Where to find information on old naval ships?

Question

I'm interested in finding more about English Warships, I'm not sure what era, but around the time that Master and Commander is set in. I'd like to research the different ships and hopefully assemble a model of anyone. Can anyone suggest where to start?

Answer 1

based on the title 'master & commander', you would be looking at the captains of small royal navy ships (brigs, schooners, sloops..) in the 18th and maybe early 19th century (the title originated at some point in the 18th century but there is different information about when it was shortened to just 'commander' - Wikipedia says 1814, freebase says 1794)

So, you are looking at Pacific navigators like James Cook and his little ship that was built as a berque-rigged coal carrier, then renamed Endeavour (on April 5, 1768) and refitted for her journeys - you see, she wasn't really a war ship. And you also see that the Master&Commanders were captains of the smaller war ships, not the frigates which were the dominating war ships at that time. The fregates are the ships to look at. They are mid-sized, sleek, agile acting predators, good cruisers. They derive from the Mediterranean galley of the 13th century. But in the early 1800s they had reached the level of standardization that made them famos. The Royal Navy had long, low frigates, carrying from 28 to 40 guns, firing 12- and 18-pound round shot. Above the main deck, a quarter deck extended from the main mast to the stern, and a fore castle deck spanned the distance from foremast to bow. The open space in between those decks was beamed over but left unplanked. A gangway on each side connected both of the upper deck sections, and the fore castle and quarter deck usually carried additional cannon.

This type of ship had passed out the heavy ships of the line and it was born to battle pirate vessels, it transported people, mail and goods. The low hull made it more indistinguishable from the huge ships of the line, and fregates made speed in excess of 12 knots. The Americans brought the design to futher perfection.

Answer 2

the Maritime Museum at Greenwich England has it all covered.....

USS Constitution, which captured Jack and Steven in "The Reverse of the Medal" (?) is still a commissioned warship in the US Navy and has a ton of links....

and the era you are interested in is known as "The Age of Fighting Sail"....google that and off you go!