# Third Class fishing boat registration?



## Mike Craine (Oct 16, 2006)

When did fishing boat registrations stop putting the port letters after the number ie 123AH 206PL? I think this was only used on 3rd class boats that worked coastal waters. 1st and 2nd class boats used the more normal AH124/PL207. This was in the days of sail. Any information about this request would be very much appreciated. Thanks.


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## cmcbain (Dec 26, 2007)

Mike,

I have seen this before too. I have in a book "Fifes Fishing Industry" a couple of photos of boats one 'Janet' 412KY (circa 1900) and 'Mistletoe' 44ML. Underneath the photo of Mistletoe it said its from the 1920's and; "for a time, boats under 15 tons burden were marked with thier registration numbers first followed by the letter code of thier port of registry, in this case, Methil"

Cheers

Calum


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## gil mayes (Nov 20, 2006)

Mike
I did not join in before because I thought that others would comment and we would all learn something. 1st and 2nd Class smacks, particularly those in the Brixham fleet and registered at Dartmouth carried the port letters after the number, some of them well into the 1890s. This practise may have been at other ports, but I have only seen it in old Brixham photographs. Some 3rd class boats registered at Preston carried the port number aft for a while after the practise was reversed but a few were not painted up at all until after the Act of 1894.
Gil.


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## grahamtowa (May 27, 2006)

It was the 2nd class boats that had the letters at the rear. i.e. 123AB. First and third class had letters first, i.e AB123.


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## grahamtowa (May 27, 2006)

Should have added- the above info is from 1901 Fishemens nautical almanack.


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