He saw naval service in the East and West Indies as well as in European waters.
He retired from active service in 1932 and devoted the remainder of his life to the study of Dutch maritime history.
[1] Warnsinck became a key pioneer for the academic study of maritime history in The Netherlands.
For many years, he was on the Council of the Linschoten Society [nl] and Secretary of the Commission for maritime history of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences.
In 1938, he was elected an associate member of the Académie de Marine in Paris.