Videos are sweeping the Internet these days and they are one of the finest methodsof both learning and presenting details of wooden sailing ships. The website YouTubeis a vast collection of videos on almost any topic and when culled, they are an aptresearch source.
One of the ongoing projects at www.scale-modelers-handbook.com is pulling togetherrelated videos that can help in scale modeling and featuring them here.
One thing I have learned about using videos to research my modeling projects is the ease with which it can be repeated. You don't have to memorize it all in the first pass. Simply rewind and play it again.
Stop back once in a while, this is a dynamic area:
A video tour of the HMS Victory
Learning The Ropes Aboard The US Niagara
Building a model (condensed) of the Barkentine Puako