Counterpane

 

The USS Constitution, also known as Old Ironsides, is a wooden-hulled, three-masted heavy frigate that belongs to the United States Navy. She is the world's oldest ship of any type still afloat. She was launched in 1797, one of six original ships authorized for construction by the Naval Act of 1794. Old Ironsides is made primarily of seasoned white oak, which was hard enough to come by in 1794, and darned near impossible to find today. But wood – even seasoned white oak – doesn’t last forever. The Constitution has required several major restorations in its 2 1/4 centuries. So how do they do it? Well, near Crane, Indiana, 150 dedicated white oak trees are spread out over 64,000 acres. The oak trees of “Constitution Grove” are grown for one purpose: to replace the rotting planks of Old Ironsides. Today, only about 10% of the original frigate still exists, making it a real-life “Ship of Theseus.”