow retro-fitted gun in place on the gun deck. Note the 44mm saluting gun mechanism protruding from the cascabel (back end) of the barrel; this modern gun equipment is disguised by an aluminum cascabel cover when not in use. [Courtesy Naval History & Heritage Detachment Boston]

     

    USS Constitution‘s 32-pound carronades were placed on the spar deck after the installation of the long guns. Though these guns are replicas from the 1927 restoration, they were cast to the actual weight of real carronades and thus each barrel and carriage weighs approximately 3,500 pounds. The video below shows the NHHC Detachment Boston riggers using the crane and a pallet jack to swing the guns aboard and then maneuver them into place at the gun ports.

     

     

    For about one month, between mid-July and mid-August, visitors to USS Cassin Young in the Charlestown Navy Yard could view the two Dry Dock 1 caissons berthed at Pier Two West. The side-by-side “floating gates” represent 100+ years of evolving technology. The 1901 caisson is the oldest extant riveted steel vessel built in the Charlestown Navy Yard and the 2015 caisson is the latest in floating gate design.

     

    Between mid-July and mid-August, 2017, Dry Dock 1’s two caissons, the 2015 (left) and the 1901 (right) were briefly berthed together at Pier Two West. Note the difference in hull shape – the 2015 is quite straight-sided, while the 1901 caisson is more bulbous or boat-like in shape. [Courtesy Naval History & Heritage Command Detachment Boston]

     

    On August 21, 2017, staff from the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard came down to the Charlestown Navy Yard to conduct the de-watering, or draining, of Dry Dock 1. Because salt water can eat away at the granite walls and floor of Dry Dock 1, it must be kept dry, even when there is no vessel in the dock.

     

    The 2015 caisson, manufactured by Steel America, is maneuvered into place at the foot of Dry Dock 1 in the Charlestown Navy Yard by Portsmouth Naval Shipyard staff. Note the diesel-powered pumps in the right foreground, ready to empty the dock. [Courtesy Naval History & Heritage Command Detachment Boston]

     

    The emptying or “de-watering” of the Dry Dock began around 9:20 a.m. The caisson is held in place, at the threshold of the Dry Dock, by ballast water in its lower hold. [Courtesy Naval History & Heritage Command Detachment Boston]

     

    This time-lapse video show the emptying of the Charlestown Navy Yard’s Dry Dock 1.

     

     

     

    Dry Dock 1 was nearly empty by 4:30 p.m. on August 21, 2017. The caisson, clearly visible at the foot of the dock is held in place by its ballast water and the pressure of the water of Boston Harbor on the outside of the floating gate. The dock has been enlarged several times in its history and today can hold 4.8 million gallons of water. [Courtesy Naval History & Heritage Command Detachment Boston]

     

     

    Honors for the Naval History & Heritage Command Detachment Boston Staff

    Since 1991, the USS Constitution Museum has presented its annual Don Turner Award 

    “to a person or team of people…who have contributed significantly to efforts to preserve important vessels or who have made significant contributions to our knowledge and understanding of ship design and construction.” [“Criteria”, Don Turner Award, USS Constitution Museum]

    The award was created to honor Don Turner, the former head of the USS Constitution Maintenance and Repair Facility (now the Naval History & Heritage Command Detachment Boston), for

    “his singular contribution toward the preservation of ‘Old Ironsides’ and the skills that built her, as well as his knowledge of and dedication to the ancient art of shipbuilding, and to recognize others who are similarly dedicated to maritime preservation and advances in ship construction and design.” [“Summary”, Don Turner Award, USS Constitution Museum]

    The 2017 Don Turner Award was bestowed on the staff of the Naval History & Heritage Command Detachment Boston for the 2015 – 2017 dry docking and restoration of “Old Ironsides”.

    “The legacy of USS Constitution lives on thanks to the dedicated work of the Naval History & Heritage Command Detachment Boston. Combining modern technology with traditional shipbuilding techniques, the Detachment Boston works tirelessly to preserve and maintain America’s Ship of State. Due to the care and craftsmanship of the Detachment Boston ship restorers and riggers, Constitution remains the world’s oldest commissioned warship afloat, preserving an important symbol of America’s maritime heritage to share with future generations.” [“A Salute to Maritime Preservation”, presentation of the Don Turner Award, USS Constitution Museum, September 14, 2017]

     

    Richard C. Moore, Director, Naval History & Heritage Command Detachment Boston, accepts the Don Turner Award from Anne Grimes Rand, President, USS Constitution Museum and Paul George, Chairman of the Board, USS Constitution Museum. (U.S. Navy photo by Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class Erin Bullock/Released)

     

    (U.S. Navy photo by Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class Erin Bullock/Released)

     

    Naval History & Heritage Command Detachment Boston staff at the presentation of the USS Constitution Museum’s Don Turner Award. Back row (left to right): Kevin Mansfield, Antwine Burdett, John Hinckley, Jon Stolarski, Michael Desmond, James Almeida (obscured), Greg Dumont, Richard Moore, Ryan Whitehead, Daniel MacLean, Allan Carman, Stephen Nichols, Bruce Caporal, William Rudek, David Cavanaugh, Gordon Lincoln, Bruce Comeau, and Joshua Ratty. Front row (left to right): Margherita Desy, James Gillis, Jose Hernandez-Juviel, Timothy Burns, Eric Boyer, Anita Petricone, Robert Murphy, and Alex Briere. (U.S. Navy photo by Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class Erin Bullock/Released)

     

     

    Congratulations to all of the women and men of the Naval History & Heritage Command Detachment Boston who had a hand in the 2015-2017 dry docking and restoration of USS Constitution:

     

    James Almeida     Karen Anastas     Eric Boyer     Adam Briere     Alex Briere     Antwine Burdett     Timothy Burns

    Bruce Caporal     David Cavanaugh     Bruce Comeau     Michael Desmond     Margherita Desy     Greg Dumont

    Charles “Jay” Fiste   Errol Flynn     Elizabeth Frost     Jeffrey Gallagher     James Gillis     Steven Gillis     Jeremy Hafley

    Joseph Halter     Jose Hernandez-Juviel     John Hinckley     Patrick Jewkes     Michelle Johnson     Robert Leiby

    Gordon Lincoln     Daniel MacLean     Thomas Maloney     Kevin Mansfield     Peter McPherson     Richard Moore

    Robert Murphy     Stephen Nichols     Martin Parker     John Pelikan     Anita Petricone     Joshua Ratty     Kelsey Raver

    Steven Ridlon     Ian Robertson     Nicholas Rosa     Milt Ryan     William Rudek     Jon Stolarski     Gregory Weisman

    Stephen West     Ryan Whitehead

     

    – M. M. Desy & E. Briggs

     

    carronades, Charlestown Navy Yard, Dry Dock, Guns, long guns, NHHC Detachment Boston, Restoration, Time-lapse, U.S. Navy, USS Cassin Young, USS Constitution, Video
    USS Constitution Museum

    USS Constitution Museum

    The USS Constitution Museum serves as the memory and educational voice of USS CONSTITUTION, by collecting, preserving, and interpreting the stories of "Old Ironsides" and the people associated with her. We seek to create a positive, memorable experience for both children and adults by inspiring within them a love for the freedom that CONSTITUTION symbolizes. We will share CONSTITUTION's contributions with a global audience, and we will strive to be the best museum possible based on scholarship and innovative ways of sharing CONSTITUTION's stories.

    More posts by USS Constitution Museum

    Related Post

    • Preserving a Nation’s Ship

      By USS Constitution Museum | 2 comments

      The work of rebuilding and restoring USS Constitution requires skilled ship restorers and riggers. They couldn’t accomplish their tasks, however, without a production facility to support the unique work of restoring America’s largest wooden historicRead more

    • Progress Update: Year 1 Recap

      By USS Constitution Museum | 0 comment

      May 18, 2016 marked the one year anniversary of USS Constitution entering Dry Dock 1 of the Charlestown Navy Yard for restoration. “Old Ironsides” was the first ship to enter this historic dry dock onRead more

    • Autumn Updates with “Old Ironsides”

      By USS Constitution Museum | 2 comments

      What a busy time the past six months have been for USS Constitution! As readers of “Restoring an Icon” know, the ship’s 26 months in dry dock came to an end in a dramatically lit,Read more

    • USS Constitution Afloat Again!

      By USS Constitution Museum | 5 comments

      USS Constitution, America’s Ship of State, successfully undocked the night of July 23, 2017. Under a partially cloudy sky and then the glow of an orange-tinged sunset, the filling of Dry Dock 1 began atRead more

    • USS Constitution’s Final Days in Dry Dock

      By USS Constitution Museum | 4 comments

      Join us on July 23, as we celebrate “Old Ironsides’” much-anticipated return to the water! On that night, Dry Dock 1 will be filled and USS Constitution will float into Boston Harbor after a two year restoration. We inviteRead more

    2 comments

    • Reginald Wilson Reply January 27, 2018 at 4:24 pm

      1960-1964 my father PN1 Raymond J. Wilson, Sr. was the first black admin NCO to be stationed aboard the USS Constitution. Does your museum carry this type of information

      • USS Constitution Museum
        USS Constitution Museum Reply January 29, 2018 at 9:15 am

        We are very familiar with Raymond J. Wilson, Jr.! Our Curatorial Department conducted an oral history interview with him in April 2014. If you are interested in learning more you are welcome to contact us at library@usscm.org.

    Leave a Comment

    Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    NextPrevious

    USSCM Restoration

    • Restoration Blog
      • Current Work
      • History
      • Video

    Restoration Blog Email Subscription

    Get new USSCM Restoration posts delivered straight to your inbox.

    Search the Restoration Blog


    Recent Posts

    • 13 April, 2018
      1

      Rebuilt, Preserved, Restored – USS Constitution Across the Centuries

    • 4 April, 2018
      0

      Poems for a Nation’s Ship

    • 14 March, 2018
      2

      Old Ironsides goes to Washington

    USS CONSTITUTION MUSEUM | Charlestown Navy Yard, Building 22, Charlestown, MA 02129 | 6174261812

    Mass Cultural Council
    Copyright © 2015 USS Constitution Museum. All Rights Reserved.
    • Visit
      • Plan Your Visit
      • Directions & Parking
      • Groups & Field Trips
      • Calendar of Events
      • Museum Map
      • Host an Event
      • In Our Neighborhood
      • Library Pass Program
    • Exhibits
      • Past Exhibits
      • Ship Model Show
      • The Model Shipwright Guild
      • Hands-On Areas
    • Collections
      • Art and Artifact Collections
      • Library and Manuscript Collections
      • Research Library
      • Order an Image
      • Support Our Collections
    • Constitution History
      • Chronology
      • Ship’s Crew
      • Articles
      • War of 1812 Lectures
      • ConstitutionCam
    • Blog
    • Educators
    • Shop
      • Shop Now
      • Buy a Membership
    • Support
      • Donate
      • Membership
      • Chairman’s Dinner & Awards Ceremony
      • Memorial Bricks
      • Support Our Collections
      • Legacy Giving
      • Foundation Support
      • Amazon Smile
      • Host an Event
        • Approved Caterers
        • Guide to Hosting Functions and Special Events at the Museum
      • Donor Privacy Policy
    • About
      • Mission & History
        • Founders
        • National Awards
      • Board of Trustees
      • Family Learning Project
      • National Outreach
      • For Press & Media
      • Jobs & Volunteering
      • Contact Us
    USS Constitution Museum