In the summer of 1957, the U.S. Coast Guard cutters Storis, Bramble, and Spar circumnavigated North America, the first Coast Guard vessels to do so using the Northwest Passage through the Arctic. Bramble is currently preserved as a museum ship in Port Huron, Mich. Storis is part of the federal mothball fleet in Suisun Bay, Calif. Spar was sunk as a reef in 2004. The documentary of the voyage was produced by the Coast Guard.

Part I

Part II

Sign up for the Fyddeye newsletter!

The Star of India is the oldest operating tall ship in the world, and it serves as a platform for teaching people the art of sailing a large vessel. In this series of videos posted on YouTube by David the Butler, experienced mariners demonstrate how to set sails, weigh anchor, tack and wear, and navigate according to time-tested methods. The videos were produced by the San Diego Maritime Museum Association.

Setting Sails

Navigation

Anchor and Weighing

Tacking and Wearing

Sign up for the Fyddeye newsletter!

The Shipbuilders of Essex (via YouTube) A film produced by the U.S. Information Agency chronicling the construction of the schooner St. Rosalie in Essex, Massachusetts.

Prof. John Hattendorf: Newport, the Navy, and the Naval War College (via YouTube) Professor John B. Hattendorf, chair of the Maritime History Department, the Ernest J. King Chair of Maritime History, and director of the Naval War College Museum, focuses on the history of the Naval War College, its contribution to America's role as a leading maritime power, and the part it played in preparing aggressive leaders during the early history of the U.S. Navy.