The following is the text of a news release from Oliver Hazard Perry Rhode Island:
(NEWPORT, R.I.) (May 1) — Last Friday (April 24), Rhode Island’s official education sailing vessel SSV Oliver Hazard Perry was hauled at Newport Shipyard where over the next three to four weeks the ship will have exterior work below her waterline completed. It will include installation of through-hull penetrations for seawater intakes, replacement of zinc anodes, painting the bottom and topsides, and inspection of propellers and shafts.
Although the interior of the ship cannot be viewed by the public at this time, its progress over the last year and impressive size (200 feet) is visible to all at Newport Shipyard, which offers public access to its Ship’s Store and popular breakfast/lunch destination Belle’s Café.
Over the last year, while SSV Oliver Hazard Perry was at Senesco Marine in North Kingstown, R.I., extensive work was completed on her interior, including plumbing, electrical wiring, insulation, machinery installation and the supporting welding. On the exterior, the cap rails have been added, the anchor hawsepipes and spurling pipes have been built, the bowsprit extended, a deck doubler for the anchor windlass has been built, and various ventilation pipes have been installed on deck.
The spars for her rig have been made at The Spar Shop at Grays Harbor Seaport in Washington state and trucked cross-country to Portsmouth, R.I., where the Perry’s crew of riggers are completing the standing rigging. Meanwhile, Hood Sailmakers in Middletown, R.I., is finishing the ship’s sails, which the rigging team will bend on, to complete the rig.
SSV Oliver Hazard Perry will be dockside at the shipyard for its 2014 Summer Gala and fundraising event on Saturday, July 5.
SSV Oliver Hazard Perry is Rhode Island's own tall ship, providing the smallest state in the country with the largest ship of its kind to have been built in this country in the last 100 years. The three-masted square rigged sailing vessel, which will provide education-at-sea programs to youth of all ages while proudly advancing the Ocean State's rich maritime heritage, will join the select fleet of Class-A size tall ships hosted by the nations of the world.
The ship is named for Newport's naval hero in the War of 1812, Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry. Once completed, SSV Oliver Hazard Perry will be owned and operated by the nonprofit Oliver Hazard Perry Rhode Island, and represent Rhode Island wherever she goes. She will be based in Newport, serve America and sail the world as an ambassador of our proud state.
The success of the SSV Oliver Hazard Perry relies on the generosity of donors and supporters, both large and small, from individuals and businesses to students and corporations. For more information, please visit www.ohpri.org or contact Jess Wurzbacher or Elise Huebner at 401-841-0080, info@ohpri.org.
