Repairing ‘Ironsides’

The Navy’s oldest commissioned ship — the legendary frigate Constitution, also known as “Old Ironsides” — will undergo its most elaborate overhaul in 11 years, the Navy announced. The ship is to undergo replacement of its “spar deck,” or its topside deck, which will help insulate the inside of the ship from rainwater.

Other upgrades include changes to make the ship conform to its original 1812 configuration.

The frigate will stay open during its repairs, the Navy said; commanders expect work to be finished by 2009, and the ship is expected to resume its annual cruises in Boston Harbor in the summer of 2010.