The Tall Ship Sloop Providence, Rhode Island’s Official Flagship and Tall Ship Ambassador, has suffered damage after toppling over in blizzard conditions at Newport Shipyard on Tuesday.
The vessel is a 110 foot fully rigged sailing vessel and a faithful replica of John Paul Jones’ famous warship that sank or captured 40 British ships during the American Revolutionary War. It had been hauled at Newport Shipyard and apparently tipped over during the peak of a blizzard that brought gusts upwards of 60 mph to the coast.
The vessel suffered damage to its mast and hull as a result of the fall. A call to Newport Shipyard and Captain and Owner Thorpe Leeson was not immediately returned.
Leeson did tell the Associated Press that extra supports were added as a precaution for the storm but they failed in the heavy wind.
Leeson said the ship will be repaired and it is likely insurance will cover the damages. The ship should be back in the water by the end of the summer.
Newporter Rocky Steeves lives in the Point section of the city and said he heard the vessel blow over in the high winds. He said he had to check it out and posted a few photos of the sloop to Twitter, which quickly began to spread like wildfire across social media.
Steeves’ photos show what appears to be damage to her mast.
Sloop Providence was the first ship commissioned into the Continental Navy and the first Command of John Paul Jones.
The replica was built in 1976 for the bicentennial and “remains an icon and symbol that excites crowds today,” according to www.tallshipprovidence.com.
Her home port is in Newport and she spends time on Tall Ship Tours up the coast when she’s not bringing 18th century American history to life for visitors.
She has also appeared in two of Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean movies.
Courtesy of patch.com
