Welcome to whaleboat.us! You have found the definitive site for whaleboat enthusiasts. This site covers ALL whaleboats, from the early days of whaling, to the monomoy, and to the military's motor whaleboats. Our goal is to provide you with a one-stop place to "gather", talk about whaleboats or any marine related topics, find parts, and find other whaleboat enthusiasts.

Here on our HOME page you will find Weekly Nautical Facts for your reading enjoyment.

For all of our FORUM MEMBERS if you want be added to our GUEST MAP, let us know by sending an email to us at: webmaster@whaleboat.us and make sure to let us know your FORUM screen name and location and we will add you.

Click: WHALEBOAT HATS & BURGEES if you are interested in purchasing our whaleboat hats and burgees!

Check out our ABOUT US page and find out how all of this got started.

The FORUM page is for all of us to discuss topics related to motor whaleboats, whaleboat rowers or any other marine related subject matter. Here is where we can ask questions, get advice, and help each other in our whaleboat adventures. You will also find our Yacht Club Chat Lounge board, where yacht club members can get together and discuss club related issues. As well, there is a Classified Ads board where you can list your marine related items for sale and perhaps find something listed there that you need. There is also a Calendar of Events board where we have all sorts of marine related events listed. Go to our FORUM page and register so you can get started today!

The PHOTO GALLERY page is for everyone to share their whaleboat photos. Please send us any pictures of your boats. The pictures will be reviewed prior to going online. Please keep your picture content appropriate for family viewing.

On our LIBRARY page you will find we have a very large download center filled with useful reference materials. These items are free to anyone accessing this site. We have many engine and transmission manuals and we will continue to add more reference materials to this site as they become available to us.

Our LINKS page contains links to Web sites related to all facets of whaleboats, to include whaleboat rowing clubs.

Please browse the pages and give us any feedback that you have by going to our CONTACT US page.

This site is for ALL whaleboat enthusiasts, so take a look around and enjoy!

Check out our Forum Member/Guest Map. If you want be added, let us know by sending an email to us at: webmaster@whaleboat.us and make sure to let us know your forum screen name and location and we will add you. Thanks for the idea BamaBreeze and auroradan!

May 19

1882 - Commodore Shufeldt (USS Swatara) lands in Korea to negotiate first treaty between Korea and Western power.

1912 - Navy establishes North Atlantic Ice Patrol following RMS Titanic disaster.

1965 - 30th Naval Construction Regiment activated at Danang, Vietnam.

May 20

1801 - Four warships sent to Mediterranean to protect American commerce.

1815 - Commodore Stephen Decatur (Frigate Guerriere) sails with 10 ships to suppress Mediterranean pirates' raids on U.S. shipping.

1844 - USS Constitution sails from New York on round the world cruise.

1943 - Establishment of Tenth Fleet in Washington, DC, under command of ADM King to coordinate U.S. antisubmarine operations in Atlantic.

May 21

1850 - Washington Navy Yard begins work on first castings for the Dahlgren guns.

1917 - USS Ericsson fires first torpedo of war.

1944 - During preparations for the invasion of Saipan an accidental ordnance blast on LST 353 sets off cataclysmic ammunition explosions at West Loch, Pearl Harbor, killing 163 and injuring 396. Six tank landing ships (LST-39, LST-43, LST-69, LST-179, LST-353, LST-480), three tank landing craft (LCT-961, LCT-963, LCT-983), and 17 track landing vehicles (LVTs) are destroyed in explosions and fires.

1964 - The initiation of the standing carrier presence at Yankee Station in the South China Sea.

May 22

1882 - Commodore Shufeldt signs commerce treaty opening Korea to U.S. trade.

1958 - Naval aircraft F4D-1 Sky Ray sets five world speed-to-climb records, 22-23 May.

1967 - New York City reaches agreement to purchase Brooklyn Navy Yard, ending 166 years of construction and repair of naval vessels.

1968 - USS Scorpion (SSN-589) lost with all hands.

May 23

1850 - Navy sends USS Advance and USS Rescue to attempt rescue of Sir John Franklin's expedition, lost in Arctic.

1939 - USS Squalus (SS-92) sinks off Postsmouth, NH, with loss of 26 lives.

1962 - Launch of Aurora 7 (Mercury 7), piloted by LCDR Malcolm Scott Carpenter, USN, who completed 3 orbits in 4 hours, 56 minutes at an altitude up to 166.8 statute miles at 17,549 mph. He was picked up by HSS-2 helicopters from USS Intrepid (CVS-11). The capsule was recovered by USS John R. Pierce (DD-753).

1962 - USS Valcour (AVP-55) provides medical care to a merchant seaman from tanker SS Manhattan in the Persian Gulf.

May 24

1917 - First U.S. convoy to cross North Atlantic during World War I leaves Hampton Roads, VA.

1918 - USS Olympia anchors at Kola Inlet, Murmansk, Russia, to protect refugees during Russian Revolution.

1939 - First and only use of VADM Allan McCann's Rescue Chamber to rescue 33 men from sunken USS Squalus (SS-192).

1941 - Authorization of construction or acquisition of 550,000 tons of auxiliary shipping for Navy.

1945 - Fast carrier task force aircraft attack airfields in southern Kyushu, Japan.

1945 - Nine U.S. ships damaged by concentrated kamikaze attack off Okinawa.

1961 - USS Gurke notices signals from 12 men from Truk who were caught in a storm, drifted at sea for 2 months before being stranded on an island for 1 month. USS Southerland investigated, notified Truk, and provided provisions and supplies to repair their outrigger canoe. The men would be picked up on 7 June by the motor launch Kaselehlia.

May 25

1952 - USS Iowa bombards Chongjin, Korea.

1973 - Launch of Skylab 2 mission, which was first U.S. manned orbiting space station. It had an all Navy crew of CAPT Charles Conrad, Jr., USN. (commanding), CDR Joseph P. Kerwin, USN and CDR Paul J. Weitz, USN. During the 28 day mission of 404 orbits, the craft rendezvoused with Skylab to make repairs and conduct science experiments. Recovery by USS Ticonderoga (CVS-14).