For centuries, ships' commanders kept journals that recorded their missions. These included voyages of discovery to unknown lands, engagements in war and sea and general trade. Many of their logs, diaries and letters were lodged at The National Archives and give a vivid picture of the situations that they encountered. Entries range from Captain James Cook's notes of his discovery of the South Pacific and Australia, to logs of the great naval battles, such as Trafalgar and the Battle of the Nile. From the ships that attempted to stop piracy in the Caribbean, to the surgeons who recorded the health of the men they tended and naturalists who noted the exotic plants and animals they encountered, comes a fascinating picture of life at sea, richly illustrated with maps, drawings and facsimile documents found alongside the logs in the archives.

In Tasmania, John Cook is known as 'The Keeper of the Flame'. As one of Australia's longest-serving lighthouse keepers, John spent 26 years tending Tasmania's well-known kerosene 'lights' at Tasman Island, Maatsuyker Island and Bruny Island. From sleepless nights keeping the lights alive, battling the wind and sea as they ripped at gutters and flooded stores, raising a joey, tending sheep and keeping ducks and chickens, the life of a keeper was one of unexpected joy and heartbreak. But for John, nothing was more heartbreaking than the introduction of electric lights, and the lighthouses that were left empty forever. Evocatively told, The Last Lighthouse Keeper is a love story between a man and a dying way of life, as well as a celebration of wilderness and solitude.

To celebrate 60 years of sailing Scottish waters, the author single-handedly sailed Halcyon, a 32' wooden yawl, from Fairlie on the Clyde, round the Mull of Kintyre by way of numerous inner islands to Barra in the Outer Hebrides and to the Atlantic side of the islands, not often visited by cruising yachts. Bad weather forced a diversion to explore the sea lochs of the west coast of Harris and Lewis, the islands of Taransay (of the BBC's Castaway series) and Scarp, famed for its ingenious 'Rocket Post' experiment. While visiting these numerous islands, he met local people and experienced the sometimes violent extremes of weather such as when he was storm-bound in Stornoway for several days. There are stories galore about the island people, snippets of interesting history, legends and folklore, tales of the sea and island life, the Hebridean fishermen and lighthouses - thus uncovering another dimension of island life. Bob recounts his travels and tales, some previously unpublished, in a relaxed and highly-readable style. As well as being a unique travel book, it is an insight into the rapidly-changing ways of island life and a useful sailing guide to the Western Isles and anchorages in the Hebrides. It would be of immeasurable help to sailors keen to venture into some of the lesser-known sailing areas of Western Scotland. This vivid and entertaining story of adventurous sailing among Scotland's beautiful but challenging Western Isles will be enjoyed by keen sailors and armchair travellers alike - a truly memorable journey of over 1000 miles!

This book contains a memoir written by Miriam Lawrence describing the extraordinary voyage she made in 1848-50 aged 20. She had accompanied her husband, Captain Alexander Lawrence, on the maiden voyage of the Charlotte Jane, a wooden 3 mast merchant sailing ship. They set sail with their baby daughter, a teenage nursemaid, a surgeon and 264 emigrants for Sydney, Australia. Then they sailed to Hong Kong, Singapore, Bombay, Whampoa (Canton), returning via Cape Town to London. Besides the memoir, there are extracts from her husband's logbook and letters to and from Miriam's parents. There are also maps showing each stage of the voyage, illustrations of the ship from the Canterbury Museum Christchurch, New Zealand, and contemporary pictures of the places visited. They were nearly shipwrecked, faced fearful storms and at one point a near mutiny. Their second child was born in the China Seas. Miriam's writing provides an evocative account of what it had been like for a young woman to take part in such an adventure; one which many British merchant seamen were undertaking at that date: circumnavigating the world.

Canals reached their zenith in the eighteenth century during the Industrial Revolution, before the arrival of the railways usurped their position, whereupon a number of them fell into disrepair and disuse. For many years forgotten, canals and waterways have enjoyed an enormous resurgence in popularity as the recent leisure industry has placed them once more at the forefront of a lively community. This fascinating book delves into the murkiest criminal cases to occur or be associated with the canals and waterways of Britain, including many high-profile murders, and considering other crimes such as pick-pocketing, robberies, drunkenness and assaults. Also looking at the use of canal crime in film and literature, this illustrated history offers a chilling glimpse into the criminal past.

While a large number of books have dealt with the navies and war at sea during the World Wars, the immediate aftermaths have generally received only minimal coverage. However, the fates of defeated navies are of enormous interest from a number of perspectives. These include the relative priorities of the victorious powers, acquisition and testing of ex-enemy materiel and the intended future capabilities of those ex-enemy navies that were to be allowed to continue to exist. This new book traces the histories of navies and ships of the defeated powers from the months leading up to the relevant armistices or surrenders through to the final execution of the appropriate post-war settlements. In doing so, it discusses the way in which the victorious powers reached their final demands, how these were implemented, and to what effect. The later histories of ships that saw subsequent service, either in their original navies or in those navies which acquired them, are also described. In doing this, much use is made of material drawn from archival, and in some cases archaeological, sources, some of which has never previously been used. Through these, a wide range of long-standing myths are busted, and some badly distorted modern views and assessments of events in the wake of the conflicts put right. The fascinating narrative will be accompanied by tabulated lists of all major navy-built (and certain significant ex-mercantile) enemy ships in commission at the relevant date of the armistice or surrender, or whose hulks were specifically listed for attention in post-Second World War allied agreements. These will include key dates in their careers and their ultimate fates. This highly original book, drawing on archaeological evidence as well as archival sources, and including numerous photographs will become an essential reference tool for all those interested in the naval history of the two World Wars.

The lifeboats of Valentia have been in service since 1946, when the volunteer crew were summoned to action by the firing of maroon flares. Dick Robinson has been associated with the lifeboat station for almost 60 of those years, firstly as a child watching the flares, then as a serving crewmember, and finally as a maritime historian. In this detailed history, he captures the spirit of the station, together with the tragedies and sacrifices that make up its history. "Valentia Lifeboats: A History," has been compiled using the first-hand accounts, original and rare images, and detailed records of the station. It is a fitting tribute to the people who have served here, and will be a record of the station for many years to come.

Fishing the Severn Sea - From Hartland Point to St Ann's Head. The Bristol Channel, once one of the busiest fishing lanes in Great Britain, is a compelling area of the nation's seas to discover, with a unique range of characteristics. In this book, renowned maritime historian Mike Smylie and Simon Cooper, expert in the field, delve into the variety of fishing methods used in the past and present around this coastline. The area from Hartland Point in the south-west of England to St Ann's Head in Wales is examined in detail, via the lower reaches of the River Severn and its estuary, the River Wye and the south coast of Wales. Accompanied by previously unseen photographs and drawings, the authors present a fascinating account of the lives of the 'Severn Sea' fishermen, the boats they used and the way they went about bringing in their catches. Encompassing stories from the herring fishers of Clovelly to long-netting on the Severn and the harvest of oysters off Swansea, this book is a must for fishing enthusiasts and those with an interest in local history.

The main focus of this book is the impact of maritime fraud on contracts for sale and carriage, documentary credits and marine insurance. It covers all varieties of maritime fraud, from the most serious downwards, describing the methods employed and the risks to traders and carriers. At the serious end of the spectrum, pirates capture an entire ship, often murdering the entire crew, in order to sell the cargo (to which of course they have no title), later to use the "innocent" ship to pose as innocent traders. Less serious (but perhaps of greater interest to lawyers) are misdescriptions of cargo in, or backdating of, bills of lading, and other deceptions, usually practised on purchasers and banks.

Crew's Ship Affairs is the third book in the stand-alone Blue-Collar Romance novels series, written by Bob Ojala.  The previous two books, A Tugboater's Life and The Tugboater Family revolved around the drama and romances of the Great Lakes sailors working in the tough and dangerous Marine Construction business..  This third novel continues with many of the same endearing characters, with a new character, Bob Evers, continuing to tell the tugboater crews about his unusual experiences while working aboard numerous passenger cruise ships. Most cruise ship passengers are not privy to what happens beneath the passenger decks, but Bob Evers experienced and understands the relationships that can occur, both good and bad, when 600-1000 men and women live together for four to eight months at a time..  The Crew's Ship Affairs reader will be shocked and fascinated, even at times envious, of how these various cultures learn to treat one another with respect. Romance takes on many different meanings under such circumstances..  Mr. Ojala is a Naval Architect and Marine Surveyor, very familiar with the Great Lakes. He has traveled the world to inspect ships, including over 165 Passenger Ship Cruises as an environmental auditor..  Most of the characters and experiences in the Blue-Collar Romances series come from Mr. Ojala's personal observations, changing the names where needed. His respect for the sailors and their families is obvious in these stories..  Maritime industry readers will love the true-life drama, and readers appreciating good romance will love the character's personal interactions.