Download Fishing Craft and Fisheries of Hong Kong by British Naval Intelligence

The Ku tsai teng, a Hong Kon junk used for purse sein fishing. Click the images for an expanded view. (Source: B.R. 1050B, p.25, figs. 20-21)

Now available for free download is The Fishing Craft and Fisheries of Hong Kong (B.R. 1050B). Published in 1944 "for official use only," it describes the craft and their uses, illustrating them with line drawings of deck arrangements and longitudinal hull cross-sections, sail plans, and photos. It documents fishing methods in unusual technical detail with informative illustrations, like the one below. It's an excellent resource.

One of several trawling methods illustrated in The Fishing Craft and Fisheries of Hong Kong (Source: B.R. 1050B, p.33, figs. 25-26)

The Fishing Craft and Fisheries of Hong Kong is the second from a series published by the Naval Intelligence Division of the British Admiralty that we are making available thanks to a friend who has been assiduously scanning these and other rare and out-of-print books about Asian watercraft so that we can offer them free to our readers. Here is the list of free downloadable books.

Free Download: British Naval Intelligence Guide to Watercraft of Burma, Malaya and Siam

Leg-paddling a dugout canoe on Lake Inle, Burma (i.e., Myanmar) (source: Fishing and Trading Craft of Burma, Malaya and Siam, 1944, fig. 42).

Toward the end of the Second World War, the Naval Intelligence Division of the British Admiralty published a series of guidebooks to the native craft of southeast Asia and western Pacific islands. A friend of this blog who wishes to remain anonymous has painstakingly scanned these documents and made them available to us, to share for free with our readers. The first one we are presenting is B.R.1050A: Fishing and Trading Craft of Burma, Malaya and Siam, published in 1944.

The prahu payang, a Malayan boat of about 34' (~10.4m) used for sein-fishing (source: Fishing and Trading Craft of Burma, Malaya and Siam, 1944, fig. 95)

Although Allied naval forces had an obvious interest in recognizing various forms of native craft, the book is much more than an indentification guide (although it is that). It also describes boatbuilding and fishing practices, including fishing methods that were not conducted from boats, such as shore seining and fish traps. It covers dozens of ocean-going, harbor, and inland vessels, their uses, the locations of construction and use, and includes a wealth of maritime-ethnographic data that would be difficult to find elsewhere. A great many photos and line drawings are included, showing the boats and their uses, various construction details, and fishing methods.

Download Fishing and Trading Craft of Burma, Malaya and Siam.

Stay tuned: future posts will provide links to more volumes in the series.

Present Your Early Watercraft Findings at EWA-2

The second international congress on Early Watercraft (EWA-2) is seeking proposals for presentations. The conference will be held in Derry/Londonderry, Northern Ireland, 6-8 November, 2026. The deadline for submissions is 1 June, 2026.

As described on its website, the Early Watercraft Association hopes to see "all forms of early watercraft represented and considered: dugout boats/logboats, bark boats, skin-on-frame or hide boats, basket boats, rafts, and early plank-built boats". 

The conference is not just for the academic/scientific communities, and hopes to attract the unique perspectives and contributions of craftspeople, artists, mariners, and other non-academic practitioners. New ideas and creative approaches to presentations are encouraged.

For more information, visit https://earlywatercraft.com/second-ewa-international-congress/

Disclosure: Bob Holtzman, the owner/author of this blog, is a member of the EWA-2 conference organizing committee.