Motherlode of naval and maritime techinical information on line!

[Bob Cleek]

I happened across the Historic Naval Ships Association website. I'd been there before, but since my last visit, it turns out they have been scanning a ton of Navy manuals and related material, plus a lot of links to even more information. A lot of it is WWII vintage manuals, such as the "Navy Bugler's Training Manual," which was interesting. Who'd have thunk there are over 100 official Navy bugle calls. There's also a lot of operational stuff. If you want to know how to operate the 16" Iowa class guns, that manual is there. I found the racist anti-Japanese cartoon art in the PT Boat Manual humorously politically incorrect. It sure ain't our fathers' Navy today!

For our purposes, however, the manuals dealing with seamanship and small boat handling are very useful. (I cut my teeth on those as a kid.) Also, there are complete PDF's of "Steele's Elements of Rigging" and another 1800's seamanship manual, which will tell you just about anything you want to know about rigging a wooden boat.

There are also links to Navy photo archives, the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships on line, and the lines of all the Navy's small boats. (I never knew they had an official "Dyer Dink" style ten footer with a sail rig still in their official inventory, but they do!)

Hours and hours of waste-able time can be spent here! Check it out if you dare.

http://hnsa.org/doc/index.htm#other

[kazeai1969]

Thanks for this Bob - will try to hold off having a look until weather turns colder, but doubt I will be successful in doing so!
Alex

[The Bigfella]

I found the racist anti-Japanese cartoon art in the PT Boat Manual humorously politically incorrect


I've got a few of those... from Rudder magazine wartime editions. I plan on framing some for use on Grantala, which did anti-sub patrols off the West Australian coast during WW2

[P.L.Lenihan]

That's all fine and dandy Mr.Cleek, but do tell; do they speak of anchor rhodes or anchor roads :D


Thank you for the link, it'll make for some fine time-wasting up here!


Cheers!


Peter

[Peter Malcolm Jardine]

WOW!!! That is a lot of information... very cool, and now bookmarked.

[David G]

Thanks, that is an interesting bundle of info to peruse. What a great find. I also sent the link to my son, who's in his Navy A-School right now. I bet he'll be interested in some of it - esp. the older stuff - as a bit of background to what he's currently learning.

When I saw the thread title, though, I thought you were referring to The Mother of All Maritime Links - also a great compendium of boating info:

http://www.boat-links.com/boatlink.html

[Bob Cleek]

Yea, there's a lot of "how to do it" stuff in there. I was just reading a manual on shipboard hand tool use and another on wire rope splicing. One great thing about the military manuals is that they really are designed for people who have no prior experience... the original "for dummies" series. It's easy to learn a lot from them.

[Larks]

Thank you Bob, that is a great find and in good time to waste a day on the weekend trawling through it - though anyone looking over my shoulder today would think I'm working anyway.

[reddog]

Bob, that's a great site, thanks. Just perused the manual on German U-Boat tactics and the PT boat specs. Really interesting.

Earl

[Hal Forsen]

Great Find!

[Chip-skiff]

Just got through the semi-final draft of a historical novel set in the Pacific, 1940-41. Wish I'd had this source— great stuff!

Thanks.

[Wooden Boat Fittings]

.
Thanks Bob -- great link.

Mike

[CapnJ2ds]

[quote=P.L.Lenihan;2301101]That's all fine and dandy Mr.Cleek, but do tell; do they speak of anchor rhodes or anchor roads :D

Neither, I sincerely hope!

[Woxbox]

Good stuff.

[Vince Brennan]

Look like where you were this weekend?
http://hnsa.org/doc/pt/know/img/rear.jpg

I assure you, the resemblance to the Delaware River "Flotilla Of The Oblivious" is striking.