This close view, taken from high on a warship's deck, looks down on a line of small boats loaded with sailors coming alongside - a daily operational task of the pre-motorized 'Old Navy.' Ship's boats like these ferried crew and supplies between vessel and shore, requiring coordinated rowing and precise seamanship to come alongside safely. The heavy standing rigging and iron fittings in the foreground reflect the construction of a steel-hulled cruiser of the Spanish-American War/Great White Fleet era (circa 1898-1910s). Project: 218600