HNSA Crest with photos of visitors at the ships.

HNSA Operators Handbook

Table of Contents

Introduction
Getting Started
Finance and Administration for a Historic Ship
The Historic Ship as Primary Artifact
Ship Care and Maintenance
Exhibits and Collections Management
Outreach, Public Affairs, and Reference Services
Fundraising
Legal, Ethical, and Regulatory Aspects of Operating a Historic Ship

Suggested Sources of Ship Information
U.S. Sec. of Int. Standards For Historic Vessel Preservation Projects
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Introduction

1. About the HNSA Operations Handbook
2. How to contribute to the handbook

Getting Started

1. So You Want a Historic Ship
Norman Cary, "FAQ: So You Want A Historic Ship"
Jeffery Cannon, "Sustaining Historic Naval Ship Museums" (Museum Planning) (2006)
2. How a US-Based Organization Can Obtain a Historic Ship from Overseas
3. Mobilizing Support and Funding to Get the Ship
4. Dealing with Governmental Entities and Their Requirements
CAPT David Tungett, "U.S. Navy Inactive Ships Program HNSA 2008 Report" (2008)
5. Core Values
Rich Pekelney, "Museum and Memorial Ship Core Values" (1998)

Finance and Administration for a Historic Ship

1. How to Set Up the Administrative Infrastructure for a Historic Ship
a. Setting Up the Board
2. Allocating Available Funds; Setting Priorities
3. Insurance Issues
4. Personnel Management
5. Determining Your Personnel Requirements
6. Security Issues
7. Volunteers
Norman Cary, "Acquisition And Utilization Of Volunteers" (2006)
8. Developing Disaster Preparedness Plans
Russ Booth, "Disaster Preparedness for the Historic Naval Vessel" (1996)
Norm Cary, "Disaster Preparedness" (2006)
Bill Tunnel, "Hurrican Katrina, When 8 Degrees to Port Means a Whole New Thing" (2006)

The Historic Ship as Primary Artifact

1. The Historic Ship as Prime Artifact
CAPT David R. Scheu USN (Ret), "Ship Interpretation - The Prime Artifact" (2006)
Eric Kently, Simon Stephens, Martyn Heighton, "Understanding Historic Vessels Volume 1, Recording Historic Vessels" (2008, 428K PDF). Reprinted with the permission of National Historic Ships.
Eric Kently, Simon Stephens, Martyn Heighton, "Understanding Historic Vessels Volume 2, Deconstructing Historic Vessels" (2008, 400K PDF). Reprinted with the permission of National Historic Ships.
2. How to Determine the Time Period for Restoration and Interpretation
3. Historical Integrity Versus Functionality, Maintenance, and Physical Needs: How to Resolve the Issues
4. The Craft of the Historian: How to Do Research
Rich Pekelney, "Finding US Navy Records at US National Archives and Records Administration" (2005)

Ship Care and Maintenance

1. Routine Daily Maintenance Procedures for a Historic Ship
2. The Drydocking Process
Rich Pekelney, "Why Drydock, Museum Submarine Examples (2007)".
Rich Pekelney, "Drydocking Primer (2007)".
Joe Lombardi, "Trip-in-Tow Surveys and Dead Ship Tow Plans (2007)".
Jay Flachsenhar, "Dry-Docking: The Maritime Museum of San Diego Experience (2007)".
Jerry Hofwolt, "The 2004 Drydocking of USS Bowfin".
Paul Cora, "The 2003 Drydocking of Ex-USCGC Taney"
LCDR Christopher Slawson, "The Preservation of USS Nautilus, 2002 Drydocking"
Sue Winton Moss, "Historic Structures Report, Battleship Texas (1993)"
Strafford Morse, "Underwater Hull Preservation, Case Studies Of Five Historic Steel Vessels In Saltwater (2002)"
Strafford Morse, "Drydocking Costs (2002)"
Strafford Morse, "Marine Coating Systems (2002)"
Strafford Morse, "Preparations For Dry Docking, Dry Docking, And Ship Repair Work (2002)"
Strafford Morse, "Self-Help At The Permanent Berth (2002)"
Strafford Morse, "Self-Help At The Permanent Berth-Epoxy Repairs (2005)"
Strafford Morse, "Working with Historic Preservation Standards (1994)"
Strafford Morse, "Long Term Preservation Planning For The Ship Director (1995, 2007)"
Russ Booth, "Problem Areas on Fleet Submarines (1997)"
Russ Booth, "Preservation Plan on USS Pampanito (1997)"
Aaron Washington, "USS Pampanito Drydocking 2007 (2008)"
Russ Booth, "The 1996 Drydocking of USS Cobia"
3. Suggested Sources for Maintenance Equipment, Supplies, and Services
4. Mooring
William Seelig and John Pittman, "Guidelines for Safely Mooring Museum Ships (2007)".

Exhibits and Collections Management

1. How to Develop a Collections Management Policy
Norman Cary and Frank Thompson, "Developing A Collection Management Plan For Ship Museums" (1997)
Frank Thompson and Angela McCleaf, "Collection Management Activity" (2007)
2. Exhibits
Steve Ewing, "Constructing Shipboard Exhibits"
• Doing Exhibits on a Tight Budget
• Funding Exhibits
• Contracting Out Exhibits
3. The Research Function in a Museum Environment
4. Conservation and Preservation Issues
Robert Browning, "Protecting Artifacts During Historic Vessel Restoration"
5. The Museum Curator and the Historic Ship
6. Acquiring Artifacts
Mark Wirthheimer, U.S. Navy Loans and Donations (900k PDF, 2008)

Outreach, Public Affairs, and Reference Services

1. Development of an Education Program
2. Dealing with the Public Schools
3. Dealing with the Veterans Community
4. Reaching Your Target Audience
Norman Cary, "Reference Services" (2006)
6. When Things Go Wrong: Dealing with Negative Fallout
7. Advertising
8. Overnight Programs
9. What are Demographics and What It Means to You.
10. Starting a Web Site
Rich Pekelney and John Faken, "Creating a Web Site, Nuts and Bolts." (2003)
Rich Pekelney, "Domain Names, Real Estate of the 21st Century." (2007)

Fundraising

1. Getting Funds from the Private Sector
2. Getting Funds from Government Entities
3. Utilizing Professional Fundraisers
4. Development of and Identifying Your Fundraising Goals

Legal, Ethical, and Regulatory Aspects of Operating a Historic Ship

1. The Framework for Environmental Law and Regulation
2. Ethical Standards for the Museum and Historical Communities
3. Common Legal and Regulatory Issues for Historic Ships
4. Determining Your Legal Services Requirements and How Best to Meet Them
5. Dealing with Lawsuits and Other Adverse Legal Actions
6. Dealing with Federal and Local Government Regulations and Mandates
Norman Cary, "Copyright And Intellectual Property Issues" (2005)
8. Privacy Act Issues
9. Ships that Get Underway

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Version 3.09, Oct 2008