trippwj

https://apnews.com/article/new-york-buried-boat-revolution-7751e21d35d49dfe27d255ec46048403
 

https://apnews.com/article/new-york-buried-boat-revolution-7751e21d35d49dfe27d255ec46048403
 

https://apnews.com/article/new-york-buried-boat-revolution-7751e21d35d49dfe27d255ec46048403
 

https://apnews.com/article/new-york-buried-boat-revolution-7751e21d35d49dfe27d255ec46048403
 

Hallo Markus…
 
I think you may want to revisit the overview of the “commodore” title within the early US Navy.  
 
I’m not sure of your sources regarding the Blue, White, and Red distinctions within the commodore hierarchy. That does not seem familiar for the early American navy.  
The Royal Navy maintained the colored squadrons as a carryover from ancient days as it allowed flexibility to move deserving officers up and around more senior, but less able peers.  Generally, the progression of seniority moved from Blue, to White, to Red. A Rear-Admiral of the Red outranked a Rear Admiral of the Blue regardless of the date of his commission.
 
“Commodore” was not a rank in the RN – it was a “post” and was not based on seniority.  A less senior captain could be posted to a squadron as the commodore even if some subordinates held more seniority. This might have been the case for Horatio Nelson when he was promoted commodore while commanding Agammemnon in the Mediterranean under Vice Admiral Hood.
 
Interestingly, Nelson maintained the post of commodore at the battle of Cape St. Vincent with a flag captain beneath him to command his ship. This entitled him to draw Rear Admiral pay (and wear a similar uniform). Unbeknownst to Nelson, based on seniority he had been promoted to Rear Admiral of the Blue prior to the battle, but official word did not arrive until weeks later.  This meant that he became the first RN flag officer in over two hundred years to lead his crew in a boarding action when both San Nicolàs and San Josef were captured.
 
The US Navy adopted many practices from the RN, but the colored squadrons was not one of them… They maintained a generally strict adherence to seniority based on the date of each commission without regard to ability.  Less capable captains were simply kept ashore and not given active commands. When multiple ships were formed into a squadron, the most senior captain was designated “commodore” and entitled to fly the broad pendant from the main mast. You were either the most senior captain, or you were not.  I don’t think there were any gradations within the commodore title. The three broad pendants noted in the inventory were probably just to allow for wear and tear.
 
Isaac Hull is an interesting case. He was not put in command of a squadron until later in his career – years after the War of 1812.  However, he seems to have styled himself “Commodore” during his only war cruise in command of the Constitution in the victory over Guerriere.  There were no other ships assigned to him and he sailed from Boston without direct orders to act independently before he could be blockaded in port.   The Cornè paintings that he commissioned after the battle clearly show a commodore broad pendant hoisted during the fight.  When Guerriere appeared defeated, Hull sent a boat over to verify her surrender, and the American lieutenant is quoted as saying “Commodore Hull sends his respects and desires to know if you have surrendered…”
When Isaac Hull donated the model of the Constitution (gifted to him by his crew) to the East India Marine Society in Salem, he had “Gift of Commodore Hull” emblazoned on the side.
 
As one of the most senior captains in the navy and in command of one of the three most powerful ships, Hull appears to have titled himself “commodore” without a squadron to command.  It may be that he justified this as the most senior ship commander on his station. 
 
The paintings do suggest, however, that in deference to the practice of “true” commodores flying the broad pendant from the main topmast, Hull instead flew his broad pendant from the mizzen topmast, leaving the commission pennant flying from the main. This seems to have displaced the backup American Ensign from the mizzen topmast to a mizzen halyard.
 
It was not unusual for an officer who had been designated a commodore at any point (keep in mind that the designation could be applied to a senior lieutenant in command of a flotilla of gunboats), to continue to have peers/subordinates refer to them as “commodore” thence forward.  So, it was years later that a much junior captain flew a broad pendant on his ship while anchored in Boston, despite the more senior Isaac Hull commanding the navy yard. Hull was pissed off and intermediaries had to be called to Boston to mediate and eventually define stricter rules around the use of the broad pendant. 
 
These are musing based on my general understanding of common practices – I may be wrong on some particulars.  I would be interested to know if you have more specific sources regarding American Navy practices.
 
Interesting stuff and thanks again for the stimulating post.
 
Cheers
Evan

Here you go 
 
For more than two centuries, stories have circulated along the Washington County coast: that the British burned a captured Revolutionary War schooner in Jonesport’s Sawyer Cove. Some versions were recorded in 19th-century newspapers and George Drisko’s 1904 “Narrative of the Town of Machias.” Others were handed down through families like the Sawyers.
In the 1960s, Valdine Atwood and her mother followed those stories to the shoreline. “Dorley Sawyer’s family lived nearby,” said Atwood, now a Machias historian. “And the story passed down was that they saw the Margaretta beached, saw the crew run into the woods, and saw the British come and set it afire.”
No wreck was visible on the day of their visit to the shore, but Atwood reached blindly into the mud and pulled up a piece of timber.
On their way out, they passed a white cross on the rocks.
  “They used to do that to mark a shipwreck,” she said.
Atwood said she always believed the stories. Now, a multi-year archaeological study strongly supports her instincts and centuries of oral tradition — the wreck of the Margaretta likely lies in Sawyer Cove.
The area around Sawyer Cove is now private property, with no public access, but a neighboring landowner permitted the research team to work on-site.
“The wreck in Jonesport, we think, is Margaretta,” said archaeologist Arthur Spiess, co-author of a report about the shipwreck that is soon to be released by the Maine Historic Preservation Commission and the Natural Resources Conservation Service. “There’s no evidence against it, and some strong evidence for it.”
Spiess and fellow archaeologist Nathaniel King were alerted to the shipwreck in 2021, when Maine Game Warden Joe McBrine — also a local historian — heard reports of “a ship coming up out of the mud.”
“At low tide, you could see it,” recalls McBrine. “We measured it, and it was within a couple of feet of what the Margaretta would have been. I thought, ‘Man, this could really be it.’”
McBrine already knew the story well. As a member of the Machias Historical Society and a local reenactment group, he’s spent years educating the public about Washington County’s Revolutionary War-era clashes — including what some view as the first naval battle of the American Revolution, the Battle of the Margaretta.
That battle began just weeks after Lexington and Concord. On June 2, 1775, three ships sailed into Machias Bay — among them the British schooner HMS Margaretta. Their mission: to trade for lumber, forcibly if necessary, to supply British troops occupying Boston.
  The residents of Machias had other ideas. They planned to capture the British officers during Sunday services, but when the British escaped to their vessel and sailed for Machias Bay, the Americans gave chase. They met in battle exactly 250 years ago, from June 11 to 12 of 1775.
The clash ended with the deaths of three Americans — John McNeil, Robert Avery, and James Coolbroth — and the injury of several others, as well as the mortal wounding of British commander James Moore and the capture of the Margaretta. The Americans soon hid the 50-ton schooner in what is now Marshfield’s Middle River.
In 1776, when Machias men judged it safe to move the vessel, they likely reballasted her in Machias — using local ballast stones that now provide one of three key pieces of evidence linking the shipwreck to the Margaretta.
“Her ballast was derived from eastern glacial till deposits,” said Spiess, “and that fits with the rumor that it was laid up for a year and refloated.”
  Spiess believes the ship’s original ballast stones would have come from modern-day Massachusetts, where the vessel was likely built. The wreck’s construction also offers a critical clue.
“The way it was built was not ‘Navy fashion,’” said Spiess. “Everything’s a little bit variable. It’s a local job, not a military job, not perfect.”
https://i0.wp.com/bdn-data.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2025/06/Drs.-Arthur-Spiess-and-Nathaniel-King-600x450.jpg?resize=600%2C450&ssl=1 Researchers think they have found the shipwreck of the Margaretta, a ship that wrecked off Maine during one of the earliest naval conflicts of the Revolutionary War. Credit: Courtesy of Joseph McBrine This fits with British records showing the Margaretta was not purpose-built but a hired vessel — brought into service by Vice Admiral Samuel Graves, then the highest-ranking Royal Navy officer in North America, to serve as tender to his flagship, HMS Preston. The rougher workmanship of the Jonesport wreck also helps rule out another local theory: that the wreck was an 1812-era Revenue Cutter, which would have been built to stricter military standards.
To help date the ship, Spiess and his team extracted pencil-sized samples from one of the rib bases — each with 82 growth rings — and sent them to environmental and maritime archaeologist Brita Lorentzen, a specialist in dendrochronology and shipwreck dating.
  “Dr. Lorentzen is an expert in this field,” said Spiess. “She determined that growth ring 79 near the outer edge formed between 1750 and 1765.”
He added, “That means the tree was still alive around that time, which is exactly the right range for a vessel that could have been built five to fifteen years before the Revolutionary War.”
Spiess and his colleagues stop short of a definitive identification.
“The statistics on this are that that date range, 1750 to 1765, has an 80 percent chance of being correct, and a 20 percent chance of being wrong,” Spiess said.
  But with no contradictory evidence and several key alignments, Spiess said the case is “very strong.”
But why did the Margaretta end up in Sawyer Cove?
According to McBrine’s research, after the Americans repurposed the Margaretta, they used it to pursue British forces and privateers in Machias Bay and the Bay of Fundy. Possibly seeking revenge for the capture of five fishing boats, they set out to pursue the British vessel, HMS Viper.
“When they rounded Mount Desert Island, they saw a British ship on the horizon,” said McBrine. “As they got closer, they realized it was bigger than they thought. They turned back toward Machias but couldn’t outrun her. So they went right to the head of Sawyer Cove.”
  And the rest is history.
Before releasing the report to the public, the research team — Spiess, King, J.N. Leith Smith, Lorentzen and McBrine — is waiting to learn whether the U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command will assert a legal claim.
“I think this research is important to the entire region,” said McBrine. “To be able to piece together the puzzle — and have experts say this is likely the Margaretta — it adds to our understanding. And it brings a little more respect to the people who were willing to stand up, fight, be wounded and even die to capture her.”
Spiess, McBrine and other Revolutionary War history enthusiasts and reenactors will attend the 250th Margaretta Days Celebration, June 20-21, at West Branch Farms Event Center in Machias.

Well dang! I can't either now!

https://www.bangordailynews.com/2025/06/11/down-east/downeast-culture/250-year-old-revolutionary-war-shipwreck-may-have-been-found-in-maine-joam40zk0w/?fbclid=IwQ0xDSwK2WRdjbGNrArZZE2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAAEeuwKA7RfbQplydbcmLdWLZwep6wAIsoI7QOixQDlVKlZ9RiSJc38al5yjAEE_aem_J-uLGf3gUhldu9d0txX6TQ
 

https://www.bangordailynews.com/2025/06/11/down-east/downeast-culture/250-year-old-revolutionary-war-shipwreck-may-have-been-found-in-maine-joam40zk0w/?fbclid=IwQ0xDSwK2WRdjbGNrArZZE2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAAEeuwKA7RfbQplydbcmLdWLZwep6wAIsoI7QOixQDlVKlZ9RiSJc38al5yjAEE_aem_J-uLGf3gUhldu9d0txX6TQ
 

https://www.bangordailynews.com/2025/06/11/down-east/downeast-culture/250-year-old-revolutionary-war-shipwreck-may-have-been-found-in-maine-joam40zk0w/?fbclid=IwQ0xDSwK2WRdjbGNrArZZE2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAAEeuwKA7RfbQplydbcmLdWLZwep6wAIsoI7QOixQDlVKlZ9RiSJc38al5yjAEE_aem_J-uLGf3gUhldu9d0txX6TQ
 

https://www.bangordailynews.com/2025/06/11/down-east/downeast-culture/250-year-old-revolutionary-war-shipwreck-may-have-been-found-in-maine-joam40zk0w/?fbclid=IwQ0xDSwK2WRdjbGNrArZZE2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAAEeuwKA7RfbQplydbcmLdWLZwep6wAIsoI7QOixQDlVKlZ9RiSJc38al5yjAEE_aem_J-uLGf3gUhldu9d0txX6TQ
 

1.     Overview

In the early years of the U.S. Navy, there were no formally codified regulations for identifying naval vessels. The processes and traditions of the fledgling service were still in the making. Standardization was not yet the primary concern—rather, the focus lay on establishing procedures and organizational structures.
Undoubtedly, there existed unwritten customs rooted in British naval practice and those of other maritime nations, though concrete documentation is scarce. Nevertheless, some sense of what was common practice can be gleaned from period illustrations—particularly the many works of American maritime painter Felice Cornè, among others—as well as from occasional primary sources, such as a 1803 inventory recorded by Midshipman Henry Wadsworth aboard the U.S. frigate New York (Langley, 2003–2004).
Wadsworth records the following items:
·       4 american Ensigns
·       4 commission pennants and 1 Jack
·       2 american Burgees
·       3 american Broad Pendants

The Ensign was the national flag, typically flown from the flagstaff at the stern. In battle, it was often hoisted on additional masts or spars to ensure it always remained visible — since lowering the flag during combat was interpreted as a sign of surrender. To avoid any such misunderstanding in the event the main flagstaff was shot away, it was both common and critically important to display at least one additional, redundant flag.
The Jack was a smaller flag used to indicate a ship’s nationality. It was flown at the bow—typically from a short staff mounted on the bowsprit or foredeck, known as the ‘jackstaff’—but only while the ship was at anchor or moored..
Commission Pennants  (historically also spelled 'pendants') are long, narrow, triangular flags that were to be flown from the highest mast of every officially commissioned warship. Their purpose was to distinguish naval vessels from merchant shipping.
American Burgees were smaller flags bearing national symbols—such as the ‘Don’t Tread on Me’ flag or various designs featuring stars and/or stripes. In modern usage, burgees are typically triangular pennants, most commonly recognized in the sailing world as flags denoting membership in a yacht club.  
Broad Pennants — also referred to as command pennants — were used to indicate the rank of a squadron commander aboard a particular vessel. Importantly, when a squadron leader or higher authority was present on board, the broad pennant would replace the long, narrow commissioning pennant at the masthead.
2.     The Ensign
In its early years, the American national flag was not yet standardized as it is today. Since the United States was still in a formative and expansionist phase, and new territories continued to join the Union, both the number and the arrangement of stars and stripes on the flag varied over time. What remained consistent, however, was the general layout: a blue canton (the upper hoist-side quarter) bearing white stars, and horizontal red and white stripes—varying in number—filling the remaining three quarters of the flag.
In those early years, as is still the case today, each state was represented by a star in the canton. However, at the time, each state was also symbolized by a stripe—distributed across the rest of the flag. Only in 1818 was the number of stripes officially limited to thirteen, in honor of the original thirteen founding states, as it had become increasingly difficult to distinguish the red and white colors clearly when the number of stripes exceeded fifteen.

Above section illustrates that, at least in 1804/05, ships in active service could still be seen flying different versions of the national ensign side by side. With the admission of Vermont and Kentucky, the flag at that time displayed 15 stars and 15 stripes. In the following section, we will take a closer look at these flags:
 
In this view the U.S. frigate Constitution displays the classic '15-state flag' variant, with the 15 stars arranged in three rows of five.

To the left of USF Constitution the U.S. schooner Enterprise is shown flying a different variant, the so-called 'Maryland pattern,' which typically featured white border stripes and 14 stars arranged in a circle with one central star. However, it seems that Felice Cornè simplified the design somewhat, as we can only count 12 stars and 14 stripes. While the missing stars might be explained by a possible fold in the flag, the complete absence of the lower white stripe appears rather peculiar.
That Cornè was capable of greater precision becomes evident in the following illustration, which is in fact even older.

Here in above picture, we can clearly see all 15 stars and 15 stripes—just as they appear on the original shown in the next photo. However, even at this stage, it becomes apparent that having 15 stripes makes it increasingly difficult to distinguish them individually from a distance, and the red and white begin to blur into a washed-out pink hue.

This photo shows an original national flag in the Maryland pattern: 14 stars arranged in a circle around a central 15th star—and 15 red and white stripes, with a white stripe at both the top and bottom.

Felice Cornè’s well-known side view of the U.S. frigate Constitution from 1803, the earliest known depiction of the ship, shows a version with apparently 17 stars. This may indicate Ohio and Tennessee, which had already joined the Union at that time but were not yet officially represented on the flag. The number of stripes is somewhat puzzling again—there are only 16—and the top stripe is white while the bottom one is red.

Cornè’s effort to depict such a large number of stars can certainly be seen as an attempt at accuracy. Had he been merely imprecise, the more logical outcome would have been to show fewer stars rather than striving to cram more stars into such a small space!
It was not until 1818 that it was legally mandated: one star per state, and 13 stripes representing the founding states. This rule remains in effect to this day. However, this also shows that flags in the early years of the new nation still allowed for certain liberties—a topic that alone could easily fill an entire book.
3.     The Commissioning Pennant
British, American (and likely other nations’) warships flew a long, narrow, triangular pennant at their main mast—the so-called commissioning pennant—as a symbol of their active (military) service status.

The American version displayed at the hoist a blue field with vertical red and white stripes. Today it bears seven stars - in earlier times, thirteen, symbolizing the founding states.
The origin of this flag and tradition can be traced back to ancient Egypt and has been in continuous use through the Middle Ages to the present day. The commissioning pennant was only replaced by the flag of an admiral or high-ranking civilian official when such a person was aboard.
However, it was both possible and customary to fly another flag beneath the commissioning pennant—for example, as a salute or for signaling purposes.

This image possibly depicts the early Old Ironsides. However, Cornè may have intended it merely as a ‘typical’ frigate, since the entire painting centers on the theme of the East India Marine Hall, and the frigate serves only as the central focal point. What can be observed, however, is that beneath the long commissioning pennant another rectangular flag is flown. Could this be a salute to the honorable East India Marine Society?
4.     The Jack
The so-called 'Jack' is also a national flag, displayed only when the ship is at anchor or moored, flown on a short staff at the bow. This allowed for identification of the ship’s nationality when approached from the bow. Such identification was often necessary when the ship was at anchor and the stern had turned into the wind, rendering the ensign at the stern invisible.
Typically, the Jack is a simplified version of the national flag, displaying only the ‘canton’ — that is, the upper left field of the U.S. national flag: a blue field adorned with the appropriate number of stars.

The so-called "First Navy Jack" featured the rattlesnake and stripes motif, inspired by the 1775 Continental Army flag—a symbol of resistance and independence from the British Crown. However, this flag was only officially used between 1975 and 1976 (in preparation for the Bicentennial celebrations) and again from 2002 to 2019. There is no evidence that it was flown during the early years of the still young U.S. Navy.

5.     American Burgees
There is little information available today about the "American Burgees." Burgees—typically smaller, triangular flags—have historically served and continue to serve as identifiers and communication signals between vessels. In addition to the ensign, these “American burgees” were evidently intended to mark a ship as distinctly American.

Flags bearing inscriptions such as “Don’t give up the ship” might also be understood as burgees—a powerful symbol directed at both friend and foe. Captain Perry referenced the last words of his friend, Captain James Lawrence, during Lawrence’s engagement aboard the USS Chesapeake against HMS Shannon in late May 1813, and successfully used the motto to rally his own squadron during the Battle of Lake Erie in late summer 1813.

This representation again depicts national flags on the foremast and mizzenmast of the USS Constitution, as Cornè portrayed them in one of his paintings of the battle against HMS Guerriere. Once more, it is evident that the arrangement of stars in the blue field had not yet been standardized, and different patterns could even be flown simultaneously on the same ship.
6.     The Broad Pennant
Up until shortly before the Civil War, "Captain" was the highest permanent rank in the U.S. Navy. Captains commanding a squadron were honorarily titled "Commodore" and flew a broad pennant. These pennants came in blue, red, or white depending on seniority and displayed stars representing each state:
·       Blue with white stars for the senior-most commodore
·       Red with white stars for the second-ranking commodore
·       White with blue stars for all others
Therefore, Wadsworth likely recorded “3 broad pennants” in his midshipman’s logbook.
The large U.S. frigates such as the Constitution, United States, and President were the biggest ships in the Navy until the War of 1812 and often served as squadron flagships. With the arrival of a senior (in service) commodore aboard his flagship, it was clearly necessary to adjust one’s own squadron rank by changing the color of the broad pennant. Hence, all three colors were surely needed on board.
.
Commodore Preble, for example, flew a blue broad pennant with 13 stars—symbolizing the founding states—during his operations off Tripoli in 1804. The shape of this pennant was a wide, truncated triangle. It was only years later that the now-standard swallowtail design became common. Signal flags are also displayed on the mizzenmast in above´s picture.
In Cornè’s 1803 depiction, a broad pennant is being hoisted that appears to show the American ensign instead of stars. This again indicates that flag usage in the early U.S. Navy was not yet strictly standardized.
7.     Other depictions done by other artists

The rigging and flag display of American frigates can, of course, also be observed in other paintings. The already mentioned exquisite French artists lead the way, of course! But other depictions naturally also show the common practices already in use.

In the storm, only the broad pennant remains hoisted on the main mast. All other flags were likely taken down for safety.

This is a magnificent painting by Antoine Roux that reveals an incredible number of details about the large American frigates.
Studying this work — as well as the painting of the President in the harbor of Toulon — comes highly recommended for anyone interested in the American 44-gun frigates.
Here, we again see the commissioning pennant and the national ensign at the stern. The jack is not yet hoisted, indicating the ship is not at anchor.

A very fine example of the long commissioning pennant, still showing clearly more than the seven stars commonly seen today at its hoist.
8.     Conclusion
It is important to keep in mind that, in addition to the lack of standardization of flags at the time, there were also inaccuracies in the artists’ depictions. However—despite all criticism regarding precision and the contradictions found, for example, in Cornè’s works—a closer examination reveals remarkable accuracy and attention to detail. Even the apparent contradictions can be explained, and the accusations of “errors” or “simplifications” often seem exaggerated when considering how many intricate details he managed to depict in the tiniest areas of his paintings. Compared to his French contemporaries like Roux or Baugean, Cornè may have lacked a bit of precision. Yet he was capable of rendering minute details and indeed did so. Therefore, when he chose to depict small details deviating from today’s expected “norms,” such as adding a miniature national flag to the broad pennant instead of the often used 13 white stars only, it is unlikely that this was done on a whim. Rather, it can be attributed to the still undefined rules concerning the exact design of official flags.
Based on the many beautiful illustrations and some scarce written records, the early national and command flags and their usage can be fairly well reconstructed. As with any historical research, one must carefully study the customs and practices of the era to achieve a more realistic representation of the original. The lack of standardization complicates this somewhat—but nevertheless, certain rules can be identified that allow for an accurate depiction of an early US frigate.
 

Wayne, this is an impressive and useful list, which would deserve the occasional update. I appreciate that your bibliography is tilted toward the great days of sail, say up to the mid-19th century; and that it's just a listing from your own personal collection rather than an encyclopedic coverage. In that vein, I still think there are a few things that could be usefully added (both to the list, and perhaps to your library).

For seamanship, I notice you haven't included John Harland's 1984 "Seamanship in the Age of Sail" (London: Conway Maritime Press, 320p). It's no lightweight, and I'd be surprised if anyone can surpass it for depth of scholarship or comprehensiveness. A grand book to be sure. 

Again on seamanship, two books written in modern times, but relating to square-riggers, and written from an instructive point of view for sail training ships are:Regan & Johnson's "Eagle Seamanship: a manual for square-rigger sailing" (Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, various editions -- I have the 1981 1st edition, and the 3rd edition was published 1990); and Willoughby's "Square Rig Seamanship" (London: The Nautical Institute 1997) is a captain's view of what various levels of seaman should be expected to know, again on training ships. You could say these two aren't "authentic" in that they were written lately, but I would say that they are, that they are focussed on the same mechanics of sail handling and sailing tactics, and present an easier to comprehend approach to the same material you see from the 18th and 19th century writers, without the tangled phraseology. 

On Tonnage, since you list Owens' (1907) clearly-written "The Tonnage and Freeboard of Merchant Ships" , then I would also recommend E.W. Blocksidge, "Hints on the Register Tonnage of Merchant Ships" (Liverpool, Charles Burchill & Sons, 1933). Apart from the challenge of actually finding a copy, it's also clear and instructive. 

Since you've listed a fair few David MacGregor books, another is "Fast Sailing Ships: their design and construction 1775-1875" (London: Conway; 1st ed 1973, 2nd ed. 1988). Mostly its about clipper ships, and you know MacGregor's presentation -- dense with plenty of detail, bits and pieces, old plans and a chronological narrative.

While on clipper ships, I'm surprised you didn't list George Campbell's 1974 "China Tea Clippers" (London: Adlard Coles). His copious drawings are extraordinary for their precision, detail and depth of knowledge -- and their beauty. It's really a must-have, no two ways about it. 

I suppose this goes under shipbuilding, Basil Greenhill and Sam Manning's "The Evolution of the Wooden Ship" (London: B.T. Batsford, 1988). I don't know about the evolution bit, if there was really an attempt to do justice to that idea, it was well and truly upstaged by the pages and pages of Manning's drawings of all stages in the construction of a late-19th century British-style two-masted wooden coastal schooner. A first-class book if that's a topic of interest. 

I could go on about so many regional studies of shipping types -- every country has its local literature on their particular vessels, fleets and industries engaging wooden ships. Tempting, but that's just too much. Maybe I can close this list with two slightly odd-ball recommendations, both in German language. Both of these probably best fit under your "Masts and Rigging" category. I mention them because I don't think they are likely to get many English speakers recommending them:
 
F.L. Middendorf 1903, "Bemastung und Takelung der Schiffe", an extremely deep engineering text for shipyard designing and building the large ocean carriers of the turn of the century -- the so-called "grain ships" for example -- but incorporating design details for other late-nineteenth century merchant sailing vessels as well. He doesn't worry about wooden hulls, because this is a book that was meant for the naval architecture offices of European industrial shipbuilding yards -- it's all steel. But, it's about the masting and rigging of these ships, so that's not limited to steel. Astoundingly detailed, there's just nothing like it in English language; but it must be said it is austere and intellectually demanding. The book was photo-reproduced (perfectly of course -- after all it's Germany we're talking about) in 1971 by Horst Hamecher Kassel. You would need to have a serious interest in large ocean carriers to need this book; but if you are such a person, this is the book to have.

Jens Kusk Jensen, "Handbuch der Praktischen Seemanschaft auf Traditionellen Segelschiffen" (translates to "Handbook of Practical Seamanship on Traditional Sailing Vessels"). This was originally published in 1901, 2nd edition 1924, originally written in Danish. The 1924 edition was translated into German in 1989 and published by Palstek Verlag GmbH, Hamburg. There is no English translation. I get the impression this work is very well known among the traditional seamanship fraternity in Denmark and Germany. It covers masting, rigging, sails and seamanship. Unlike Middendorf, it is a more down-to-earth treatment but again contains some details not seen in English books.  However, translation is heavy going if you're not a German speaker, and really most of the content can be gleaned from English works. It's just that there is so much in one place here. 

Enough for now, eh?

In the nine years since I last updated this post I have acquired a few new resources - print and digital. Attached is a new 168 page update to my available reference works - some 2,500 give or take. I hope this may be of use to some of you.
 
All the best!
 
2025-03-29 Library of Wayne Tripp.pdf

Note that the link to the PDF has been relocated here: https://modelshipbuilder.com/resources/joshua-humphreys-notebook.pdf

So, with the Harriet Lane nearing completion and the Emma C. Berry moving along, I figured it was time to start a whole new adventure. 
 
This Aeropiccola kit dates to 1974 (according to the drawings, at least).  It is a very solid POB kit, plans are in Italian but a brief translation provided for the labels into English.  No instructions, just the plans. My intent is to work through the plans, referencing the Model Shipways instructions for ideas.  I will also be using the Hackett plans and the redrawn version by William Baker provided in The Frigate Essex Papers (1974).  I also have The Anatomy of the Ship The 32-Gun Frigate Essex by Portia Takakjian, as well as several articles from The Nautical Research Journal and Model Ship Builder Magazine (Seaways Publishing).  I have ordered a copy of Portia's plans for the Essex and the Model Shipways plans as well.  My goal, over the time I am building this beastie, is to take it slowly and try to combine the best from all sources available to me.  We'll see how that works out!
 
This is quite a change from the Harriet Lane - 1:70 scale as opposed to the 1:144 for the Harriet (and 1:32 for the ECB). This one measures about 27" stem to stern for the framer - total length when finished will be 43 inches long, 13 3/4 inches wide and 29 inches tall with the rigging. The kit includes all the rigging, including material for sails.  That decision is a long time off, so no idea yet whether to include the sails or not.
 
Here, then, is the obligatory photo of the box (note this is one of the kits Maryann was selling last June).

 
Some of the contents
 

 

 

 
The Bulkhead framer and bulkheads laid out for inspection
 

 
And, the bulkheads dry fit - all slid in slick as could be.  I did have to file the fitting between the central portion of the framer and the bow and stern pieces.
 

 
No glue has been harmed as of yet, but the first bits of saw dust have been made.
 
So, welcome, pull up a chair, and look forward to seeing how this goes!

Opened fine on my HP and the links worked well. Running Windows 11 and Adobe Acrobat

I'm excited to share some news that I think many in the ship modeling community will appreciate—Ships in Scale magazine is coming back!
 
SeaWatch Books has worked out an agreement with the Nautical Research Guild (NRG), who owned the Ships in Scale brand after the magazine’s original run. We're now relaunching Ships in Scale with the goal of honoring its rich tradition while expanding its reach for today's modelers. We'll be featuring a wide range of articles for all skill levels, detailed build logs, kit reviews, and broader maritime topics, supported by a new digital platform as well.
 
If you'd like to learn more about the plans for the relaunch, I’ve written a short article that you can read here:
 
Read More →
 
We’re looking forward to building something that supports and celebrates the incredible craftsmanship, creativity, and passion in the ship modeling hobby. Thanks for taking a look!
 
— Mike Ellison
Publisher, Ships in Scale
SeaWatch Books

In the nine years since I last updated this post I have acquired a few new resources - print and digital. Attached is a new 168 page update to my available reference works - some 2,500 give or take. I hope this may be of use to some of you.
 
All the best!
 
2025-03-29 Library of Wayne Tripp.pdf

In the nine years since I last updated this post I have acquired a few new resources - print and digital. Attached is a new 168 page update to my available reference works - some 2,500 give or take. I hope this may be of use to some of you.
 
All the best!
 
2025-03-29 Library of Wayne Tripp.pdf

In the nine years since I last updated this post I have acquired a few new resources - print and digital. Attached is a new 168 page update to my available reference works - some 2,500 give or take. I hope this may be of use to some of you.
 
All the best!
 
2025-03-29 Library of Wayne Tripp.pdf

Captain Blakeley and the Wasp: The Cruise of 1814
 
Stephen W.  H. Duffy
Hardcover: 348 pages including Index, extensive Notes and Bibliography.
Publisher: US Naval Institute Press (2001)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1557501769
 
In celebration of the 200th anniversary of the start of his historic, and ill fated, cruise, it is my honor to present to you a brief review of a narrative of Captain Johnston Blakeley's career in the early American navy, culminating in one of the greatest raiding cruises every undertaken.
 
There are many tales of the accomplishments of America’s young navy during the War of 1812, and several of the most famous names in American Naval History were blazed into the national consciousness during that conflict.  Although the most successful American naval officer of the War of 1812, Johnston Blakely never enjoyed the fame that he had for so long desired.  His fame was posthumous.
 
In Captain Blakeley and the Wasp: The Cruise of 1814, Stephen Duffy tells, in a readable and coherent fashion, the story of Master Commandant Johnston Blakeley and the highly successful cruise of the American sloop of war Wasp in 1814. Duffy draws on archival information from numerous institutions to introduce the reader to the young Blakeley, tracing his youth and formative years through to his early years serving under Thomas Truxton on the President and John Rodgers on the John Adams to his command of the brig Enterprise in 1811. Blakeley’s skills and ambition are rewarded – he is sent to Newburyport, Massachusetts to supervise the construction of the Sloop of War Wasp.
 
Duffy demonstrates his passion for detail and accuracy as he chronicles the building of the Wasp and Blakeley's struggles to outfit and crew his new ship, an effort made more difficult by national politics and by rivalries within the Navy. Designed by Naval Constructor William Doughty as a commerce raider, Wasp was rated at 509 tons and 22 guns with a crew of 173.  Blakeley left port on May 1, 1814, at the helm of the newly commissioned Wasp. 
 
Blakeley captured his first prize on June 2, 1814.  Within the following month, the Wasp captured and burned four more prizes.  Blakeley secured his place in American naval history on June 28, 1814.   Blakeley and his crew chased and brought to battle the Royal Navy’s HMS Reindeer, a Cruizer class brig sloop of 18 guns.  One of the hardest fought battles of the war followed, and when it had concluded, Blakeley’s guns had overpowered and reduced the British vessel to a drifting hulk.  Also damaged, Blakeley sailed to L’Orient, France to offload prisoners and seek repairs.  En route, despite the damage incurred during the battle with the Reindeer, the Wasp still captured two more prizes.
 
The Wasp was back at sea by August 27, and Blakeley set course for Gibraltar.  He continued cruising successfully throughout the fall, even winning a battle over the HMS Avon.  As news of Blakeley’s success filtered back to the United States in October and early November, he became a hero, and Congress promoted him to Captain on November 24.  Meanwhile, the Wasp’s return was long overdue, and rumors swirled concerning the ship’s fate.  The British never made claims to sinking the ship, but the Wasp vanished somewhere on the Atlantic, possibly foundering in a gale.  The last confirmed sighting was by a Swedish crew on the Adonis.  They saw the Wasp on October 9, 1814, some 225 miles southwest of Madeira.
 
Duffy is able to provide a cogent and informative interpretation of the available archival records, and brings Blakeley to life as a tragic hero of his time. Faced with the common constraint imposed on any student of history, Duffy was faced with the paucity of primary source accounts from Blakeley and his close associates, as well as the conflicting accounts in the British and American records.  Duffy was very selective and effective in his use of reasonable speculation about the thoughts of the young officer regarding various situations. Mr. Duffy has succeeded in providing not just a story of a young man who was in the right place with the right ship at the right time, but also presents a well-researched and documented study of a junior officer in the small American navy at the beginning of the 19th Century.
 
 

 

Ok, you explain your passage, which I don't quite understand, with this very passage. 
Not very helpful, don't you think?

Have you looked at the Nautical Archeology Society website or the US affiliates linked from there? Where are you attending college? Do they have a career center?

Have you looked at the Nautical Archeology Society website or the US affiliates linked from there? Where are you attending college? Do they have a career center?