How many cannons and sails were on/are on the ship?
A. The USS Constitution is designated as a 44-gun frigate, but it was often up to the discretion of the captain as to exactly how many cannons were kept onboard. There are 54 guns onboard today, which was about the average amount Constitution would have had in her war fighting days. The ship used 36 sails during her main sailing days, traveling at speeds up to 13 knots. Today, the crew still sets 5 or 6 sails on certain turnaround cruises during the summer. Though the ship owns 11 sails, she does not currently have the manpower to set all of them.
