Continuing the build of a ship Photograph Library it would be remiss to not feature the many Coasters and Short Sea Traders to be found around the coastlines of most countries of the World. This category will feature many of the Coasters and Short Sea Traders to be found around the coastlines of most countries of the World. Crucial to trade and perhaps a method of moving goods, that could and should be looked at today as a means of reducing the output of harmful emission gases into the atmosphere.
The many small and larger Dredgers that without which the waterways would soon silt up and be useless to larger vessels, will also feature here.
One small vessel could keep perhaps 20 to 50 heavy trucks from our roads.
The Canal system in the U.K. could be resurrected and improved upon as a wonderful means of moving goods from point A to B.
It would require investment and perhaps some vision but I see this as a great way of improving our carbon footprint in a polluted world that will only get worse.
With improved engines on small ships such as Hybrid, or electric and so on this would also help to regenerate the shipbuilding industry in the U.K.
Compared to many other countries around the world we in the U.K. don’t just neglect or ignore the past (Thereby never learning from it) we also don’t use one of our largest resources. That resource, being our coastline which is the longest in Europe, and inland waterways, poorly looked after and in the later case I am tempted to say pretty run as well.
Ships such as the small Arklow Rogue shown above could be put to a far greater use to deliver the goods and materials that we have to import into the U.K. now as we don’t manufacture very much compared to previous times.
This is a weakness now being put to a severe test with the advent of the Covid-19 virus, as we struggle to supply the manufactured goods necessary in the war against the disease. I could point back to the Thatcher years in Britain along with a succession of inept Governments to show why this is so, but I shall not.