Free Ship Plans of U.S.C.G. Cutter Fir

U.S.C.G. Cutter Fir Offers Insight

Into Development of Modern Buoy Tending

Free Ship Plans offer Chance to Recreate it

U.S.C.G. Cutter Fir underway

Designed a National Historic Landmark U.S.C.G. cutter Fir is the last surviving tender built under the U.S. Lighthouse Service. She was originally used to service and maintain lighthouses in the Puget Sound and along the Washington coast.

Although built for the U.S. Lighthouse Service, she was commissioned by the the U.S. Coast Guard in 1940. She served along the coast of Washington state until decommissioning in 1991.

The U.S. Secretary of the Interior designated Fir a National Historic Landmark on April 27, 1992. Other than being refit with new engines, Fir is essentially unaltered from her configuration when she was commissioned. As such, she “represents a largely unheralded workaday-aspect of the lighthouse service, as well as the seafaring foundation from which the modern Coast Guard’s buoy tender fleet evolved.”

Free Ship Plans Liberty Ship Arthur M. Huddell

Plans Classic World War II Cargo Ship

Liberty Ship Arthur M. Huddell

One of just three Liberty Ships left

Liberty Ship Arthur M. Huddell

We have ship plans for Arthur M. Huddell, one of three remaining Liberty Ships, of which the U.S. Maritime Commission ordered more than 2,700 during World War II. She was classified as EC2-S-C1.

These standard-design, mass-produced general-purpose cargo ships were the workhorses of World War II. Libery ships were part of the U.S. Maritime Commission’s “Emergency Program” launched when the United States entered World War II. The massive ship construction plan utilized new and existing shipyards across the United States to build ships of standardized design from prefabricated parts, greatly reducing construction time.

New book on work of François-Edmond Pâris

Selected Plates from Souvenirs de Marine

New book available soon!

Update: Our book on the work of François-Edmond Pâris, "Selected Plates from Souvenirs de Marine" is now available! Our book contains more than 90 plates from Souvenirs de marine. Collection de plans ou dessins de navires et de bateaux anciens ou modernes existants ou disparus avec les éléments numériques nécessaores à leur construction.

More than 130 ship plans are included ranging from ancient vessels to late 19th Century. There are warships, merchant vessels, fishing vessels, and small craft from Europe, Asia, Africa, and the U.S. The plates are indexed by plate number, illustrated vessel type, named vessel, and by country/region.

The book also includes an appendix "How to Read a Ship Plan" to help the novice understand the lines used to illustrate in two dimensions the shape of a three-dimensional ship.

The book is available now on Kindle and should be available on Amazon sites worldwide within a week.

Free Ship Plans USS San Marcos, later Spanish Navy ship Galica

USS San Marcos, Landing Ship Dock, anchored next to USS Donner.U.S. Navy Photo

Launched too late for World War II action, Casa Grande-class Landing Ship Dock USS San Marcos had long history nevertheless. After a 26-year career in the U.S. Navy, she went on to end her career as Spanish Navy ship Galica, where she served until 1988.

USS San Marcos (LSD-25) was a Casa Grande-class Landing Ship – Dock of the United States Navy, named for the Castillo de San Marcos, the oldest masonry fort still standing in the United States.

An unusual subject, these free ship plans of USS San Marcos would be a great project for a ship model builder interested in either warships or cargo ships.