World Ship Society - PUBLICATIONS - Registers Available

STARKE/SCHELL REGISTERS AVAILABLE, SEPTEMBER 2011

The Starke/Schell Registers
The Registers of Merchant Ships include details of the careers and basic dimensions of every powered, seagoing merchant ship over certain sizes built during the year in question.  Now added to this is the second planned three-voloume series listing sailing ships built over a given period, in this case all iron and steel sailing vessels over 300 gross tons built from 1890 to 1930.  There are differences in content and style between the volumes for pre- and post Second World War periods.  Each of the Registers compiled by William Schell for the period up to 1963 includes every sea-going powered vessel over 300 gross tons built anywhere in the world during that year (or years, for the combined volumes).  Because of the large numbers of ships built during the years 1942-1945, the Registers for these years are being organised by place of build,

The post-1948 Registers were initiated by Tony Starke and originally listed vessels over 1,000 gross tons, with the entries following a different format from the pre-war registers.  William Schell is preparing new editions for the period 1949-1970 which conform to his standard for format and vessels included.  Rodger Haworth is compiling new and revised editions for the period from 1971 onward.  New editions of the registers from 1971 onwards are being expanded to include ships over 50 meters l.o.a. (giving over 25% more entries) and incorporating launch and completion dates, together with full data for losses.  All volumes include an index of subsequent names.  

Note that each Register volume covers only the ships built in the year or years of the title.

New or revised volumes now available are indicated with an asterisk (*) in the lists below. 

Registers available on CD
The text is a straight copy of the 'paper' Register, and can be read on a PC running Microsoft Word.                                                                             Registers  available electronically are listed below.   

EACH REGISTER IS AVAILABLE at £8 post free.
* published since last advertisement            
# at present these years are only available as paper copies. 
& revised new-style edition available (see above)                         
+ in two volumes at £8 each 

Orders for electronic copies to: WSS, 14 Balcomb Crescent, Margate, Kent CT9 3XJ, UK    e-mail: tugsrus@btinternet.com  Security measures being imposed by banks and credit card companies mean that orders for electronic copies can now be taken by post only.  Please do not e-mail your credit card details.

'Paper' copies currently available
These are photocopied from high quality laser-printed originals, and presented as A4 booklets with acetate fronts and bound with slip-on binders. 

Due to their large size, 1918, 1919 and 1920 are bound in two volumes, available at £12 each plus p&p

Each paper volume is available at £12 plus £2.00 postage (UK) or £3.00 (elsewhere).
* published since last advertisement                        
+ in two volumes at £14 plus postage each.

Paper copies available from: WSS, 14 Queensway, Wallasey, Merseyside CH45 4QA, UK

* published since last advertisement 
& revised new-style edition now available (see above)

Paper copies available from: WSS, 346 Stockton Road, Hartlepool TS25 2PH, UK

Registers are not copied until we have some idea of the demand.  Despatch of copies ordered from this announcement will begin in March.
 
How to pay
Make cheques payable to the World Ship Society in pounds sterling.  If paying by credit card, please state whether MASTERCARD or VISA, give the name on your card, card number (please ensure this is accurate), and the month and year of expiry plus the three figure security number on the reverse.  Please do not send cash: it is just not safe in the post. 

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The Miramar Ship Index:   an invaluable adjunct to the Starke/Schell registers

The Miramar Ship Index, complied by Roger Haworth and sponsored by the New Zealand Ship and Marine Society, can be accessed on its website http://www.miramarshipindex.org.nz . 

CD-ROM.  Readers may well know about the Miramar Ship Index, which in September 2006 went on-line.  It is without a doubt one of the most useful tools available to anyone who does any research into ships, with in excess of 200,000 entries.  Since it became available, there has been no issue of [Ships in Focus] 'Record' which has not benefited from the index.  The compiler has now made it available on CD, which has several important advantages over the on-line version.  Needless to say, the user of the CD does not require internet access, nor to go on-line to use the database.  In addition, when searching for a particular name, the CD version makes it easier to identify a given ship and gives additional search options.  A potential disadvantage of the CD compared with the website is that the latter is being continually updated and extended.  To address this, upgraded CDs are to be issued monthly, and a subscription service is offered.

The index allows the user to search for the names of merchant vessels over 100 gross tons and naval vessels.  The name is typed into the 'search' box and a list of ships with this name is generated.  In the CD version this list offers considerable information, including date built, builder, flag, tonnage, type, initial owner and fate, all of which make it easy to select a likely candidate from what can be a long list of vessels with a common name.  It is also possible to be much more selective when searching for a given ship, for instance selecting by type, by flag or by ranges of completion dates or tonnages.

The Index indicates name changes but does not give a full list of all the changes of ownership throughout a vessel's career, and details of its fate are limited.  However, the index does include a reference to which edition of the Starke/Schell registers the ship can be found.  The author is a partner in this project, having taken over from founder member Tony Starke the production and updating of most of the post-war registers.  The Miramar Ship Index includes many vessels not in the registers, inclduding warships.

Miramar can be unreservedly recommended to anyone - enthusiast, archivist, researcher, photographer or collector - who needs a fast and efficient way of identifying a ship built over the last 150 years.  The CD version does not replace the on-line version and will not benefit from the latter's upgrades, but at a modest price it provides what many will feel is a better way to access this incomparable source of data.  [Review by Roy Fenton]    [01.2009]

The Miramar index is continually upgraded, and an updated CD version is issued each month.  Pricing is as follows: [current as at Jan 2009]

• First disk:  US$75.00
• Subsequent orders:  US$50.00
• Annual subscription:
• First year:  US$175.00 (four quarterly disks, pricing $75, $50, $50 and free)
• Second year:  US$150.00 (four quarterly disks, pricing $50, $50, $50, and free)

The CDs can be ordered through the Disksales page on the website http://www.miramarshipindex.org.nz   Payment is made by PayPal or Credit Card.  Customers are asked to print out the PDF form at the foot of the page, conmplete and airmail to: Rodger Haworth, 49 Strathavon Road, Miramar, Wellington 6022, New Zealand.   [03.2009]

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YARD LISTS

moved to separate page

The listing shown here is just an example of the variety of entries.  For moe up-to-date information, look in the left hand column for "Yard Lists".  [03.2009]