Robert takes us back in time with new book

Coast.

Taken mostly from his own huge collection and with the addition of significant input from several generous contributors, the photos, from Victorian glass plate negatives through to modern digital images, record many aspects of our local maritime heritage over a period of about 160 years.

As an island we depended entirely on ships and the sea for hundreds of years for the movement of goods and people.

The book captures many historic events from these times past.

Over 80 high-quality pages with images of sailing ships, steamships, motor ships,dockers, shipwrecks, port and harbour scenes, visiting warships, lifeboats and seamen all illustrate a bygone age that still fascinates many younger readers as well as kindling the reminiscences of older generations.

Each photograph is accompanied by a well-researched and detailed caption giving the reader an insight into aspects of the maritime world sometimes not generally

seen or understood by the general public.

Printed by Ballycastle based Impact Printing to their usual very high production standards, the volume is due for publication in mid-June and will be available at good bookshops and other outlets throughout the Causeway Coast area priced at £8.50.

Robert is a well known Coleraine man.

He has been an active shipmaster for over 40 years. The son of a seafarer, he spent 25 years as the Dredging Master and a River Bann Pilot with Coleraine Harbour Commissioners before extending his career further afield and serving as Master on a variety of dredgers and small passenger vessels within the UK. He has also served as Harbour Master at the ports of Portavogie and Portrush and was a member of Coleraine Harbour Commissioners, becoming Chairman for a number of years.