Shipping

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution was established in 1824 and has a long and proud tradition of saving life at sea. Today, the volunteer lifeboat crews on the coasts of Lancashire, Cumbria and the Isle of Man operate high-tech, state-of-the-art lifeboats for the purpose of saving lives at sea.

The RNLI currently operates twenty-four lifeboat stations around the North West and Isle of Man. This comprehensive book has details of every one, with information about their histories and the current operations. It also includes details of old stations that have been closed, and contains descriptions of some of the dramatic, courageous and daring rescues undertaken by the lifeboat crews from the region.

Author Nicholas Leach has amassed a wealth of information about the lifeboats and lifeboat stations of the North West and Isle of Man, past and present, visiting every one to provide a complete and up-to-date record of life-saving in the Irish Sea and off the north-west coast of England.

This book tells the story of R.R Portus & Sons who carried domestic coal between the Isle of Man and the mainland using tugs and sea-going cargo barges. It also outlines the tragic circumstances surrounding the sinking in 1948 of the tug Toxteth.

This book celebrates an often overlooked part of Manx maritme history. The wooden steam barge Sirdar has been a feature of island coastal life since the early 1920s and its story, ably told by Captain Stephen Carter, paints a picture of working life in the sea and harbour waters surrounding the Isle of Man.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is the charity that saves lives at sea. For nearly two hundred years its volunteers have shown courage and selflessness in facing storm and shipwreck to offer assistance. Never taken for granted, these qualities of service transcend the centuries to ring as true now as in the earliest days of the lifeboats. This unprecedented new book is a photographic celebration of every-day bravery, compassion, and outstanding commitment in the toughest of conditions. From the Cornish coasts to the Shetland Isles and the Isle of Man (10 pages), we join crewman and photographer Nigel Millard as he travels the length of Britain and Ireland, living and working with his fellow lifeboatmen and accompanying them on their rescue missions. In 2011 alone some 7,976 people were saved by lifeboat crews and a further 17,670 were assisted by the service's new lifeguard units, with lifeboats launching on average almost 20 times a day. This book honours the dedication of generations of hard-working people who generously give their time to those in danger and their families who wait for news while the lifeboats are out - a visual tribute to the sea and those who go to it. All around our coasts, and every day of the year, the men and women of the RNLI are on duty's call. Though the RNLI has evolved, through its technologies and size of organisation, its sense of purpose and vision - to end preventable loss of life at sea - is as clear as it was in the very beginning. This is a simple story of a voluntary rescue service, of men and women happy to race to the assistance of strangers at all hours of day or night should ever the need arise. We hope these photographs show something of this spirit. We are encouraged never to forget the bravery, skill and sacrifice of the people of the RNLI. They are heroes all.

In 2010, the world's oldest steamship line celebrated its 180th anniversary. For 183 years, the Isle of Steam Packet Co. has been the lifeline to the Isle of Man, providing passenger and freight services for the island. Almost into the 20th century, the ships were primarily paddle steamers but screw steamers took over then. In 1962, the first ro-ro ferries arrived and then by the late 1990s catermarans were being used, offering a huge increase in speed.

In this book the author, who has written many books on the Mersey and its ships, tells the story of the Steam Packet through time and he has included a fascinating selection of photographs that traces some of the many ways in which the company has changed overt he last century.

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In 2005 Ferry Publications published "Steam Packet 175" and during the course of the research for this book a large amount of photography was uncovered. The decison was taken at the time to produce a second book, "Steam Packet The Album" as a companion to "Steam Packet 175" to enable all of these photograpghs to be published. The book was an overnight success and outsold the orignal book within six months. In response to many requests to republish the book, this book has now been produced as an updated version of "Steam Packet The Album". Many of the original pictures are included but alot of new material has been added including a chapter which looks in to the future of the Steam Packet in the current environment and economic conditions.

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This mostly full colour pictorial book is a compilation of photographs taken over the past 80 years and supplied by both enthusiasts and established photographers. The photographs predominantly consist of material not previously seen and each image is annotated with a caption.

This book is a revision and update of “Ferries of the Isle of Man Past and Present” and includes a number of photographs not previously published. In addition to presenting a pictorial record of the island’s passenger shipping over more than half a century, it also records the significant changes which have taken place around the ports of the Isle of Man.

This book presents a pictorial record of the changes that have gradually taken place in the shipping scene around the Isle of Man since the Second World War and the present day. The photographs present an unusual insight into the way goods have been carried to the island as well as presenting a visual record of many of the changes in the infrastructure surrounding the island’s harbours.

Named after a Manx King the King Orry of 1913 was a landmark in the technical evolution of the Steam Packet Company being their first ship fitted with geared turbines. Although designed to carry holidaymakers to and from the Isle of Man it was her service as an Armed Boarding Vessel during the two World wars that earned her a place in the Island's maritime history. Her remarkable exploits are recalled in this book.

This book covers the period from the 1960s to the present day. Not only are all the well known passenger ferries in it but also there are many images of the unsung heros of the island's shipping such as the cargo vessels.

With the help of some rarely seen photographs and from the vantage of a lifetime's experience working on passenger boats from Douglas the author traces the history of these Victorian and Edwardian tourist enterprises.

This is the official 175th Anniversary book for the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company. It charts the fascinating history of the company from its earliest days until the present time and features every ship that it has owned. The book contains much previously unpublished material.

This is the story of Manx Line a private shipping company which started the first roll-on/roll-off service between the Isle of Man and the UK. It was spawned from a conventional containerised cargo service which had started in the wake of the industrial action by the National Union of Seamen. The new company with its single ship took on the long established Isle of Man Steam Packet Company and won and its success led to the merger of the two companies. Manx Line had a major and lasting impact on the Island's infrastructure and economy.

In this book, the author reveals the story of a fleet of Castletown registered ships that traded worldwide from 1860 until 1913. Where possible, he also tells details of each ship before and after its service with the Karran Fleet and includes photographic images that have not been seen for over a hundred years.

The author's research explains many personal facts, sometimes heartbreaking for the people involved.