Rodney Carisle - Rough Waters

TITLES IN THE SERIES

With Commodore Perry to Japan: The Journal of William Speiden Jr., 18521855

Whips to Walls: Naval Discipline from Flogging to Progressive-Era Reform at Portsmouth Prison

Crisis in the Mediterranean: Naval Competition and Great Power Politics, 19041914

Home Squadron: The U.S. Navy on the North Atlantic Station

The Sailors Homer: The Life and Times of Richard McKenna, Author of The Sand Pebbles

New Perspectives on Maritime History and Nautical Archaeology

James C. Bradford and Gene A. Smith, editors

Rivers, seas, oceans, and lakes have provided food and transportation for man since the beginning of time. As avenues of communication they link the peoples of the world, continuing to the present to transport more commodities and trade goods than all other methods of conveyance combined. The New Perspectives on Maritime History and Nautical Archaeology series is devoted to exploring the significance of the earths waterways while providing lively and important books that cover the spectrum of maritime history and nautical archaeology broadly defined. The series includes works that focus on the role of canals, rivers, lakes, and oceans in history; on the economic, military, and political use of those waters; on the exploration of waters and their secrets by seafarers, archeologists, oceanographers, and other scientists; and upon the people, communities, and industries that support maritime endeavors. Limited by neither geography nor time, volumes in the series contribute to the overall understanding of maritime history and can be read with profit by both general readers and specialists alike.

This book has been brought to publication with the generous assistance of Marguerite and Gerry Lenfest.

NAVAL INSTITUTE PRESS

291 Wood Road

Annapolis, MD 21402

2017 by Rodney Carlisle

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Carlisle, Rodney P., author.

Title: Rough waters: sovereignty and the American merchant flag / Rodney P. Carlisle with Bradford Smith.

Description: Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, [2017] | Series: New perspectives on maritime history and nautical archaeology | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2016030922 (print) | LCCN 2016045418 (ebook) | ISBN 9781682470879 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: ShipsRegistration and transferUnited StatesHistory. | Flags of convenienceUnited StatesHistory. | Ship transfers to foreign registryUnited StatesHistory. | Merchant marineUnited StatesHistory. | BISAC: HISTORY / Military / Naval.

Classification: LCC HE589.U5 C37 2017 (print) | LCC HE589.U5 (ebook) | DDC 387.50973dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016030922

Print editions meet the requirements of ANSI/NISO z39.48-1992 (Permanence of Paper).

25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

First printing

Book design and composition: Alcorn Publication Design

Table of Contents

Contents

I wish to thank the following people for specific and general suggestions: Paul Adamthwaite, George Billy, Jim Bradford, Elizabeth De Sombre, Paul Fontenoy, John Hattendorf, Jamie Rife, Gene Allen Smith, and Josh Smith. Bruce Dennis provided professional help in locating documents in the British National Archives. Joseph Gibbs tracked Omani records in the library of the American University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Thanks are also due to the anonymous peer reviewers at the journal of the North American Society of Oceanic History, Northern Mariner, for their many helpful suggestions and to the editor of the journal, Roger Sarty, for permission to reproduce the elements of chapters 28, 13, and 14 that previously appeared in the journal. Sartys encouragement and fine critiques were invaluable. Discussions with participants at North American Society of Oceanic History conferences led to refinement of my thinking and many helpful leads. I am particularly grateful to my wife, Loretta Carlisle, for her patience and support.