Our next excursion was to tour the Historic Ships of Baltimore, each with its own story and docked in the Inner Harbor.   The weather was still rainy and cool but it was easy to walk between the ships and mostly we were inside the vessels.

Our first was the USS Constellation. She was built in 1854 and has the distinction of being the only US ship active in Civil War that is still afloat.

She is also the last “sail only” US warship. USS Constellation is also the largest example of Chesapeake shipbuilding.

Although she began service in the Mediterranean Sea, her first mission of lasting importance was as part of the US African Squadron patrolling for, and capturing, illegal slave ships.

The importation of slaves had been illegal since 1808 but, obviously, continued.  It is presumed that one in five Africans died in transit because of horrid conditions.

Another notable service period was as a training ship for the US Navy from 1871-1883.  She was stationed at Annapolis Maryland. During that period it also delivered famine relief goods to Ireland in 1880.

She continued service as a stationary training vessel in Rhode Island from 1883 to 1933.  

In 1933, Constellation was decommissioned, but under consideration to be maintained as a historic naval relic.  Nothing was decided. Following WWII, she was sent into regular mothball status.  

 In 1955, she was stricken from Navy roles and sent to Baltimore as she was confused with another vessel named Constellation.  A non-profit group, The Constellation Commission of Maryland, intended to preserve the other Constellation.

The “other” was a 1797 frigate that was on the Navy rolls until 1853 when she was considered beyond repair and broken up.

Construction on the 1854 Sloop of War USS Constellation was just beginning as the other was scrapped.

Earlier restoration attempts tried to change this ship to the frigate style, but that was later corrected. She currently shows her Sloop of War pedigree.

The Captain’s Cabin encompasses six rooms for rest, entertaining and administering the ship.

The Captain’s rooms are at centered at the bow of the ship.

This is the ship’s infirmary.

Some medical equipment is on display.

Each member of the crew had his own hammock. 

He would wrap his possessions in the hammock while on duty and hang it on a numbered hook for storage.

The two lowest decks are mostly original while the upper decks have been renovated.

The gun deck held 8-inch shell-firing guns and four 32-pounder long guns.  (I don’t know what that means.)

We exited the USS Constellation and walked a short distance to the Lightship Chesapeake.  A lightship functions as a lighthouse.  These ships were used in the US from 1820 to 1983. 

Originally they were managed by the US Lighthouse Service.  They folded into the US Coast Guard in 1939. 

This vessel was in service from 1930 to 1971 and had a crew of 16.  She served at the entrance of Chesapeake Bay for 20 years. She had two 5000 pound anchors to keep her in place.

Lightships, including the Chesapeake, were honored in a set of postage stamps in 2021.

The Ambrose Channel Lightship operated for 144 years as a beacon on the approach to New York City.

Our next vessel, the USS Torsk, was docked next to the National Aquarium.  We didn’t have plans to visit the Aquarium, but who knew what we might do to get out of the rain!

The USS Torsk was launched in 1944 and served for 24 years.  At the time of launch, it was state of the art for submarines.

It had a speed of 22 mph on the surface and 9 mph submerged.  It could stay submerged for 48 hours.

The maneuvering room managed propulsion from four diesel engines, two batteries and 2 electric motors.

The Torsk made two war patrols off Japan, sinking a cargo vessel and two Coastal Defense frigates.  The second was the last enemy sinking of WWII.  

A plaque identified the sacrifice of so many men “still on duty” on submarines from WWII.

Notice the sleeping quarters above the torpedos.

These are the more traditional sleeping quarters.

This was the crew’s mess.

The captain on the USS Torsk had modest quarters.

One of the Torsk’s claims to fame is that it held a (then) record of over 10,000 dives.

In later years she operated primarily as a training vessel but was present at the 1962 Blockade of Cuba. 

She was decommissioned in 1968 and was stricken from the Navy register in 1971.   At that time she was turned over to the state of Maryland for use as a museum ship.  

Our final ship was the USCC Cutter 37, also known as Taney.  She was in service from 1936 – 1986.

Her usual crew ranged from 120 – 220 seamen.  

And a dog! Soogie sailed on the Taney from 1937 to 1948.

The Taney’s range was 12,000 miles powered by boilers and turbines.  

She is the last remaining warship that participated in the Battle of Pearl Harbor.

In her later years, Taney saw action in Vietnam and as a vessel for drug interdiction.   She was involved in 11 drug seizures in the Caribbean and east coast waters.

After our Summer Wind cruise of the Inner Harbor in the rain, and touring the Historic Ships of Baltimore in the rain, we were ready for warmth, the opportunity to get dry, comforting food, and a glass of wine.

We walked a short distance to Baltimore’s Little Italy.

Thomas D’Alesandro Jr. came out of Baltimore’s Little Italy.  He represented Maryland’s 3rd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1939 to 1947.  He also served as the 41st mayor of Baltimore from 1947 to 1959. D’Alesandro and his wife had a daughter that grew up in Baltimore’s Little Italy.  She would grow up to become Nancy Pelosi, the 52nd Speaker of the House.

We found our restaurant.  It was warm and dry.

We shared delicious chicken parmesan and had glasses of chianti.  It was perfect.

The diners at the next table talked about getting dessert at Vaccaro’s – a renowned family owned pastry shop that had served Baltimore for 65 years.

Of course we went to Vaccaro’s, and our dessert was also delicious.

Next:  We finally go to a baseball game!

We were in Baltimore in May 2024.