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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The definitive volume on Britains traditional fishing boats, by the
author of Herring: A History of the Silver Darlings. The Coasts of
Britain and Ireland are surrounded by some of the most tempestuous
waters in the world and are among the most diverse too. For
centuries, the inhabitants of these isles have harvested the rich
bounty that lay just offshore. As a result of the diverse nature of
the coast, each area of the UK and Ireland has developed its own
unique fishing craft, ideally suited to its own local environment.
Mike Smylie examines the roots and development of each native
design. Many illustrations, drawings and diagrams portray the boats
in their halcyon days. Mike Smylie introduces us to the background
of the once great fishing fleets that sailed British waters and
looks at the catches and markets for fish, before setting round the
coast describing each fishing boat design, introducing them to the
reader, explaining how each design suited its local environment, as
well as telling us the story of the fishing industry in each
locality.
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.
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