While historians and the public often focus on the white and live oak hull structure of USS Constitution, one should not forget that the whole of the ship is constructed from wood and therefore subject to decay. Masts, yards, and fighting tops must be repaired and replaced on a regular basis.

Work on USS Constitution’s main mast (first outlined in the May 2023 article “USS Constitution’s Main Mast Rig Repairs”) has continued apace by the Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) Detachment Boston riggers and ship restorers. In March 2023, the last and biggest of the mast’s yards was removed. The main top mast, which will be replaced, the upper standing rigging, and the shrouds of the lower mast were all removed between April and early June 2023.

 

NHHC Detachment Boston riggers Ryan Whitehead (left) and Daniel MacLean (standing on cap) lowering Constitution’s main yard on March 21, 2023. The main yard is 94 feet long and weighs 10,000 pounds. [Courtesy Naval History and Heritage Command Detachment Boston]

 

NHHC Detachment Boston rigger Ryan Whitehead watches as one of several of Constitution’s port main top mast shrouds is lifted off the ship on April 11, 2023. [Courtesy Naval History and Heritage Command Detachment Boston]

 

Rigging removed from all three masts is stored in NHHC Detachment Boston’s rigging loft. Even though Constitution is not as fully rigged today as when it carried its full complement of 45+ sails, there is still thousands of feet of standing and running rigging on board. In the War of 1812 era, a frigate such as Constitution would have carried between 40 and 50 miles of rigging. [Courtesy Naval History and Heritage Command Detachment Boston]

 

After months of down-rigging Constitution’s main mast, the main top was removed on June 27, 2023. Using a combination of lifting straps and chain falls, NHHC Detachment Boston riggers Ryan Whitehead (in lift basket) and Daniel MacLean (right) adjusted the chain falls so that the top lifted off the lower main mast bibbs (fore and aft supports) smoothly. [Courtesy Naval History and Heritage Command Detachment Boston]

 

Thirty minutes after attaching the straps and chain falls, Constitution’s main top was successfully lifted off the lower main mast. [Courtesy Naval History and Heritage Command Detachment Boston]

Weighing 10,000 pounds and 21 feet wide and 15 feet 4 inches deep, the main top is too big to fit inside the Detachment Boston’s shop in Building 24 in the Charlestown Navy Yard. Instead, the top is being worked on while stored under a large, rigid tent in front of the building. The rotten decking was removed, revealing the cross and trestle trees which are the main supporting structure for the top. The main top was manufactured by the Detachment Boston in 2001 and repaired in 2008-2010. The laminated white oak cross and trestle trees are in very good condition, shielded from snow and rain by the decked-over top. The Detachment Boston ship restorers will make minor repairs to the cross and trestle trees and install new top decking and railing.

 

NHHC Detachment Boston ship restorers Eric Boyer (left) and Antwine Burdett (right) use pneumatic pin pullers to remove the bolts that hold the sections of the top together. [Courtesy Naval History and Heritage Command Detachment Boston]
Much of the rotten decking on the top has been cut away, revealing the cross trees (red arrow) and trestle trees (blue arrow), which appear to be in very good condition and will only require minor repairs before the new decking is installed. [Naval History and Heritage Command Detachment Boston]

The work on USS Constitution’s main mast fighting top, top mast, and rigging will continue for the rest of 2023 and into the early months of 2024.

The Author(s)

Margherita M. Desy
Historian, Naval History & Heritage Command

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