American Coastal Rescue Craft
A design history of coastal rescue craft used by the United States Life-Saving Service and the United States Coast Guard
By: William D. Wilkinson, Director Emeritus,Mariners Museum, Newport News, VA;
and CDR Timothy R. Dring, USNR (Retired)
Published in 2009 by the University Press of Florida, and recipient of “Best Coast Guard Heritage Book Award” of 2010 from the Foundation for Coast Guard History, this book describes the technical design history of all the rescue craft ever used by the U.S. Life Saving Service (USLSS) and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) from the 1800s to current day. It is the first of its kind ever to be published in the United States on this topic, and provides detailed information, drawings, and photographs (many of which have never before appeared in print) for each type of surfboat, lifeboat, and utility craft, along with a complete list of every boat ever built and the coastal rescue station(s) to which it was assigned. It is organized into two major sections: 1) a general historical narrative; and 2) detailed technical appendices (provided on a CD packaged in the back of the book).
The intended readership for a book of this type is primarily comprised of the following:
The book is co-authored by William D. Wilkinson, Director Emeritus of the Mariners Museum in Newport News, VA, and CDR Timothy R. Dring, USNR (Retired). Mr. Wilkinson, now deceased, was engaged since the 1950s in the historical research of small craft used for rescue purposes, and was a well-recognized expert in this field. CDR Dring has had previous experience in the Navy working closely with the Coast Guard on harbor and coastal defense, and has a great interest in and respect for the humanitarian rescue operations this Service conducts with specialized small craft. The extensive research by Mr. Wilkinson and CDR Dring that went into this book, including reference to original USLSS and USCG documents held by the National Archives, has had the full support of the USCG’s Historian’s Office.
This work addresses a long-standing deficiency in the documentation of Life Saving Service and Coast Guard history as it relates to the boats that were and are currently used for coastal rescue purposes. It can be ordered directly from the publisher, University Press of Florida, by either calling their book order department (800-226-3822), or by accessing their website (www.upf.com).
Click here to view on Amazon
A design history of coastal rescue craft used by the United States Life-Saving Service and the United States Coast Guard
By: William D. Wilkinson, Director Emeritus,Mariners Museum, Newport News, VA;
and CDR Timothy R. Dring, USNR (Retired)
Published in 2009 by the University Press of Florida, and recipient of “Best Coast Guard Heritage Book Award” of 2010 from the Foundation for Coast Guard History, this book describes the technical design history of all the rescue craft ever used by the U.S. Life Saving Service (USLSS) and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) from the 1800s to current day. It is the first of its kind ever to be published in the United States on this topic, and provides detailed information, drawings, and photographs (many of which have never before appeared in print) for each type of surfboat, lifeboat, and utility craft, along with a complete list of every boat ever built and the coastal rescue station(s) to which it was assigned. It is organized into two major sections: 1) a general historical narrative; and 2) detailed technical appendices (provided on a CD packaged in the back of the book).
The intended readership for a book of this type is primarily comprised of the following:
- Persons with an interest in the history of coastal rescue operations by the USLSS and USCG, both here in the United States as well as abroad (e.g., members of the U.S. Life Saving Service Heritage Society, the Association for Rescue at Sea, the International Lifeboat Federation, the Royal National Lifeboat Institute of the United Kingdom and its associated Lifeboats Enthusiasts Society)
- Active duty and retired/former personnel of the USCG
- Certain specific operational and training commands within the USCG that involve small boats
- Professional maritime historians
- Maritime museum reference libraries that include in their coverage the history of coastal lifesaving and/or the history of small craft
The book is co-authored by William D. Wilkinson, Director Emeritus of the Mariners Museum in Newport News, VA, and CDR Timothy R. Dring, USNR (Retired). Mr. Wilkinson, now deceased, was engaged since the 1950s in the historical research of small craft used for rescue purposes, and was a well-recognized expert in this field. CDR Dring has had previous experience in the Navy working closely with the Coast Guard on harbor and coastal defense, and has a great interest in and respect for the humanitarian rescue operations this Service conducts with specialized small craft. The extensive research by Mr. Wilkinson and CDR Dring that went into this book, including reference to original USLSS and USCG documents held by the National Archives, has had the full support of the USCG’s Historian’s Office.
This work addresses a long-standing deficiency in the documentation of Life Saving Service and Coast Guard history as it relates to the boats that were and are currently used for coastal rescue purposes. It can be ordered directly from the publisher, University Press of Florida, by either calling their book order department (800-226-3822), or by accessing their website (www.upf.com).
Click here to view on Amazon
