“Don’t Give Up The Ship” took on new meaning last fall when Newport welcomed a futuristic looking black vessel to the historic waterfront. Towed by tug from Toronto across Lake Erie, down the Hudson River, up the Coast and into Narragansett Bay, the 132-foot steel hull will soon become the flag ship of the state of Rhode Island. Despite its somewhat abstract appearance, the hull will be transformed into a 207-foot, three-masted, squarerigged Tall Ship.

The vessel will bear the name of the famous Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry who led a small American Naval fleet to victory over British forces during the War of 1812 and made famous the line, “We have met the enemy, and they are ours.” During the Battle of Lake Erie, Perry, a Rhode Island native, flew the battle flag “Don’t Give Up The Ship.” His illustrious career ended abruptly while on an expedition in Venezuela where he contracted yellow fever and died at the age of 34. His remains were later returned to Newport where he is buried in Island Cemetery.

The process of transforming the hull into a traditional sailing ship is being undertaken by the nonprofit organization Tall Ships Rhode Island (TSRI). For more than a decade, TSRI has been the guiding force operating the many Tall Ship events in Newport that have delighted nautical enthusiasts and landlubbers alike. Now TSRI has turned its focus to Oliver Hazard Perry which it will operate as a working sail training vessel with a stated mission of providing opportunities for young people who might otherwise never get on the water to experience an ocean voyage or to take part in the planned onboard maritime education program. Additionally, the project will benefit not only the community’s waterfront-related organizations during the ship’s development, but also the marine trades that will establish training programs and create job opportunities vital to Rhode Island’s economy.

When the pre-construction design work has been finalized, the hull will move to Blount Boats inWarren, R.I., where a new deck and mechanical systems will be completed. Drawings prepared by naval architect Dave Bonney, of Barrington’s Bay Marine, Inc., show how the hull will sit lower in the water once outfitted. The addition of the second deck, seven feet above the current one, will allow cabins, classrooms and work stations to be accommodated, some with handicapped access.

During the final stage of transformation, spars, hardware and six to seven miles of rigging will be configured and installed in full view of the public at State Pier 9 in Newport.When completed, Oliver Hazard Perry will stand more than 13 stories tall, making her the largest active Class A Tall Ship with U.S. Coast Guard certification for ocean voyages.Approximately 75 Class A vessels are currently engaged in sail training worldwide, a growing number as state and private organizations realize the numerous benefits, as well as the financial viability, of operating a Tall Ship. The only larger Class A sail training ship in the nation is the U.S. Coast Guard's own barque, Eagle.

TSRI, dedicated to education at sea since its inception in 1992, has raised close to a third of the $5 million dollars needed to purchase and complete the transformation of Oliver Hazard Perry. Anticipated to set Sail in 2011, the vessel will be based in Newport and supported by an office, staff and crew with an operating budget of $1 million per year. While it will ply New England waters, traveling to Canada and the Great Lakes during the summer and venturing to the Caribbean in winter, hopes are that it will play a significant role in the planned Bicentennial Celebration of theWar of 1812.

Since the colonial era the Ocean State has been a leader in the nation’s naval and maritime affairs. Now that rich maritime heritage will be embodied in Oliver Hazard Perry which will act as a floating ambassador, promoting tourism for the city and state in every port she visits, while building respect and a love for the sea in the young people who sail in her.