This new book reveals the part played by the eight Bustler Class Rescue Tugs built at the Henry Robb Shipyard during the Second World War and will shed more light on the almost-forgotten part played by this country's mariners. The men and women who were rescued under the most trying of times and dreadful weather conditions would no doubt have felt immense gratitude to the brave souls who formed part of the huge maritime effort, both in war and peacetime. This is the story of the small force of much-needed rescue tugs that were built during the dark forbidding days of the Second World War, when Great Britain had only the ships and men to bring in the raw materials that were required to fight against the might of Nazi Germany and its Allies. This compelling story shines a spotlight on the small, but very significant work done over many years by His and Her Majesty's Rescue Tugs in defence of the realm, and which benefited seafarers all over the world. The author's very detailed account of the contribution made by HMRT in general, and the Bustler Class in particular, is an excellent read, and has brought to life the immense impact that these rescue tugs have had over many years, usually in dire circumstances, and especially during the Second World War. Many of these ships also served with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) and this story recognises the part played by these heroic rescue tugs in accounts of many convoys that crossed the seas and were attacked by hostile forces. This fine volume will help to raise the profile of these magnificent small and immensely powerful vessels, and of course their highly-skilled crews without whom these heroic achievements would not have been possible.

The story of the Great Liners begins on the Atlantic route between the Old World and the New, between Europe and the United States. It was the most prestigious, most progressive and certainly most competitive ocean liner run of all time. It was on the North Atlantic that the largest, fastest and indeed grandest passenger ships were created. In this book, William Miller concentrates for the most part on these Atlantic superliners. It has been a race, sometimes fierce, that has continued for well over a century. Smaller passenger ships, even ones of 30,000 and 40,000 tons, are for the most part left to other books. The story begins even earlier, in 1889, when Germany's Kaiser Wilhelm II visited his grandmother, Queen Victoria, and attended the British Naval Review at Spithead. The British were more than pleased to show off not only the mightiest naval vessels afloat, but the biggest passenger ships then afloat, namely the 10,000-ton 'Teutonic' of the White Star Line. These ships caught the Kaiser's royal eye. His enthusiasm, his determination and, assuredly, his jealousies were aroused. Her returned to his homeland determined that Germany should have bigger and better ships.The world must know, he theorized, that Imperial Germany had reached new and higher technological heights. To the Kaiser and other envious Germans, the British had, quite simply, had a monopoly on the biggest ships long enough. British engineers and even shipyard crews were recruited, teaching German shipbuilders the key components of a new generation of larger ships. Shipyards at Bremen, Hamburg and Stettin were soon ready. It would all take eight years, however, before the first big German liner would be completed. She would be large enough and fast enough to be dubbed the world's first "super liner". She would only be the biggest vessel built in Germany, but the biggest afloat. The nation's most prominent shipowners, the Hamburg America Line and the North German Lloyd, were both deeply interested. It was the Lloyd, however, which rose first to the occasion. Enthusiastically and optimistically, the first ship was the first of a successive quartet. The illustrious Vulkan Shipyard at Stettin was given the prized contract. Triumph seemed to be in the air! The Kaiser himself went to the launching, on 3 May 1897, of this new Imperial flagship.Designed with four funnels but grouped in pairs, the 655-ft long ship was named 'Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse', honoring the Emperor's grandfather. With the rattle of chains, the release of the building blocks and then the tumultuous roar as the unfinished hull hit the water, this launching was the beginning of the Atlantic race for supremacy, which would last for some 70 years. Only after the first arrival of the trans-Atlantic jet in October 1958 would the race quiet down. The 'Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse' was the great beginning, the start of a superb fleet of what has been dubbed "ocean greyhounds" and later aptly called the "floating palaces". Worried and cautious, the normally contented British referred to the brand new Kaiser as a "German monster".

Pasco's Boatyard started in 1771. When it was sold to new owners Craig Brown and Chris De Glanville in 2013, one of their aims was to preserve the traditions of wooden boats in the St Just Creek, and to foster the shipwright skills required to build and maintain them. Under previous ownership, the thrust of the yard's activities had been towards mooring, wintering, and maintaining boats for their owners-it was now time to change. One of the first decisions of the new owners was to agree on a way of demonstrating those skills and traditions, so what better way than to design and build the first new Pasco's boat in over a decade? It would also demonstrate to the local community the yard's commitment to expanding maritime employment in the St Just area. There was no better man to lead the team than Bob Edwards, who was a well-established designer and builder of boats, as well as an enthusiastic owner of an earlier Pasco's P21 Motor Launch. A few discussions, and several nights of drawing plans and making calculations later, and the stage was set for the new P23 to become the next of the long line of Pasco's built boats. This book follows that build.

When Alexander Noble established his boatyard in 1898, he probably didn't realise he was also establishing a new Noble tradition. Alexander's yard would soon be handed over to his eldest son Wilson, who would set up Wilson Noble & Co. to build fishing boats - although he would branch out into minesweepers when needed in the Second World War. Meanwhile, second-youngest son James would break out on his own, thinking that the future of boatbuilding lay in yachts. Altogether, these companies built almost 400 boats, some of which are still working today, and would be a fixture on the Fraserburgh shoreline for nearly a century. Packed with images, interviews and recollections from the crew, The Noble Boatbuilders of Fraserburgh is a thoroughly researched tribute to these men and their boats, and is a fascinating look into an industry that once peppered our island's shorelines.

Flotilla sailing enables thousands of people every year to charter a yacht and enjoy a holiday in a sunny foreign location: a group of boats sails together under the guidance of a lead crew. In 1974, the first holiday flotilla of eleven yachts set off from Aegina in the Saronic Gulf of Greece and no-one involved could have had any idea that they were at the beginning of something that would grow so big. It is now possible to go flotilla sailing in every continent of the world. The author traces how flotillas originated, how new cruising areas were opened up and new companies formed. He worked closely with the pioneers of this form of tourism who willingly contributed to the research into what they called 'the time of our lives': managers in one or other of the companies, skippers or engineers in charge of the boats, and clients. The second part of the book looks in detail at changes in some villages and harbours of the Ionian Sea, an area where much of the development has occurred through the influence of the boats rather than land-based tourism. It draws on conversations with taverna owners who remember when two visiting yachts was big business. Every page has coloured reproductions from the original brochures and cruising guides, and in the Ionian section modern photos are set alongside equivalent views before the yachts started coming in numbers. The book may be an introduction to flotillas, an insight into the background of the companies which now offer charters of this sort, or just a memento of a wonderful holiday.

In 1873 a company was formed to construct the first railway across Canada. It soon branched out into shipping, chartering ships from the Cunard Line for service between Vancouver, Yokohama, Shanghai and Hong Kong. In 1889 Canadian Pacific would be awarded the mail contract for the service across the Pacific and, by 1903, they would purchase Elder Dempster & Company and begin sailing from Liverpool to Quebec and Montreal. They obtained control of the Atlantic, rail and Pacific routes, and later interest in the Canadian-Australasian Line, becoming 'the world's greatest transportation system', bridging two oceans and linking four continents. Canada's largest operator of Atlantic and Pacific steamships until after the Second World War, CP Ships boasted such names as Empress of Britain, Empress of Ireland and Empress of Canada. This new history of the shipping side of Canadian Pacific includes a wealth of illustrations and a detailed fleet list that will enthral maritime enthusiasts.

The book is about Liverpool docks and the dockland area its history, strategic importance in times of peace and war; the kinds of cargoes carried into the docks including slaves! The book provides a complete timeline from the very earliest days right up to the modern time a time when a new and even larger container dock is being built and the advent of the new cruise liner terminal this terminal having been at the center of a political and economic argument between Southampton, Liverpool and the EU. The book also speculates as to the future of Liverpool docks, and also, to a lesser extent, the city itself."

Boatbuilding has been a traditional skill in Cornwall for many hundreds of years. In the more sheltered waters of Carrick Roads, on the leeward side of the Lizard peninsula, this tradition has flourished almost since the dawn of time to the present day. Pasco's Boatyard at St Just in Roseland has been in the forefront of this tradition of boatbuilding, repairing, mooring and storing boats for well over a quarter of a millennium. So much so that it is part of the fabric of the south-west area of Cornwall. As a strong commercial fishing area, Carrick Roads has led the way in providing good quality seafood for the area and the wider nation as a whole. Then as the move to larger mechanised fishing methods gathered pace, the skills of the craftsmen at St Just were turned towards the ever growing leisure and sporting section of the sailing and boating community. Thanks to these skills and the enthusiasm of the craftsmen at Pasco's, this tradition looks set to continue for many decades to come.

At 11:40pm on 14 April 1912, Titanic collided with an iceberg in the middle of the North Atlantic and began to sink. From the moment the iceberg was spotted, the ship was on a collision course with destiny, with the immediate aftermath of the collision becoming a race against time for those on board to inspect the damage and determine Titanic's fate. In this new study, the events of both the evasive manoeuvres and the subsequent damage assessment are broken down, order by order, moment by moment, giving a forensic analysis of these crucial events. In doing so, with the backing of an exhaustive collection of both historical and modern data, along with over twenty years of personal research by Brad Payne, facts are separated from myths and the most accurate truths about what really happened aboard Titanic during these critical moments are revealed.

For more than 400 years, the big-gun warship stood as the supreme naval war machine. It was not only a major instrument of warfare, but a visible emblem of a nation's power, wealth and pride. Battleships features 52 of the greatest warships to have sailed in the last 500 years. Beginning with English king Henry VIII's flagship, Henry Grace a Dieu, the book covers all the main periods of battleship development, including the great sail ships, such as Sovereign of the Seas, Santissima Trinidad and Victory. The advent of steam-driven warships provides the core of the book, beginning with the introduction of Gloire in 1859, and continuing through all the major pre-Dreadnoughts, such as Inflexible, Maine and Tsessarevitch. There is detailed coverage of the great battleships of the two world wars, including Derfflinger, Yamato and Iowa, while the book closes with the last new battleship to be commissioned, Vanguard, in 1946. Each entry includes a brief description of the battleship's development and history, a colour profile artwork, key features and specifications. Packed with more than 200 artworks and photographs, Battleships is a colourful guide for the military historian and naval warfare enthusiast.

This latest book from William H. Miller presents 150 photographs, all in rich colour, across a span of almost 100 years: from the 1920s to the start of the current cruising boom. It includes many early, often seasonal, liners; then the more purposeful generation of 'floating hotels' that began in the 1960s. There are favourites, such as the pre-Second World War Franconia, Reliance, Nieuw Amsterdam and Normandie; then, in greater numbers, a 'fleet' starting from the 1950s and '60s - ships such as the Caronia, Andes, Queen of Bermuda, Nassau, Italia, Bahama Star, Reina Del Mar, Oceanic, Skyward, Song of Norway, Hamburg, Royal Viking Star and Queen Elizabeth 2. Finally, steaming into the twenty-first century, we see the likes of the Royal Princess, Statendam, Crystal Symphony, Oriana, Queen Mary 2, Allure of the Seas and Viking Star.

Author built wooden boats for over 50 years and shares his knowledge about traditional, practical, plank-on-frame boat construction. Literate, warm, encouraging, insightful. Wonderfully illustrated by Sam Manning.

Lighthouses have been used as aids to maritime navigation for centuries. They are highly recognisable and beloved features of our coastline and waterways, treasured by communities and captivating visitors. But how many are there and is it really possible to visit them all? The British Lighthouse Trail is the only book of its kind to provide a comprehensive listing of all lighthouses in Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and Channel Islands accompanied by practical advice on how to reach them. The author, an avid pharologist, set off on a quest in 2012 to visit all lighthouses around the British coastline only to find that there were many more lighthouses to be discovered. This comprehensive book is the result of further extensive research and significant travel. Over 600 lighthouses are featured - from the perilous beauty of Shetland's Muckle Flugga Lighthouse to the elegant serenity of Jersey's Corbiere Lighthouse. Complete with helpful maps highlighting the location of every lighthouse in each region and colour photography of a broad selection of our nation's most weird and wonderful aids to navigation throughout, this book is an indispensable guide to visiting and seeing some of our nation's most majestic, historical and isolated buildings. Each listing features a description of the structure, its light characteristic as well as any notable designers. Access information offers the best ways to reach or see each lighthouse, and whether it is possible to explore inside the tower. Nearby or related places of interest, such as other notable aids to navigation and relocated lighthouse optics, are also included. Experience the secluded joy of visiting tidal islands, watch waves lapping against some of the most remote rock structures, and feel the magic of walking in the footsteps of the lighthouse keepers inside the towers. This book will guide you on countless journeys never to be forgotten.

Painstakingly researched, this book contains much never-before-published archival material, presented in traditional storytelling style while still adhering to the strict rules for historical revelation. The saga told chronicles the dawn of steam-powered vessels in the early 19th century, and the resistance to this first technology that allowed humans to artificially overcome Nature to practical effect. While the brilliant Robert Fulton's first "steamboats" proved their worth on rivers, lakes and bays, there was deep skepticism that such vessels were capable of overcoming the unpredictable powers of the sea. To prove that it was possible for such a craft to cross the Atlantic Ocean, Captain Moses Rogers designed not a "steamboat," but a "steamship," the first of its kind. To most mariners, however, this vessel named Savannah seemed so dangerous that they considered it nothing more than a "steam coffin."

Showcasing photographs and illustrations from a variety of collectors' archives, The Unseen Mauretania 1907 reveals the Cunard company's most luxurious ocean liner of the early twentieth century as you have never known her before. When the Mauretania took to the North Atlantic for the first time in November 1907, she was the largest and fastest ship in the world, serving with her sister ship, the Lusitania, for nearly eight years. Although the Lusitania's life was cut short during the First World War, the Mauretania continued to have an impressive presence at sea, holding the Blue Riband for the fastest transatlantic crossing until 1929. This evocative visual history by maritime expert J. Kent Layton follows her glorious career, which spanned four decades of the twentieth century.

For generations, coastal fishermen, working at the very fringe between land and sea, have fished salmon and herring using methods passed down from father to son. Some of these ancient traditions have been traced back as far as the days when the men from Scandinavia colonised these lands in the eighth and ninth centuries; others are simply nineteenth century in origin. Sadly, in recent years stocks have dwindled and regulations limit local fishing practices. Today, some surviving methods, such as haaf-netting, are in danger of dying out, whilst other traditional fisheries now lie abandoned. Though herring stocks have recovered from their late twentieth-century decline, the Atlantic salmon is now under immense threat and more danger of extinction than ever before. Tracing and describing his own journey from North Devon, through Wales and up to the top of Scotland, along with interviews with many fishermen, both retired and working, Mike Smylie explores the social history of these indigenous fishing traditions and communities, presenting a picture of their lives, past, present and future.

For over 30 years Peter Drummond has roamed Scottish fishing harbours armed with at least one camera. Here then are the best monochrome images taken over that period showing a wide variety of vessel types ranging from former ring netters and drifter/seiners through more modern designs to the latest 21st Century pelagic vessels, with brief histories of the boats illustrated. Covering waters around Scotland both east and west, from Kirkcudbright to Mallaig and from Eyemouth to Burghead, as well as a detailed appendix of vessels, this photographic collection is something special for the maritime enthusiast.

The Titanic. The Britannic. The Olympic. They are some of the most famous ships in history, but for the wrong reasons. The Olympic Class liners were conceived as the largest, grandest ships ever to set sail. Of the three ships built, the first only lost the record for being the largest because she was beaten by the second, and they were both beaten by the third. The class was meant to secure the White Star Line's reputation as the greatest shipping company on earth. Instead, with the loss of both the Titanic and the Britannic in their first year of service, it guaranteed White Star's infamy. This unique book tells the extraordinary story of these three extraordinary ships from the bottom up, starting with their conception and construction (and later their modification) and following their very different careers. Behind the technical details of these magnificent ships lies a tragic human story - not just of the lives lost aboard the Titanic and Britannic, but of the designers pushing the limits beyond what was actually possible, engineers unable to prepare for every twist of fate, and ship owners and crew who truly believed a ship could be unsinkable. This fascinating story is told with rare photographs, new computer-generated recreations of the ships, and unique wreck images that explore how well the ships were designed and built. Simon Mills offers unparalleled access to shipbuilders Harland & Wolff's specification book for the Olympic Class, including original blueprints and - being made widely available for the first time - large fold-out technical drawings showing how these extensive plans were meant to be seen.

Explore Britain's canals and rivers with the Nicholson bestselling guides. For all users of the inland waterways. This established, popular and practical guide covers the canals and waterways around Birmingham and central England. Covered in this guide are: Ashby Canal; Birmingham Canal Navigations (Main Line); Birmingham & Fazeley Canal; Coventry Canal; Erewash Canal; Grand Union Canal (Main Line, Leicester Section and the River Soar); Oxford Canal, North; Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal, North; Stratford-on-Avon Canal, North; Worcester & Birmingham Canal, North; and the Trent & Mersey Canal. The detailed Ordnance Survey® maps clearly show the location of essential features such as locks, towpaths and boating facilities, as well as pubs, shops and restaurants in the area. There are comprehensive navigational notes and descriptive text on the history of each canal, and on local services and places of interest, for which postcodes are included – ideal for use with sat-navs. Scale: 2 inches = 1 mile, 3 cm = 1 km. This practical A5 guide features 'lie flat' spiral binding and 'book mark' back cover flap for ease of reference. In print for 50 years, the Collins/Nicholson guides to the waterways have always been a vital part of journeys along Britain’s canals and rivers. These bestselling guides are designed for anyone and everyone with an interest in Britain’s inland waterways – from experienced boaters to those planning their first boat trip, as well as walkers, cyclists and visitors. Nicholson's – The bestselling guides to Britain's Waterways.

The story of RMS Titanic resonates all around the world, the vessel immortalised on stage, screen and in print. This collection of drawings does not dwell on the tragedy that befell this magnificent ship, but rather seeks to showcase her great beauty, representing the pinnacle of a grand era of style and innovation, with experts Steve Hall and Bruce Beveridge providing insight and commentary. Colouring these scenes of Titanic's hope-filled early days at sea, sumptuous interiors and grand promenades will breathe life into a bygone age of luxury, opulence and transatlantic adventure. Suitable for children.

This guide is a wonderful addition to Conway’s best-selling pocket book series that examines this famous ship from a refreshingly different angle. Launched in May 1911, the triple-screw steamer Titanic was the pride of the White Star Line and at that time the largest passenger ship in the world. Built to carry passengers in comfort and luxury on the lucrative transatlantic route, her design, fittings and on board facilites epitomised the spirit of the age in terms of elegance and style. Titanic: A Passenger's Guide is a unique guide to all aspects of the ship, incorporating authentic period literature – from sources including White Star Line themselves, Harland & Wolff shipyards, and important publications from the time.