Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with naval

Can US citizens visit US naval ports abroad?

yellowlightman — Sat, 03 May 2008 08:42:53 -0800

Can US citizens access US Naval home ports abroad? I know foreign (and domestic) US Air Force Bases require you to have a military ID or other special arrangements, but I've heard US Naval bases in the US allow US citizens to visit without military ID. Does this apply to US Naval home ports abroad as well?

Specifically Yokosuka in Japan.

What's it like being a Naval Architect?

rongorongo — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 06:11:45 -0800

What's it like being a Naval Architect? I am considering a career change to become a Naval Architect and wondered if anybody out there who is/was/is training to be one could shed a little like on the pros and cons of the job. For example
1. Where are the best places to study?
2. Where do you work now?
3. What is a typical career progression?
4. What is day to day work like for you?
5. What skills to you most need to draw upon? (how might that mixture differ from building architecture in terms of mixing technical, managerial, political and artistic influences for example).
I am in the UK and married to an American so impressions related to work/study in either of these countries would be particularly welcome.

WWJPlay? (The "J" is for "Jack")

Mayor Curley — Thu, 15 Jun 2006 15:41:02 -0800

I have been reading Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series, and I like it a lot. Now I want to play video games set in the era (or thereabouts). Are there any good ones that simulate the Napoleonic Wars or other European and Colonial wars of the general period? Or that have better sailing ship naval battles than the new Pirates!? I liked that a lot at first, but it's too simple and repetitive for me. I have modern computers running windows, OSX, and Linux and a PS2. My favorite game (for reference) is Medieval: Total War. But I will consider anything concerned with the era or anything with good naval battles featuring wooden ships, even if the setting is earlier.

Trivia Trip to Washington DC

Miko — Tue, 18 Jan 2005 06:57:48 -0800

MuseumGeeksinDCFilter: Looking for offbeat, trivia-intensive experiences in Washington, DC for a group of maritime history museum geeks. Special Exhibit inside. Every year, I travel with a group of museum professionals on a research trip. Most of us work for a maritime history museum, although there is some crossover into general history, academia, and music. We try to pick a destination where we can learn things that are applicable to our interpretation of American maritime history, general American history, and/or current marine science issues and policy.

Some things we've done in the past: Visited new vessels under construction; crawled around the USS Constitution; visited a fish processing plant; spent 2 days on Nantucket looking at the sperm whale skeleton and learning whaling history and geology; gone to commercial fishing docks and taken tours of scalloping gear; poked around the old Whaling Church in New Bedford.

So we're headed to DC in March, and we have some itinerary items already - an insider tour at Smithsonian Natural History, probably some time at American history as well. We have 3 days, and will no doubt make the rounds of the usual suspects - monuments and the Mall. But then, what? If you know of any locations / businesses/ nonprofits that a bunch of boat geeks and history geeks would find exceptionally cool, I'd love to start suggesting some more off-the-beaten-path ideas. Extra points if it involves boats, fish, Mark Twain, or Moby-Dick.

And especially if any MeFites are, or know of, museum people or others who might be able to give us a special access type of experience -- we would be forever in your debt, and happy to return the favor. Thanks.

Do admirals in the modern navy spend much or any time aboard ships or are they always on land?

badstone — Fri, 09 Jul 2004 18:06:38 -0800

Do admirals in the modern navy spend much or any time aboard ships or are they always on land?