It is the world’s oldest commissioned naval warship still afloat, and was launched in 1797. It has participated in several wars and conflicts, including the Quasi-War with France, the First Barbary War, the War of 1812, and the Civil War.
More trivia.......The oldest current active US Navy ship (that can actually put to sea) is the USS Blue Ridge LCC-19, launched in 1969. It currently serves as the flagship for the US Seventh Fleet out of Yokosuka Japan. When @riverman and I served aboard it was flagship for the Pacific Amphibious Fleet. And Old Ironsides was a very cool tour BTW. Definitely bucket list.
I didn't know the old girl was still afloat! Good to hear! I have a picture of her out in my shop and one of the admiral's blue ridge coffee mugs but she was a trusty ship back in the day. Handled a 60degree list in the middle of the Pacific in a Typhoon when I was headed to San Diego from Subic on her. Had to tie everything down but she surfed the storm ..That one big 20 ft screw that drove her worked
My typhoon story is when the waves were so bad they busted the humongous dogs that held the humongous hatch for the sponson deck accommodating ladder in place. That hatch was slamming back and forth with (seriously) every seventh wave. You could hear it coming. We (the DC gang) had to jump down in there in increments to get the hatch back into place and shored down. Still one of the scariest experiences of my life. And one of the very few times I got to do actual damage control. At least in the Navy.
