230-Year-Old US Navy Warship Sails Again For A Historic Celebration

The U.S.S. Constitution first sailed on October 21st, 1797. It is still in service today and a currently commissioned vessel with the United States Navy. That makes it, according to the U.S. Navy, the oldest currently serving warship on Earth. 

Notably, the Constitution, nicknamed "Old Ironsides," served during the War of 1812 and was one of the six original ships commissioned by then President George Washington to serve as the basis for the newly created U.S. Navy. 

This past week, the ship took a stroll around its home port in Boston in commemoration of the Battle of Bunker Hill, which took place on June 17th, 1775. As the Constitution is an actively serving U.S. naval vessel, it's maintained and ready to sail at a moment's notice, like any other Navy ship or boat.

During the 18th and 19th century, the Constitution had a complement of 450 sailors and marines to sail and fight. In the 21st century, it has a crew of at least three officers and 85 enlisted sailors. Its current Commander is Crystal L. Schaefer who has the privilege of being the 78th Commander of the ship.

In 2026, the Constitution serves mostly as a training vessel and symbol of how the Navy has evolved over the centuries. But during the time of its construction, the Constitution was thoroughly high-tech. The "Old Ironsides" name comes from the fact that, although not made of iron, the ship's wooden hull was seen deflecting British cannonballs. On August 19th, 1812, the British Royal Navy's HMS Guerriere fired an ineffective broadside towards the Constitution. The story of the battle says that a U.S. sailor said "Huzza! Her sides are made of iron! See where the shot fell out!" Including the Guerriere, the Constitution would end up sinking four British vessels during the war. 

For armament, the 305-feet long, 1,900-ton displacement Constitution has 55 total guns spread between the upper deck and lower deck. The 24-pound long guns reportedly had a range of up to 1,200 yards. For comparison, a Tomahawk missile fired from a modern missile cruiser has a range of 1,500 miles. 

In 1812, internal combustion hadn't been used for propulsion yet, so it relied on 48 sails to get going to a top speed of 13 knots, or around 15 miles per hour.