SS Constitution
{{Short description|Ocean liner}}
{{about|the ocean liner|the United States Navy frigate|USS Constitution|other ships|Constitution (disambiguation)}}
{{More citations needed|date=August 2022}}
| {{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image | Ship image = S.S. Constitution, American Export Lines, by Tichnor Brothers, c. 1950s, from the Digital Commonwealth - 1 commonwealth 8g84mw21v.jpg | Ship caption = SS Constitution in the 1950s }} {{Infobox ship career | Hide header = | Ship country = United States | Ship flag = {{shipboxflag|United States|civil}} | Ship name = *1951–1974: Constitution
| Ship owner = *1951–1974: American Export Lines
| Ship operator = | Ship registry = * 1951–1974: New York, {{flag|United States}}
| Ship route = | Ship ordered = | Ship builder = Bethlehem Steel Corporation's Fore River Shipyard, Quincy, Massachusetts, US | Ship original cost = | Ship yard number = 1619{{cite web |url=http://www.faktaomfartyg.se/constitution_1951.htm |title=T/S Constitution (1951) |accessdate=2010-01-24 |author=Micke Asklander |language=Swedish |work=Fakta om Fartyg }} | Ship way number = | Ship laid down = 1950 | Ship launched = September 16, 1950 | Ship completed = 1951 | Ship christened = | Ship acquired = | Ship maiden voyage = June 25, 1951 | Ship in service = 1951 | Ship out of service = 1997 | Ship identification = {{IMO Number|5078882}} | Ship fate = Sank while under tow to shipbreakers on November 17, 1997 | Ship notes = }} {{Infobox ship characteristics | Hide header = | Ship type = Ocean liner | Ship tonnage = *{{GRT|23754}}
| Ship length = {{convert|208.01|m|ftin|abbr=on}} | Ship beam = {{convert|27.18|m|ftin|abbr=on}} | Ship height = | Ship draft = {{convert|9.20|m|ftin|abbr=on}} | Ship depth = | Ship decks = | Ship power = 2 × Bethlehem Steel Corporation steam turbines; 40456 kW | Ship propulsion = | Ship speed = {{convert|23|kn|lk=in}} | Ship capacity = 1,000 passengers | Ship crew = | Ship notes = }} {{Infobox ship characteristics | Hide header = | Header caption = (after 1959 refit) | Ship type = Cruise ship | Ship tonnage = {{GRT|23754|metric}} | Ship displacement = | Ship length = | Ship beam = | Ship height = | Ship draft = | Ship depth = | Ship decks = | Ship deck clearance = | Ship ramps = | Ship power = | Ship propulsion = | Ship speed = | Ship capacity = 395 passengers | Ship crew = | Ship notes = }} {{Infobox ship characteristics | Hide header = | Header caption = (after 1974 refit) | Ship tonnage = | Ship displacement = | Ship length = | Ship beam = | Ship height = | Ship draft = | Ship depth = | Ship decks = | Ship deck clearance = | Ship ramps = | Ship power = | Ship propulsion = | Ship speed = | Ship capacity = 950 passengers | Ship crew = | Ship notes = }} {{Infobox ship characteristics | Hide header = | Header caption = (after 1980 refit) | Ship tonnage = {{GRT|20221|metric}} | Ship displacement = | Ship length = | Ship beam = | Ship height = | Ship draft = | Ship depth = | Ship decks = | Ship deck clearance = | Ship ramps = | Ship power = | Ship propulsion = | Ship speed = | Ship capacity = 1,073 passengers | Ship crew = | Ship notes = }} |
SS Constitution was an ocean liner owned by American Export Lines, sister ship of {{SS|Independence}}. Both were constructed in the United States and made their maiden voyages in 1951.
History
{{see|SS Independence}}
File:Ss Constitution1953.jpg on March 10, 1953]]
Commissioned in 1951, she started her long career sailing on the New York City-Genoa-Naples-Gibraltar route to Europe. Following service on American Export's "Sunlane" cruise to Europe in the 1950s and 1960s, the two ships sailed for American Hawaii Cruises and American Global Line for many years in the 1980s and 1990s. U.S. ships with U.S. crews meeting the criteria of the Passenger Services Act were able to cruise the Islands{{what|date=May 2024}} without sailing to a foreign port.
{{stack|
File:Ss-constitution-hawaii-8-1986-a.jpg, August 1986]]
File:Ss-constitution-hawaii-8-1986-b.jpg, August 1986]]
}}
Constitution was retired in 1995; while under tow to be scrapped, the liner sank {{convert|700|nmi|km}} north of the Hawaiian Islands on November 17, 1997. The exact location of the wreck has yet to be discovered.{{cite news |last1=Klages |first1=Karen |date=18 January 1998 |title=SUNKEN CRUISE SHIP'S STASH RESURFACES AT AREA SHOP |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1998-01-18-9801180163-story.html |access-date=26 August 2022 |work=Chicago Tribune}}
In popular culture
Constitution was featured in several episodes of the situation comedy I Love Lucy starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, starting with episode, "Bon Voyage," aired January 16, 1956. Lucy Ricardo missed the ship and had to be ferried by air by a then-novel helicopter.
American movie actress Grace Kelly sailed aboard Constitution from New York to Monaco for her wedding to Prince Rainier in 1956.
Constitution was featured in the 1957 film, An Affair to Remember starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. Former President Harry S. Truman and his wife Bess sailed back to New York from Europe on the Constitution in the summer of 1958. The ship was also featured in the beginning and end of an episode of the Naked City TV series titled "No Naked Ladies in Front of Giovanni's House!" aired April 17, 1963. The ship also featured prominently in the Magnum, P.I. television series episode titled "All Thieves on Deck" aired January 30, 1986.
Sinking
The SS Constitution was retired from the American Hawaii Cruises fleet in 1995 and had fallen into disrepair by 1997.{{cite web |url= https://www.modelshipmaster.com/products/ocean_liners/ss_constitution.htm |title= SS Constitution Cruise Ship |work = ModelShipMaster.com | date = |access-date=2025-02-14}} On November 17, 1997, the ship was being towed to a scrapping shipyard to be dismantled when it sank about 800 miles north of Hawaii.{{cite web |url= https://wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?169847 |title= SS Constitution |work = Wrecksite.com | date = December 27, 2011|access-date=2025-02-14}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|IMO 5078882}}
- [http://www.ssmaritime.com/ss-independence-constitution.htm History and photos of Constitution and Independence]
- [http://magnum-mania.com/Pics/Screen_Caps_Season_Six_4.html#6.15 Photo page for Magnum, P.I. episode "All Thieves on Deck"]
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inPAz7P-ctw First-hand travel experience near the end of Constitution's career]
{{Type P3 ships}}
{{1997 shipwrecks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Constitution}}
Category:Ships built in Quincy, Massachusetts
Category:Passenger ships of the United States
Category:Maritime incidents in 1997
Category:Shipwrecks in the Pacific Ocean