Table of Contents
SHARK HUNTING IN IRELAND
By Criustuir MacCarthaigh
For centuries the islanders of the Irish west coast and, most particularly, of Achill, hunted the basking shark for its valuable oil. Offering only seasonable employment the trade experienced great highs and lows in its long history but finally came to an end in the mid 1980s. The author offers a fascinating insight into the fish, the hunting industry, and the skills and boats employed by the men who chased these gentle giants of the seas.
THE WEST COUNTRY TRADING KETCH, GARLANDSTONE
By Basil Greenhill
Between the late 1800s and early 1900s hundreds of small sailing traders plied the coasts of the British Isles. Today, the fleet has disappeared with only a very few examples surviving to be restored or preserved. One such is the ketch, Garlandstone, whose history, from her 1909 launching to the beginning of her restoration in 1987, is told through personal insight and anecdote.
THE CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION OF THE GARLANDSTONE
By Gary Emerson
Following her historic return to the upper reaches of the Tamar river, Garlandstone underwent a decade-long restoration to floating condition. Today she is docked at Morewellham Quay and is visited by thousands of visitors every year. The author gives a first-hand account of the project.
THE GOLD-RUSH STORESHIP NIANTIC
By James P. Delgado
In the mid 1800s San Francisco grew from a small settlement of a few hundred people to a city of 15,000. Space was at a premium and entrepreneurs took abandoned ships and transformed them into storeships. One such was Niantic, once a trading ship to the China seas, then a Pacific whaling ship and finally a 8ship-buildinge. The author tells the history of the ship at sea, ashore, and as a site of archaeological discovery.
DARING THE SEA
By David W. Shaw
In recent years there have been many transatlantic crossings in oar-powered craft — in 1966 Chay Blyth and John Ridgway rowed from Cape Cod to the Aran Islands and, in 1980, oarsman Garard dfAboville became the first man to make the crossing singlehanded. But such feats were nothing new: in 1896 two professional fishermen set off across the Atlantic in an open rowing boat from New Jersey. Theirs was a story of heroism and adventure.
HULL – LEADING IN MARITIME HISTORY
By David J. Starkey
Never recognized as one of the great British ports, Hull’s past is workaday rather than romantic or heroic, but the ports history is unique and its story is very much a product of the nation that it has served. Today, thanks to generous endowments and a serious commitment from Hull University is hierarchy, the city is leading the way in British maritime historical studies.