RI tall ship to undergo steel, mechanical work

NEWPORT, R.I. - Rhode Island’s only tall ship will be towed from Newport to Providence next week for steel and mechanical work.

The Oliver Hazard Perry is scheduled to be taken Tuesday to Promet Marine Services, a shipyard along the Providence River that specializes in ship repair and offers deep-water docking facilities.

The bottom of the 132-foot steel hull will be power-washed, and the bulwarks will be cut off to prepare for a new deck. Every plate in the hull will also be inspected.

The hull arrived in Newport last year after a local nonprofit, originally called Tall Ships Rhode Island, bought it from two Canadian businessmen. The group has since changed its name to Oliver Hazard Perry Rhode Island, and its advisory board chair Tom Weschler estimates that it will cost $5.7 million to complete work on the vessel.

The group’s goal is to convert it into a training ship that will serve as a floating sailing school for students and apprentice seamen. It will have a $1 million annual budget and support itself from educational programs.

The ship will be 207 feet long once complete and will have a three-masted square rig that measures 13 stories tall.

The Oliver Hazard Perry is named for a Rhode Island-born commodore who routed a British fleet during the War of 1812. It’s expected to launch in 2011.