Articles & News

14th April 2017

UK Fishing Vessel Licenses Explained

Issued by the UK Government’s Marine Management Organisation, a commercial fishing vessel license permits a vessel to fish in specified areas of the sea. At the current time, no new licenses are being...

4th April 2017

RIB Buying Guide: Things to Consider

RIB stands for Rigid Inflatable Boat and refers to a variety of vessels that principally share a similar structure; a lightweight vessel with a solid hull and an inflatable collar at the gunwhale. Des...

3rd March 2017

Fishing Folklore and Seafaring Superstitions

Every profession has their superstitions, traditional customs and strange beliefs but mariners (and specifically fishermen) have more than their fair share. Most are associated with bad luck and are p...

17th February 2017

Mapping the Seas of The British Isles: The Pentland Firth

With some of the strongest tides and fastest currents in the world, the Pentland Firth is one of Britain’s most famous stretches of water. Though not actually a firth but rather a strait, the Pentland...

7th December 2016

About FAL Propeller Service for props, shafts and sterngear

FAL Scottish Propeller Service Ltd was first established in 1961 by Mr. Fred A. Langnes who was a Norwegian evacuee from the north of Norway and came to this country in 1944. When he arrived in Glasgo...

10th November 2016

Focus on Boat Builders: Nobles of Girvan

With a long reputation of quality boat building, precision marine engineering and reliable workmanship, Nobles of Girvan is one of the UK’s best known and well-respected boat yards. One of only three...

28th October 2016

Focus on Boat Builders: Cygnus Marine, Cornwall

Established in Falmouth in 1972, Cygnus Marine specialised in building GRP fishing boats and pleasure craft. Although it is no longer an active business, having ceased trading in 2007, the business wa...

19th October 2016

Focus on Ports: Lerwick (Shetland)

As the most northerly commercial fishing port in the British Isles, Lerwick has a unique advantage over others harbours with its prime location. Situated 210 miles off the coast of Aberdeen, 230 miles...

14th September 2016

Iceland history of fishing, cod war video

Fishing in Iceland dates back to the time of the earliest settlers during the late 9th to early 10th centuries when Norse Vikings migrated from mainland Europe. The topography and climate of the land...

10th September 2016

Focus on Ireland's Ports

Contributing €891 million to the Irish economy and employing just 11,000 people, the fishing sector in Ireland may seem relatively modest compared to the national income and employment but the figures...

1st September 2016

Traditional fishing boats: The Galway Hooker

Every region of the world has its own distinct design of traditional fishing boats. Vessels that have been specifically adapted through the ages to suit the incumbent weather and sea conditions as wel...

12th August 2016

Focus on Fishing in Norway

Henningsvær Situated on the Southern Coast of the Lofoten archipelago in Norway, the fishing village of Henningsvær offers a glimpse of traditional Norwegian fishing. With a population of just under 5...

2nd August 2016

Focus on Ports: Plymouth

Known as Britain’s Ocean City, Plymouth, with an annual landing of approximately 11.1 thousand tonnes of fish each year (2014), is the third largest port in the South West of England and 7th in the UK...

27th July 2016

Traditional fishing boats: The Lancashire Nobby

A type of inshore sailing boat, the nobby is an adaptation of a traditional fishing boat that became common around Lancashire and the Isle of Man. It originated around Southport and Morecambe Bay in t...

18th July 2016

Focus on Ports: <b>Scrabster</b>

Situated on the north east coast of Scotland on Thurso Bay near Caithness, Scrabster was the 4th largest port across the UK in 2014 with annual landing figures of 16.2 hundred thousand tonnes. The por...

10th July 2016

Focus on Ports: Fraserburgh

Located in Aberdeenshire on the north east coast of Scotland, Fraserburgh is a busy commercial harbour and is the largest shellfish port in Europe landing over 12,000 tonnes in 2008. Fraserburgh also...

1st July 2016

Wärtsilä & Stork engines A brief history

Stork marine engines have a good reputation in the market and offer a good quality product in medium and high-speed propulsion, often across a specialised commercial market.

9th June 2016

The propeller: A brief guide to its history, design and maintenance

An essential component of most vessels the boat propeller is a humble and elementary piece of technology that has evolved over time to deliver thrust to mechanised boating. From its origins in scullin...

26th May 2016

Yamaha Marine Outboards: A brief history

Yamaha, as a corporation, dates back to 1887 when the company (called Nippon Gakki Co. Ltd at the time) began producing musical instruments such as the reed organ and upright piano’s. The company dive...

8th May 2016

Finding fish: Methods to improve your chance of fishing success

It’s often said that 80% of fish are caught by 20% of fishermen but, if this is true, why are some people more successful at fishing than others? If we look at this common saying the naysayers suggest...

26th April 2016

Baudouin Marine Engines: A brief history

Respected worldwide and renowned for their reliable, high quality and competitive range of marine diesel engines, Motors Baudouin has been in business for almost a hundred years and remains a premier...

15th April 2016

Marine electronics explained: GPS

GPS or Global Positioning System is a satellite based navigation system comprised of 31 satellites that orbit the Earth. As well as marine navigation GPS has many uses in both civilian and military op...

5th April 2016

Ocean currents: How the Gulf Stream affects Europe’s fishing waters

Currents are undoubtedly at the heart of all life in the ocean and their importance in stabilising sea temperature, salinity and circulating nutrients and CO2 cannot be overstated. Changes in these cu...

3rd April 2016

Fishing methods explained: Pots, inkwells and creels

The fishing industry is a diverse one and the range of methods used is as varied as the fish they are designed to catch with many fishermen only being conversant in the method to which they are accust...