Piel Craftsmen

Reference Books for the Ship Modeler

Clippers of the Port of Portsmouth

And the Men Who Built Them

Do Your Job

An Illistrated Bicentennial History of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard 1800-2000. Includes appendix of ships built, and the history of Nuclear Submarine construction, overhauls and maintenance.

Jenny Lind/Clipper Nightingale

The Piscataqua built clipper Nightingale was built by the Hanscoms and launched at Portsmouth on June 16, 1851. After builder Samuel Hascome herd soprano Jenny Lind perform, he named his new ship for the "Sweedish Nightingale."

John Paul Jones & the Ranger

This book, devoted to one of America's greatest naval heroes is the result of eight years of research. It covers the period from July 1777 when he arrived in Portsmouth, NH, until May 1778, when he relinquished command of the Ranger. This story is told largely through his own letters while in Portsmouth and in command of the Ranger.

Maritime Portsmouth

The Sawtelle Collection

The shipyards tht flourished along Portsmouth's fast-flowing Piscataqua River in the age of sail are gone. The Sawtelle Collection, gathered over two decades, is the most diverse maritime art collection the Port of Portsmouth has ever seen.

Portsmouth's Heyday in Shipbuilding

This is the story of the shipyards that floourished in the customs district of Portsmouth, NH between 1840-1860. A total of 169 vessels were built during that period which included barks, brigs, schooners and larger three masted ships. There are a number of appendix listing ships, owners, and passengers.

HMS Victory

One of the best known historic ships in the world, HMS Victory attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year to Portsmouth, England. This informative and heavily illustrated guide provides a convenient reference to the ship for naval history buffs and for ship modelers as well.

Russian Warships in the Age of Sail 1696-1860

Peter the Great created the russian navy from nothing, but it soon surpassed Sweeden as the Baltic naval power, while in the Black Sea it became an essential tool in driving back teh Ottoman Turks from Europe.

Fireship

The fireship was the guided missile of the age of sail. Packed with incendiary (and sometimes explosive) material, it was aimed at its highly flammable wooden target by volunteers who bailed out at the last moment.

First Rate

The Greatest Warships of the Age of Sail

In this first history of the major ships in the Royal Navy during the Age of Sail, virtually every British First Rate from the Prince Royal of 1610 to the end of sail is represented by an arrray of paintings, drawings, models, or plans.

Warships of the Napoleonic Era

Between 1793 nd 1815 two decades of unrelenting naval warfare raised the sailing man of war to the zenith of its effectiveness as a weapon of war. Every significant sea power was involved in this conflict, and at some point virtually all of them were arrayed against Great Britain. A large number of enemy warships were captured in battle and the Admiralty ordered accurate drafts to be made of many of these prizes, Consequently, ships from the navies of France, Spain, the United States, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweeden, as well as from Britain were illustrated by unprecedented variety of paintings, drawings, models or plans.

The Restoration Warship

This book eamines the cnstruction and career of the Lenox, a 70 gun third rate, the most successful class of warships from the Restoration Era.

Miniature Ship Models

The first comprehensive history of ship models in 1:1200/1:1250 scale. This book deals with more than off the shelf models, covering subsidiary issues such as; painting, modifying and diorama settings. Fully illustrated.

The Main Beam

An informal history of shipbuilding in Rockland, Maine from 1795 to 2005. This book includes many historical pictures of ships and shipbuilding as well as lists of ships, builders, launchings, and shipyards.

The Dory Book

This book is the most comprehensive book on dories containing details and plans of some legendary dory types.

Tugs Booms and Barges

This book provides knowledge of how the tugs, the booms, and barges were managed and operated and how they served the needs of coastal industry. Approximately 255 photographs and 75 illustrations.

Tugboats of the Great Lakes

This book covers Great Lakes ice breaking, ship assistance and towing, and the famous tugs of the Great Lakes. Hundreds of color and black and white photographs.

Sails and Steam in the Mountains

A maritime history of Lake George and Lake Champlain. Hundreds of illustrations including recent underwater archaeological discoveries.

Historic Ship Models

This collection of historic ship models has over 2,500 detailed and easy to follow drawings, diagrams, and photos of every ship model detail.

The Frigate Constitution and Other Historic Ships

This book focuses on famous ships that played a critical role in American history. It contains 16 plans and over 100 illustrations.

A Shipyard in Maine

This book records the outstanding history of Bath Maine's Percy and Small shipyard. This shipyard built some of the largest wooden sailing vessels in the world including 7 six-masted schooners, 15 five-masters, 19 four-masters and a few humbler vessels between 1894 and 1920. This book is filled with photographs, line-drawings, and fold-out plans.

The Rigging of Ships

in the Days of the Spiritsail Topmast 1600-1720

For ship model-makers and students of historic sailing ships. This is a generously illustrated book and essential reading and valuable as a reference. It describes and depicts in detail how 17th-century English, French, Dutch and other European trading ships and warships were rigged.

The American Built Clipper Ship 1850-1856

Characteristics, Construction, Details

This book is the product of more than 35 years of exacting research and presents exquisite detail of 152 clipper ships. Every facet of clipper ship design and construction is covered, including wood types, scantlings, fastenings, midship section and interior living areas. There are also details of scarphs, keels, stem-and sternpost assemblies, frames, timbers and bracing. Over 160 intricately drawn illustration. This is possibly the most complete reference on clipper ship construction ever published.

Trafalgar

and the Spanish Navy

A look at the Spanish naval forces before Trafalgar. Spanish warship design and construction, a view of the officer corps and history of the battle itself.