SSV OLIVER HAZARD PERRY

 

SSV Oliver Hazard Perry is the largest civilian Sailing School Vessel in the United States. Launched in 2015, Oliver Hazard Perry is the first ocean-going full-rigged ship to be built in the U.S. in over 100 years.  The ship is named after Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, native son of Rhode Island and the hero of the Battle of Lake Erie in the War of 1812.

In 2018, Oliver Hazard Perry was named the official flagship and tall ship ambassador of the state of Rhode Island.

Oliver Hazard Perry can accommodate up to 49 people overnight and up to 75 during the day. She is a US Documented vessel, inspected and certified by the U.S. Coast Guard. As a Sailing School Vessel, she carries no passengers; all aboard her are considered crew and are required to fully participate in the operation of the vessel.

SSV Oliver Hazard Perry meets or exceeds all safety requirements for a vessel of her size and class.

SHIP BY NUMBERS

LENGTH: 200 FT
GROSS TONS: 471 ITC 
HEIGHT: 131 FT
DRAFT: 13 FT
AVG SPEED UNDER SAIL: 7.5 KTS

3 MASTS
7 MILES OF RIGGING
160 BELAYING PINS
20 SAILS & 14,000 SQUARE FEET OF SAIL
TWIN 385 HP CATERPILLAR C-12 ENGINES

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is Oliver Hazard Perry Rhode Island?

OHPRI was founded 21 years ago as Tall Ships Rhode Island (TSRI), a 501(c)(3) non-profit education foundation. Its original mission was advancing sail training and sea education through Tall Ships gatherings in Rhode Island. By 2007, after four successful events, TSRI knew it was ready to create a more tangible program of its own to directly serve the mission of sail training and adventure education. In 2007 TSRI renamed itself as Oliver Hazard Perry Rhode Island.

The ship that would become Oliver Hazard Perry's steel hull was purchased in September 2008, in Canada, for approximately $325,000 USD. It arrived in Newport in late October after being towed 892 miles from its former home in Amherstburg, Ontario (where a group there had intended to call its completed ship the HMS Detroit) and was berthed at Bowen’s Wharf. Further construction and rigging work was completed in Rhode Island. The ship made its first voyages in summer 2015 to to Portland, ME and New London, CT. Since then, she has made coastwise voyages around New England, as well as ocean voyages to Bermuda and the Caribbean, including Cuba.

Who was Oliver Hazard Perry?

Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry was a native son of Rhode Island, born in South Kingstown, educated in Newport and buried in Newport Island Cemetery. He is best known as an American naval hero of the War of 1812, victor of the Battle of Lake Erie, where he made history by defeating an entire British squadron and and causing their surrender. Read more about Oliver Hazard Perry here.

Is Oliver Hazard Perry a replica?

The ship was not built to be a replica, although she bears a “family resemblance” to American naval vessels of the early 1800s, similar to those that Commodore Perry would have commanded.  Bart Dunbar, former chairman of OHPRI's board and one of the visionaries behind the project, said the idea to name her after Perry originated only after the organization had located the ship's hull—a replica of HMS Detroit that had been under construction in Amherstburg, Ontario. It was then that Dunbar and the other founders discovered the hull’s “incredibly unique” connection to Rhode Island history: Detroit was one of the vessels Perry captured in his famous victory on Lake Erie in 1813.

“The name was chosen to highlight our determination that the ship would be a Rhode Island maritime symbol,” said Perry Lewis, who envisioned the ship along with Dunbar. “As the state’s most prominent naval hero, Commodore Perry was the ideal figure for us, especially as the bicentennial of the Battle of Lake Erie was going to be in a few years.” This historical connection to Perry—of whom Lewis is a direct descendant—has proved crucial for publicity and fundraising. “When word of OHP spread, we began to attract interest from all sorts of historical groups and associations. Descendants of Commodore Perry, members of groups like the First Families of Rhode Island and numerous other groups began to contact us with interest.”

But while the link to 1812 has been forged “mentally and verbally,” Dunbar says OHPRI’s leaders decided against striving for historical accuracy in the ship’s design. Instead, the organization will be able to cater to the diverse educational needs of universities and schools, and educators will be able to use the ship to teach about a variety of historical eras and themes.

How was the rig constructed?

The ship's rigging was completed in Providence, Rhode Island, at Promet Marine Services. All three lower masts are made of steel; the top two sections are wooden. Some of our wooden spars come from the Pacific Northwest, with additional laminated wooden spars finished in Rhode Island. Major mechanical work and additional work on the steel parts of the vessel were done at Senesco Marine in Quonset in North Kingstown, Rhode Island.

How can I sail aboard the ship?

We are currently hiring professional crew, so please visit our Employment Page for more information. If you are interested in becoming a student or participant in our programs, please check back to our Programs page for current programs and updates! If you are looking to fill some free-time and learn more about the ship, consider becoming a volunteer with us!

Oliver Hazard Perry Rhode Island is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Our mission is to provide innovative and empowering education-at-sea programs to promote personal and professional growth.