We took a little time off today to celebrate our national independence, and to watch the oldest commissioned warship in the world make one of her periodic turnaround cruises in Boston harbor.

USS Constitution (IX 21) was commissioned in 1797, and has been a museum ship since 1907.  She is periodically towed into the middle harbor where she salutes, and in turn is saluted by, Fort Independence.  She is then re-berthed in the opposite direction to spread the effects of weather evenly over the hull and rigging.

We watched the turnaround from a Boston harbor cruise boat.  Fortunately, it isn’t a dry ship…a cold Corona went down well for all three of us.

Constitution hasn’t been under sail since 2012.  Power for the turnaround cruise came from a tugboat.  There were a lot of other vessels escorting her into the harbor.

Even from a half-mile away, the powder charges were very loud!

One final picture with the tugboat on the other side…the Constitution is a beautiful ship!