This section includes sources for ship-specific information like specifications as well as images. There are a number of free sources with images and information but it is impossible to include them all. Also included are other archival collections around the United States that cover ships. While all archival collections could not be included, sources like Archive Grid External could be helpful in finding other local and alternative sources and collections.
The subscription resources marked with a padlock 
are available to researchers on-site at the Library of Congress. If you are unable to visit the Library, you may be able to access these resources through your local public or academic library.
The early volumes, up to 1899, were scanned in by Googlebooks and by The Internet Archive. These digitised Registers can be searched by any of the fields such as ship name, master, ship owner or place of build (some of the fields may be abbreviated such as Capt. for Captain or Amer. for America). Please note that only the sailing vessel volumes for 1893-4 and 1896-9 have been scanned in, the steamer volumes and separate appendix for these years are not yet available online.
The Registers for 1930-1945 were digitised as part of the Plimsoll ship data project by the Southampton City Libraries and Archives Services in conjunction with Lloyds Registers Information Centre. The fields can be searched by ship name(s), year of build and gross tonnage.
The Register Book for 1764-66 is now available to view in PDF format. Vessels can be found in alphabetical order of ship name. This is the first time that pages from this original edition of the Register of Ships, 1764 have been made available online. The only surviving volume is on permanent loan to the British Library.
For a list of shipping industry resources for current research click here
