Well, this morning I had the distinct pleasure of interacting, by phone, with one of the highly professional and EXTREMELY knowledgable gents at the US Naval Museum, Early History section.
I am trying to find more info about a particular battle that occured between a British sloop-of-war and a Pennsylvania privateer that occured off the coast of Charleston in 1781. He was very courteous, but skeptical that we'd find much given that the privateers tended to through British log books overboard upon capture.. But, he said he'd dig around a little.
We had an excellent conversation - and I learned a LOT in the few minutes we talked - about naval history in the latter years of the American Revolution. He had specific document numbers by rote for the British Admiralty, ones he thought might be helpful if I end up going to (and hiring someone there) the UK to dig up more from that end.
I could talk to people like this all day...