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.

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.

Britain has a history of producing and using a wonderful array of fishing boats, some of which still sail under private ownership. These older vessels developed in their own unique ways, dependent on local traditions, the type of fishing, their place of operation and innovation from fishermen and boatbuilders alike. Later, with motorisation, they changed dramatically through the steam era until the advent of the internal combustion engine. Today fishing boats old and new attract scores of people to fishing harbours everywhere, inspired by picturesque scenes, the life on board or the new breed of vessels with their modern technology in an ever-increasing competitive market.

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.

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 coastline of Europe has one of the most diverse collections of fishing boats to be found upon any of the continental coasts of the world. From the Viking-influenced waters of Scandinavia and Northern Europe to the Southern European coasts with their roots firmly placed in the early vessels of the Eastern Mediterranean shipwrights of old, scholars have identified hundreds of different types of craft. For the first time fisheries historian Mike Smylie has put together a collection of many of these craft through his own pen and ink drawings. From the great sailing boats of the northern herring fisheries to the small river canoes and beach-based sail and oar craft, this book catalogues a general cross-sectional record of European fishing boats of the last two centuries, put together in one book for the first time in the English language. Although the roots of many of these vessels go back many generations, in the main those shown are still in existence in some form or other, even if not for their original intended use, and have survived through the skill of boatbuilders and fishermen, and more recently the dedication of enthusiastic owners.

The first deep-sea fishing boats of Cornwall are regarded as being influenced by the three-masted French luggers that sailed over to cause havoc amongst the locals. However, fishing had been practised by Cornishmen for many generations before that, with mackerel and pilchard fishing being prominent. Inshore, lobster and crab fishing had also been popular for generations. This book looks at the development of Cornish fishing boats, from the lugger to Pilchard seine-net boats, once as prolific as the luggers and usually built locally, as were traditional lobster and crab vessels. These are discussed alongside more unusual boats, such as the St Ives 'jumbo' and the Mevagissey 'tosher'. The book brings the story up to date, including modern photos of existing boats gathering for the bi-annual Looe lugger regatta. After motorisation, the shape of the boat changed forever and the adaptation of old boats to accommodate engines is examined, as are the famous yards and boatbuilders of Cornwall still operational today.

This is the story of Britain's commercial fishermen, who have sailed out into the ravages of the surrounding seas to bring back the fish to feed their country for centuries. Theirs is one of history's most dangerous jobs and whole communities have been affected by disasters from which a number of the town's men may not have returned: in 1872 some 129 fishermen were lost in one night alone. Loss of life in the industry was caused by a number of factors: extreme weather conditions, lack of emergency support and, perhaps most crucially, most couldn't swim. Today commercial fishing is still one of the most perilous occupations in the country, claiming the lives of the fishermen and consuming those of the families left behind. Thus it is clear how poignant this history is to the occupation.

The fishing industry has always been important to Britain. From the deepsea trawlers to the traditional craft that sailed around the coast, the harbours of the West Coast, Irish Sea and Bristol Channel were once full of craft, large and small, which employed men and women in their thousands. The third volume of Mike Smylie's Fishing Industry Through Time covers from the Solway Firth all the way to Hartland Point in Devon. Fishing was not just about the boats involved but also the people and Mike Smylie gives an insight into the lives of those who worked the boats, who repaired the nets and who gutted and sold the fish. From the mighty trawling port of Fleetwood to salmon fishing on the River Dee, from herring to prawns and cockles, he gives us a rare insight into an almost-lost industry that once employed huge numbers.

Maritime historian Mike Smylie takes the reader on a wonderfully comprehensive journey through the history of fishing in and around Morecambe Bay in this first book to be devoted to fishing in the locale. It spans a wide area covering places such as Barrow, Ulverston, Grange-over-Sands, Morecambe, Glasson and Fleetwood. Focusing on an area that was brought to national attention after the tragic deaths of twenty-one cockle pickers there in 2004, it covers a wide variety of topics - from salmon and shrimps to Lancashire nobbies and fishing on horseback - ensuring there is something of interest to everyone. Featuring over 170 photographs, many of which have been locally sourced, this book is packed full of interesting facts, such as the use of horses to drag trawl-nets through shallow waters - a practice unique to the British coast. Recounting the history of the fisheries by boat, horse and hand, Fishing around Morecambe Bay is sure to appeal to both fishing industry enthusiasts and those with an interest in the history of the local area.

Britain has had, over many hundreds of years, a huge diversity of working boats operating around her coasts. This work offers an account of the Lochfyne skiff that emerged from generations of innovation and which resulted in one of the prettiest workboats to have graced the British shores.