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 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 USCG Cutter Acushnet Former USS Shackle

U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Acushnet serves 67 year career

That began as U.S. Navy salvage vessel USS Shackle

Decommissioned in 2011, she was the only World War II vintage vessel still in Coast Guard service

USCG Cutter Acushnet/USS Shackle

U.S. Coast Guard cutter Acushnet's long career began during World War II as U.S. Navy salvage ship USS Shackle (ARS-9). After joining the Coast Guard, she served as a tug, oceanographic research vessel, and medium-endurance cutter. 

With the attack on Pearl Harbor, navy shipyards were suddenly hard-pressed to build all the new vessels that would be required for the war effort. The U.S. Navy turned to the U.S. Maritime Commission to contract many of the attack transports, oilers, and other auxiliary ships it needed, such as salvage ships.

Outboard profile USCG Cutter Acushnet

While the first task of salvage ships was to clear the damaged ships in Pearl Harbor, duties went beyond dealing with destroyed or sunken ships to any repair tasks beyond the scope of a ship's crew, such as fire-fighting or towing disabled craft. The Navy used every resource possible – both military and commercial salvage company - in the design of what would be named the Diver class salvage vessel to which Shackle/Acushnet belongs. Her keel was laid in October 1942 at the Basalt Rock Company shipyard located on the Napa River, and she was launched February 1944. This shipyard constructed all 16 Diver class salvage ships.

 U.S.C.G. cutter Acushnet/U.S.S. Shackle has great lines and would make for a great ship model, built from the free ship plans available at TheModelShipwright.com

Free Ship Plans of French Cargo Vessel Golo

1933 French cargo vessel Golo

French cargo vessel Golo, built in 1933, would be a great ship model to document the inter-war years in European shipbuilding.
Check out our page featuring 15 highly-detailed free ship plans of Golo.

Free Ship Plans Victory Ship U.S.S. Gage

U.S.S. Gage is the last of

more than 100 Attack Transports

created from the Victory Ship class

Victory Ship U.S.S. Gage

Toward of World War II, military planners requested that the U.S. Maritime Commission construct a new class of attack transport ships.Converting the recently designed Victory class ships into a troop transport, designers created the Haskell class.
Of 414 Victory ships built during the war, 117 were configured as attack transports. The U.S.S. Gage is the only remaining ship afloat in its original configuration.
We have her plans on our Victory Ship U.S.S. Gage page.

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.