Every summer for a few weeks, a handful of crewmembers from USS Constitution, the world's oldest commissioned warship afloat, learn the finer points of sailing a three-masted square-rigger aboard America's tall ship, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Eagle.
This year, six Sailors from "Old Ironsides", as USS Constitution is called, including prospective commanding officer Cmdr. Tim Cooper, embarked Eagle as it sailed 3,149 miles along the 35th parallel north on an 18-day cruise that began April 20 in New London, Conn., arriving in Rota, Spain on the morning of May 8.
"We have had Constitution Sailors aboard for as long as I am aware and had Eagle members going there during inport periods, trading knowledge and techniques," recalled Eagle's Commanding Officer, Capt. Chris Sinnett.
"Constitution crewmembers always bring a lot of enthusiasm, and I think both commands benefit."
During their time aboard, USS Constitution Sailors learned how to set and douse Eagle's 23 sails from the yards as well as by operating 190 lines on deck, said Old Ironsides' sailing master, Navy Counselor 1st Class(AW) Paul Grunder. "You can't just learn it from a book."
This is a unique opportunity for the USS Constitution Sailors who were not aboard the frigate the last time it sailed in August 2007. Due to heavy maintenance, Old Ironsides is not scheduled to sail again until 2011.
USS Constitution is a three-masted wooden frigate homeported in Massachusetts' Charlestown Navy Yard, within sight of where she was launched Oct. 21, 1797. During her fighting years, 1798 – 1855, she sailed to distant points on the globe, including South America, Africa, Europe and Asia and fought and won three battles at sea.
USS Constitution earned her nickname "Old Ironsides" in the War of 1812, when an astonished Sailor observed her oak hull resisting 18-lb. British cannonballs, even when fired upon from less than 50 yards.
Although the ship no longer defends America's maritime interests with firepower the way she once did, she is a unique icon. Manned by about 70 active-duty U.S. Navy Sailors, she is visited year-round by nearly half a million tourists from around the world.
"Three of our Sailors have never climbed the masts of a tall ship before, so they are learning a lot about safety and climbing, how to don safety harnesses and how to go out onto the yards," Grunder explained. "They are also learning a lot of sailing vocabulary, and they get the opportunity to work with people who have lot of experience at sailing."
Eagle is the only square-rigger in active U.S. government service. First commissioned in Germany in 1936 as Horst Wessel and recommissioned USCG Eagle a decade later, the ship's permanent crew of 55 Coast Guardsmen are joined by hundreds of cadets and officer candidates for sail training every year. This year, the ship will sail to Spain, France, Monaco, Bermuda and numerous ports along the U.S. Eastern seaboard and is expected to have 75,000 visitors cross its decks.
Cryptological Technical Technician 2nd Class(SW) Jacob Wallace is among the USS Constitution Sailors aboard Eagle and is amazed at the unexpected opportunities the Navy has given him in since reporting to USS Constitution in January.
"When I was serving on USS Ford (FFG 54) last year, I never would have believed a cryptological technician could serve aboard Constitution," he recalled. "At the time, I didn't even know what Eagle was.
"It's amazing to sail a tall ship across an ocean to another country, something which Old Ironsides will never be able to do again. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I'm learning a lot of things on this underway that I'll be able to teach our ship's crew when we get back home."
Cooper was equally enthusiastic about sailing Eagle and hopes to put many more USS Constitution Sailors aboard her teak decks in the years ahead.
"I have never been on a square-rigged sailing ship, so that really made me want to come here to make sure that I could learn everything that I could," said Cooper, who is scheduled to relieve Cmdr. William A. Bullard III as Old Ironsides' commanding officer in late July.
"This ship offers an unbelievable education in basic seamanship and mariner skills, everything from navigation to marlinspike seamanship to learning how to sail. The officers and crew are very well versed in the functional areas, and I think that when their cadets come aboard they are just going to have this awesome training experience that I don't think we can replicate in the Navy."
Eric Brown (NNS)
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