Table of Contents

WINTER HARVEST OF DANGER

By Earl Dotter

Commercial fishing is recorded as the most dangerous of all US industries but, for the daring, commercial fishing reaps high rewards. Battling against the vagaries of weather and falling yields the fishermen of Portland, Maine continue to leave harbour in all weeks of the year in search of their pot of gold. Earl Dotter, winner of the Josephine Patterson Albright Fellowship in Photography, joined the crew of a Portland trawler for ten days at sea.

RESEARCHING THE PAST

By Hannah Cunliffe

As history and our personal links with it become ever more popular, an increasing number of people are heading down the paths of research near and far. British researcher Hannah Cunliffe looks at techniques of maritime investigation in the twenty-first century and offers some invaluable tips for the amateur historian.

CELTIC BOATS AND SHIPS

By Sean McGrail

While the Celts of pre-ad Europe left no written record of their life and times, contemporary sources from other cultures do exist. By combining these with archaeological discoveries, says Professor Sean McGrail, we have learned a great deal about Celtic society and its remarkable maritime achievements. The author unravels the original building techniques and presents a fascinating insight into the vessels and skills of a once widespread seafaring people.

MAN OF ARAN

By Jean-Paul Mathelier

In the early 1930s Robert Flaherty produced a remarkable film documentary on the people and society of the Aran Islands. For seventy years it has stood as a benchmark in realist cinematography and today, re-released on DVD, has lost little of its astonishing impact. Jean-Paul Mathelier tells the story behind the famous shark hunt and discusses the film’s enduring popularity.

THE JAMES CRAIG STORY

By Jeff Toghill

In her day the James Craig was a typical ocean-going trader but now she is one of the world’s most renowned sailing ships. Her history is one of two halves: an unspectacular commercial career followed by a remarkable recovery from a watery grave in Tasmania and a subsequent lengthy restoration. The author tells a story of long survival and dogged Australian determination.

CROSSING THE BAR

By Jevne Haugan

The entrance to the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest is known for its ever-shifting sandbars and confused waters. But who first located it? Who was the first to break through to the calmer waters of the river itself? And how did its discovery affect the development of the region as a whole? Jevne Haugan looks back into the history to reveal a story rich in Indian folklore, piracy, and colonial adventure.