Britain has a history of a wonderful array of sailing fishing boats, some of which still sail under private ownership. These older vessels developed in their own unique ways which were dependent on local traditions, the type of fishing, their place of operation and, lastly, innovation from fishermen and boatbuilders alike. With motorisation they changed dramatically through the steam era until the advent of the internal combustion engine. In time they became known as the motorised fishing vessel (MFV) and today some of these still work. Today fishing boats still attract all sorts of people to fishing harbours everywhere and many are drawn to the new breed of ubiquitous boats that compete for ever decreasing stocks of fish. AUTHOR: Mike Smylie is a maritime historian specialising in the fishing industry. He has written many articles on the subject for various magazines such as Classic Boat and is the author of 23 books. During the summer he travels widely through Britain and into the European mainland with his herring exhibition 'Kipperland', which tells the story of the herring industry.

He is a founder member of the 40+ Fishing Boat Association and edits their thrice-yearly newsletter Fishing Boats. SELLING POINTS: * Charting how Britain's rich heritage of fishing vessels have changed over time, looking at individual key areas * From early boats through motorization and into the steam era and the advent of the internal combustion engine * Expert author delves into his lifetime's collection to tell this story * Packed with information, including Did You Know facts, and specifications * Full of colorful and archive photographs 65 col illustrations 35 b/w illustrations.