Free Ship Plans U.S.S. Bolster

Salvage Vessel U.S.S. Bolster

The Last Remaining World War II Era Auxiliary Ship of Her Class

Ocean-going Tug Served 49 years in the U.S. Navy

U.S.S. Bolster sister ship Opportune (ARS-41), circa 1945

U.S.S. Bolster (ARS-38), now part of the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet located in Solano County, California, is the last surviving member of her World War II era auxiliary ship class.

Built by Basalt Rock Company, Napa, California, U.S.S. Bolster's keel was laid on 20 July 1944. She was launched 23 December 1944 and commissioned 1 May 1945. Presently owned by the U.S. Maritime Administration, U.S.S. Bolster is a member of the inactive National Defense Reserve Fleet.

Our Free Ship Plans of U.S.S. Bolster include profile, deck, section, lines, and detail plans.

Free Ship Plans of US Navy Cargo Vessel USNS Comet

U.S.N.S. Comet First Roll-on/Roll-off Cargo Vessel of Her Kind

C-3 Cargo Ship Had Stern Loading Ramp Allowing Vehicles to Load Under Their Own Power

FIRST DEEP-DRAFT OCEAN GOING CARGO VESSEL TO OFFER SELF-LOADING

C-3 Cargo Ship U.S.N.S. Comet

The first of her kind, U.S.N.S. Comet was designed for roll-on/-off loading of wheeled cargo such as military vehicles. Her keel was laid May 15, 1956. The ship was launched July 31, 1957, and delivered January 24, 1958.
U.S.N.S Comet was designed by the U.S. Navy Bureau of Ships and the Maritime Administration to carry fully-loaded self-propelled wheeled or tracked vehicles, and able to load and unload them through a ramp in her stern and four side loading ports. A series of internal ramps allowed the vehicles to be moved under their own power or towed into the holds.
Our U.S.N.S. Comet free ship plans page offers seven sheets of high-resolution downloadable plans perfect for the ship model builder looking for a challenging scratch-building project.

Free Ship Plans of Fletcher-class World War II Destroyer USS Capps

Fletcher-class Destroyer U.S.S. Capps

Saw World War II Service in Atlantic and Pacific Theaters

Then Went on to Long Career in Spanish Navy as Lepanto

Fletcher-class destroyer USS Caps during service for Spain as Lepanto

U.S. Navy Fletcher-class destroyer U.S.S. Capps (DD-550), built by Gulf Shipbuilding Corp. in Chickasaw, Alabama, was launched in May 1942 and commissioned in June 1943.
A member of the Fletcher class, the largest class of destroyers built during World War II, she served in a number of operations in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters of operation during World War II including raids on German ports, escort duty, and the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa.
After being decommissioned by the U.S. Navy, she was transferred to the Spanish Navy, where she served until 1985 as Lepanto.
Our USS Capps Plans Page features plans of each of her decks, inboard and outboard profiles, sections, and body plans perfect for model ship construction.

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.”

French 20th Century Warship Le Gladiateur

Le Gladiateur 1933

For those of you who enjoy 20th Century warships, here's an interesting project for a ship model builder: A French net-laying ship, Le Gladiateur, launched in 1933. She was scuttled at Toulon  in 1942 by her own crew to avoid capture. She was salvaged the following year by Italians, then captured by Germans and commissioned into the Kriegsmarine in January 1944 as SG18. She was bombed and sunk by Allied aircraft in 1944.
Due to her relatively small size (compared to a battleship) she could be built at a larger scale and still create a ship model of manageable size. Our page on Le Gladiateur offers ships lines plans, outboard profiles, and deck plans: everything you need for scratch-building a highly-detailed ship model. We have more detailed plans available as well. For more information on those, please inquire on our Contact Page.