Through much of the nineteenth century, steam-powered ships provided one of the most reliable and comfortable transportation options in the United States, becoming a critical partner in railroad expansion and the heart of a thriving recreation industry. The aesthetic, structural, and commercial peak of the steamboat era occurred on the Great Lakes, where palatial ships created memories and livelihoods for millions while carrying passengers between the region's major industrial ports of Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit, Cleveland, Buffalo, and Toronto. By the mid-twentieth century, the industry was in steep decline, and today North America's rich and entertaining steamboat heritage has been largely forgotten. In Floating Palaces of the Great Lakes, Joel Stone revisits this important era of maritime history, packed with elegance and adventure, politics and wealth, triumph and tragedy. This story of Great Lakes travelers and the beautiful fl oating palaces they engendered will engage historians and history buffs alike, as well as genealogists, regionalists, and researchers.

Britain's Canals is a charming and insightful exploration into the amazing architecture and engineering wonders that surround Britain's inland waterways - from the awe-inspiring 30-lock flight on the Worcester and Birmingham Canal, to the delightful chocolate-box lock-keepers' cottages that line the cut of every canal, to masterpieces such as the 18-arch Pontcysyllte aqueduct, the highest aqueduct in the world, to beautiful bridges, grand company buildings, the social hubs that were, and still are, canal-side pubs, plus so much more. In contrast to many inland waterways books which are organised geographically by canal, Britain's Canals is structured thematically, with chapters covering the line (the shape of the canal), locks and lock cottages, bridges, aqueducts, lifts and planes, company buildings, wharves, basins and quays and finally the canal-side pub. Each chapter explores how these features were created and have changed through history, right through to the present, with plenty of ideas for places to visit - plus full information on how to get to them. An abundance of full-colour photography throughout, both historical and modern-day, will delight readers and inspire them to explore Britain's wondrous inland waterways, whether on boat, by foot or by bike. In Britain's Canals, two inland waterways experts and admired authors come together to produce the definitive word on the man-made wonders that make Britain's canals so special, so loved and enjoyed by so many.

After the end of hostilities in 1945, the fishing industry was quick to establish some semblance of recovery and a surge of new builds and restoration of Admiralty motor fishing vessels soon followed. In Fraserburgh, on Scotland's east coast, several established yards satiated this desire amongst the fishing-boat owners for new craft. Thus it wasn't surprising that a new yard sprung up at the end of the 1940s when three local apprentices from one of the yards decided to set up their own boatbuilding yard on the breakwater, in what was a very exposed position. And so the yard of Thomas Summers & Co. was born, a yard that became synonymous with fine seaworthy fishing boats suited to various methods of fishing. In the space of just thirteen years they produced eighty-eight fishing vessels and their output was more prolific than most of the other Scottish boatyards. Many of these boats survive to this day, some still working as fishing vessels, and others converted to pleasure, a testament to their superb design and solid construction. Here, Mike Smylie recounts the story of Thomas Summers & Co. through historic records and personal memories of both fishermen and family members, with many striking photographs of the boats they built.

Die S.M.S. "Planet," ein deutsches Forschungs- und Vermessungsschiff, unternahm in den Jahren 1906 und 1907 eine viel beachtete Forschungsreise durch Atlantik, Indischen und Stillen Ozean sowie durch die Sudchinesischen Meere. Die Ergebnisse dieser Reise sind in funf Banden festgehalten.

This autobiography records the author's remarkably varied maritime career. In 1939 he obtained his Scottish Higher Leaving Certificate and, unable to obtain an apprenticeship, later passed his 2nd Mate's Certificate, and sailed as a navigating officer. This gave him the freedom to serve on a very large variety of vessels, beginning aboard MacBraynes' paddle steamer PS Gondolier as a First Class Pantry Boy until war was declared. In the following ten years, including the entire Second World War, he served aboard a UK coasting vessel converted for service as a Convoy Rescue Ship, a Portuguese coaster flying the Panamanian flag, two liners, a millionaire's steam yacht, four tankers (one of which was Norwegian and one adapted to fuel the Royal Navy escort at sea) and nine cargo ships (again one was Norwegian and one a weather-reporting ship). While probably not unique, this assortment would certainly be hard to equal, far less surpass. "Making Waves" thus provides a wide-ranging account of what life in the Merchant Navy was really like and the conditions in the countries visited, and contains many anecdotes and a deal of humor.

From the time of the Restoration of Charles II, when he returned to England from Breda and was presented with the yacht Mary by the burgomaster of Amsterdam, Royal yachts began to be defined as such in England and built with that special purpose in mind. They were built luxuriously and used for royal visits to the fleet, for diplomacy and for racing and cruising for pleasure. Charles II took more of an interest in the sea than any other English monarch. He built a fleet of royal yachts, fine examples of ship design and decorative art, and he can be said to have been the father of yachting and of royal yachts. His successors were less keen on the sea but travelled to Europe on missions of peace and war; and royal yachts took part in regime change several times. In 1689 Queen Mary was bought over to join her husband William of Orange and complete the Glorious Revolution'. In 1714 George I arrived from Hanover to establish a new dynasty. And in 1814, in a reverse process, King Louis XVIII was taken back to France to restore the monarchy after the defeat of Napoleon. This important new book is the first to describe the building and decoration of the yachts in such detail, using many newly discovered sources; and it is the first to describe their uses and exploits, often taking their royal passengers into controversy or danger. Besides the yachts themselves, it reveals much about the character of the kings, queens and princes involved - the impetuousness of the future William IV for example, or his brother George IV's surprising love of sailing. It describes the design, accommodation, and sailing of the yachts, as well as their captains and crews. Sailing yachts came to an end when Queen Victoria discovered that steam power was more efficient as well as more comfortable, but they revived in the form of her son Edward's cutter Britannia, and the Duke of Edinburgh's Bloodhound and Coweslip. Their legacy can be seen in the widespread sport of yachting today, and in the lavish superyachts of billionaires. This beautifully illustrated book, full of anecdote and containing detailed descriptions of dozens of royal yachts, will fascinate naval historians, ship modellers and, indeed, anyone who sets foot aboard the deck of a modern yacht.

The Irrawaddy Flotilla Company, known in colonial Burma as the 'Fabulous Flotilla', was the largest privately-owned fleet of ships in the world. It was an entirely Scottish enterprise with nearly all its investors, management and ship's officers drawn from Scotland. Over 1,200 ships were ordered mainly from Clyde yards and each year carried the majority of the population of Burma on its river network without loss of life. The paddle steamers were amongst the largest in the world, innovative in design and technology, and very beautiful. The flotilla began as a naval task force in the 1820s, was commandeered in five wars, and was to end its life with the British evacuation of Burma in 1942, the greatest evacuation in British military history. Fascinating personalities emerge from Strachan's descriptions of Irrawaddy commanders and the flotilla's key players. The ships evolved over a hundred years into riverine versions of ocean liners with plush cabins, restaurants, shops and even post offices on board. The largest class of ships carried 5,000 passengers including royalty, celebrities of the day and famous writers like Somerset Maugham along with early tourists and big game hunters. In the second part of the book, the author who himself has spent much of his life running ships on the rivers of Burma, takes us on a journey 1,000 miles upriver to explore the different regions of the country often highlighting Scottish connections. The river is the thread through which Burma's often tragic history, yet rich and glorious Buddhist culture, flows and only on a river journey can the country be understood. Renamed Myanmar in 1997, Burma is Scotland's 'lost colony' and the Scottish connection is little remembered today due to Burma's half a century of post-war isolation. In its 1920s heyday Burma had the highest concentration of Scots anywhere in the world, outside of Scotland, with the exception of Canada. Scots were everywhere in Burma, running everything, and even their Burmese servants spoke in 'broad' Scots. With the 'opening up' of Burma in the early 21st century the Irrawaddy watershed, where about 50 million people live in a primitive rural economy, is under threat. Deforestation on a vast scale has resulted in the silting up of once navigable channels. China, with its 'belt and road' system that is a euphemism to a recolonisation of the country, plans to build one of the world's largest dams in the river's headwaters that would devastate the country's agriculture and fisheries. The Fabulous Flotilla provides a revealing record of this remarkable era in Burma's history and past Scottish endeavour - a jewel of a story that may soon be lost.

"""Als im Jahre 1874 S.M.S. ""Gazelle"" auf eine zweijahrige Reise mit dem Auftrage entsendet wurde, einerseits die fur die Beobachtung des im Dezember 1874 stattfindenden Venus-Durchganges bestimmte deutsche Expedition nach den Kerguelen-Inseln zu bringen und selbst sich an diesem Beobachtungen zu betheiligen, andererseits zur Forderung der Meereskunde und maritimen Wissenschaften physikalische und oceanographische Forschungen anzustellen, lag es noch nicht in der Absicht, die Resultate der Forschungen zu einem besonderen Werke zusammenzufassen und zu veroffentlichen. Erst spater, einige Jahre nach der Expedition, als man das reichhaltige und werthvolle, auf der Reise gesammelte Material ubersah, machte sich das Bedurfniss geltend, dasselbe weiter zu verarbeiten und einem einheitlichen Werke zusammenzustellen."" Das Werk ist in funf Teile untergliedert."

The Worcester and Birmingham Canal, some thirty miles long, was created from 1791, when it was authorised by Act of Parliament, to 1815 when it was completed 24 years later. Although intended as a broad canal for barges and having five broad tunnels, it was eventually completed with narrow locks due to financial difficulties. From Gas Street Basin at the Birmingham end it passes through the suburbs of Edgbaston, Selly Oak and Kings Norton, then through the long West Hill Tunnel and via Hopwood and Alvechurch through countryside to Tardebigge, all this section being on the Birmingham Level. Then it descends in stages via fifty-six narrow locks and two barge locks to the River Severn at Diglis via Stoke Prior, Hanbury Wharf, Dunhampstead, Oddingley, Tibberton, Blackpole and the eastern suburbs of Worcester City. The earlier chapters of this book trace in detail the successive stages reached in making the canal and the reservoirs needed to safeguard the water supplies of millowners, the financial and other problems faced, and the saga of the Tardebigge Boat Lifi. Later chapters cover the history of the canal following its completion, its use for both commercial and pleasure purposes, its administration and management, its upkeep and maintenance, its involvement with railways, and the various industries and amenities which were established beside it, Three of the final chapters feature past and present places and items of interest located along the canal from Birmingham to Worcester. Of special interest throughout is the impact the canal had upon the lives of countless people, those involved in its construction, those who lived and worked on the boats, those who were employed by the Canal Company as engineers, lock-keepers and maintenance men, people who worked in canalside factories, shops, public house, boatyards, and on wharves, and those concerned for the welfare of canal boat families and their animals.

The period from the end of the Second World War to the late 1960s marked a golden era for the traditional port-to-port class-divided passenger ship business. It was an age of re-awakening, with the wealthy and adventurous seeking new experiences abroad and countless migrants wanting to leave war-shattered Europe for new lives and opportunities overseas. On the liners, everyone was catered for: from passengers such as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, who required suites of luxurious rooms with space to unpack over a hundred pieces of luggage, to penniless migrants carrying nothing more than an overnight bag, for whom a berth in a fifty-bed dormitory was all that was needed. Atlantic crossings were popular throughout the period, but there were also three- and four-class ships to South America, combination passenger-cargo services carrying only 100 or so travelers, fast mail ships to South Africa, colonial passenger vessels to East Africa, crowded migrant sailings to Sydney and Auckland, and trans-Suez and trans-Pacific passages. This was an era when long-distance travel was entirely dependent on the ocean liners. Post-War on the Liners examines, through fascinating anecdotes and detailed research, the many passenger ship services of this bygone era, recapturing the charm, practicality, and importance of post-war sea travel. From the magnificent-Cunarders Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth, Italian Line's Augustus, Union-Castle's Bloemfontein Castle, P&O's Oronsay, and Shaw Savill's Southern Cross-to the lesser known-Fyffes Line's Golfito, Royal Mail's Amazon, Sitmar Line's Fairsea, and NYK Line's Hikawa Maru-this book reveals the unique qualities of individual ships and why they were so often regarded with affection by the men and women who travelled and served on them.

Der Schiffbau-Ingenieur Professor Bohnstedt, seines Zeichens Oberlehrer an der Kgl. Hoheren Schiff- und Maschinenbauschule in Kiel, schuf 1907 aus seiner beruflichen Praxis heraus ein Grundlagenwerk zum Thema Praktischer Schiffbau," das an den Schiffbauschulen binnen kurzem als Standartwerk des angehenden Schiffbauingenieurs etabliert war. Entsprechend umfangreich und vollstandig ist das Werk, das den gesamten Schiffbau mit 246 Abbildungen und 12 Tafeln detailliert und lehrreich dokumentiert. Insgesamt ein unentbehrliches Werk fur den Liebhaber klassischer Schiffe.

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.

"""Als im Jahre 1874 S.M.S. ""Gazelle"" auf eine zweijahrige Reise mit dem Auftrage entsendet wurde, einerseits die fur die Beobachtung des im Dezember 1874 stattfindenden Venus-Durchganges bestimmte deutsche Expedition nach den Kerguelen-Inseln zu bringen und selbst sich an diesem Beobachtungen zu betheiligen, andererseits zur Forderung der Meereskunde und maritimen Wissenschaften physikalische und oceanographische Forschungen anzustellen, lag es noch nicht in der Absicht, die Resultate der Forschungen zu einem besonderen Werke zusammenzufassen und zu veroffentlichen. Erst spater, einige Jahre nach der Expedition, als man das reichhaltige und werthvolle, auf der Reise gesammelte Material ubersah, machte sich das Bedurfniss geltend, dasselbe weiter zu verarbeiten und einem einheitlichen Werke zusammenzustellen."" Das Werk ist in funf Teile untergliedert."

"""Als im Jahre 1874 S.M.S. ""Gazelle"" auf eine zweijahrige Reise mit dem Auftrage entsendet wurde, einerseits die fur die Beobachtung des im Dezember 1874 stattfindenden Venus-Durchganges bestimmte deutsche Expedition nach den Kerguelen-Inseln zu bringen und selbst sich an diesem Beobachtungen zu betheiligen, andererseits zur Forderung der Meereskunde und maritimen Wissenschaften physikalische und oceanographische Forschungen anzustellen, lag es noch nicht in der Absicht, die Resultate der Forschungen zu einem besonderen Werke zusammenzufassen und zu veroffentlichen. Erst spater, einige Jahre nach der Expedition, als man das reichhaltige und werthvolle, auf der Reise gesammelte Material ubersah, machte sich das Bedurfniss geltend, dasselbe weiter zu verarbeiten und einem einheitlichen Werke zusammenzustellen."" Das Werk ist in funf Teile untergliedert."

The destruction of the HMS Hood by the Bismarck in 1941 was one of the most shocking episodes in the history of the Royal Navy. Built during World War I, the Hood was the largest, fastest and one of the most handsome capital ships in the world. For the first time, this volume in the renowned Anatomy of a Ship series is available in paperback, and features a detailed description of every aspect of the beloved battlecruiser. In addition to analysing the genesis of its design and contemporary significance, this exceptional study provides the finest documentation of the Hood, with a complete set of superb line drawings, supported by technical details and a record of the ship's service history.

Fifty years ago the last British-built transatlantic liner was launched. Christened by HM the Queen on 20 September 1967, the 963ft-long vessel was named Queen Elizabeth 2. By the end of that same day, she was already known by her famous nickname: QE2. Fast, smart and sleek, QE2 sailed over 5.6 million miles and carried more than 2.5 million passengers during a magnificent career spanning nearly forty years. Put simply, she carried more people further than any ship before her and remains the longest serving express liner in history. Having sailed both as a liner and as a cruise ship, served her country in the Falklands conflict and undergone multiple makeovers, she also has one of the most fascinating histories of any vessel and remains one of the best loved and most celebrated. With stories from captains, crew and passengers, and an unparalleled collection of photographs, Chris Frame and Rachelle Cross bring the majestic QE2 to life in this commemorative tribute.

The largest, most luxurious ship in the world, lost on her maiden voyage after colliding with an iceberg in mid-Atlantic, Titanic has become the stuff of legends. Built at the peak of the race between the British, French and Germans to build bigger and better ships, she was the achievement of 15,000 men in one of the world's most advanced shipyards. While everyone knows the new White Star liner was the most glamorous and was full of millionaires when she sank, few appreciate just how luxurious she was or how advanced her design was for her day. For the first time, Bruce Beveridge, Scott Andrews, Steve Hall, Daniel Klistorner and Art Braunschweiger look in detail at the ship herself, how she was built and what it was like inside. From the engine rooms to the First Class parlour suites, from the Doulton water closets to the cargo cranes, every area of Titanic is presented in stunning detail. Volume One covers the design and construction of Titanic, with individual chapters detailing such diverse areas as the riveting of the ship, her heating and ventilation systems, funnels, steering and navigation systems and more. Volume Two covers the interior design and fitting out of the ship and presents detailed deck-by-deck information, from the palatial rooms of First Class to areas of the ship seen only by the crew.

HMS Victory is probably the best-known historic ship in the world. A symbol of the Royal Navy's achievements during the great age of sail, she is based in Portsmouth and seen by tens of thousands of visitors each year.As is the case for many historic ships, however, there is a surprising shortage of informative and well illustrated guides, for reference during a visit or for research by enthusiasts - ship modellers, naval buffs, historians or students. This new series redresses the gap. Written by experts and containing more than 200 specially commissioned photographs, each title will take the reader on a superbly illustrated tour of the ship, from bow to stern and deck by deck. Significant parts of the vessel - for example, the capstan, steering gear, armament, brody stove, cockpit, stern cabins - are given detailed coverage both in words and pictures, so that the reader has at hand the most complete visual record and explanation of the ship that exists.In addition, the importance of the ship, both in her own time and now as a museum vessel, is explained, while her design and build, her fighting career and her life prior to restoration and exhibition are all described. No other books offer such superb visual impact and detailed information as the Seaforth Historic Ship Series - a truly groundbreaking concept bringing the ships of our past vividly to life.Nominated for the 2011 Mountbatten awards.

The Imperial Japanese Navy was a pioneer in naval aviation, having commissioned the world's first built-from-the-keel-up carrier, the 'Hosho'. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, it experimented with its carriers, perfecting their design and construction. As result, by the time Japan entered World War 2 and attacked the United States at Pearl Harbor in 1941, it possessed a fantastically effective naval aviation force. Carriers would roam the Pacific with near impunity, destroying their opponents at will. This book covers the design, development and operation of IJN aircraft carriers built prior to and during World War 2. Pearl Harbor, Midway and the first carrier vs carrier battle, the battle of the Coral Sea, are all discussed.

The Great Lighthouses of Ireland is a collection of striking images and fascinating stories about the lighthouses around Ireland's coast and the extraordinary men and women who lived and worked in them. The book, published to accompany the TV series of the same name, has an encyclopaedic range of subjects, including history, biography, engineering and science, art, wildlife and social history. Stories include the raid on the Fastnet by the IRA, Ireland's nuclear-powered lighthouse and the heroic rescue of the Daunt Rock lightship. With more than 300 stunning images and archive documents, this beautiful book brings to life the romance and history of the lighthouses that inspire such fascination.

When you finish reading this book, you?ll understand just what you need to do to build a terrific boat. A boat that is lightweight, forever appealing to the eye, a boat that doesn?t leak and doesn?t require much in the way of upkeep. And, because the book is clearly written and heavily illustrated with hundreds of drawings and hundreds of photographs, this lovely boat will look as though your stock in trade is indeed that of ?boatbuilder?. How is this truly possible? The devil is in the details. Boat carpenter John Brooks is a picky guy--a trait you want in your teacher: he's a builder who abhors bits of epoxy messing-up a nice long clean planking line. He's going to show you so many techniques for ?getting it right? your head will almost spin. From his unique building jig and clamping system to his masking techniques, you?re on your way to the land of craftsmanship. Several years from now when your out for your thousandth row and you lean forward on the oars pausing to just look at the boat, we?ll bet you?ll still smile at the sight. John knows your attention to detail in the building stage will pay-off in spades for years and years to come, and that line-up of planks, the way it all fits makes the difference. Read the book, use the index to quickly find all those bits of information, and sharpen your tools because you?ve just sharpened your mind. John Brooks spends his summers teaching boatbuilding, and his winters building boats. Co-authoring the book is John's wife Ruth Ann Hill, who when not helping to build boats, is plying her writer trade. You'll benefit from her ability to clearly and concisely convert the physical building processes into words.

Originally published in 1894, this book presents a detailed study of ships from the Mediterranean area during the period 1000 BC to 1000 AD. Evidence is drawn from written sources, including inscriptions and literature, and material sources, such as the ruins of the docks at Athens and small surviving pieces of the ships themselves. The text provides detailed information on the structural elements of ships and includes an appendix section on different types of ship. Illustrative figures are also included. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in the ancient world and shipping.

Metals have been used in boats for thousands of years, as components of the vessel's construction, as load-bearing parts of the rigging and steering systems, and for a wide variety of domestic and service duties. Due to misunderstandings of the properties of the metals used, and in some cases to questionable design and manufacture, there have been spectacular and sometimes tragic failures of boats' metalworking. These continue even today. This new book explains in layman's terms how a wide variety of metal alloys may best be selected, formed and manufactured to give optimum performance in the typical conditions of a sailing or powered vessel. Subjects as wide-ranging as anodes, batteries, hulls, skin fittings and rigging components are described in detail, enabling the boat owner to select the preferred material for his vessel.