Great Yarmouth, located on the east coast of England at the mouth of the River Yare, has long been an important maritime hub. Historically a major fishing port, its commercial significance shifted in the late 20th century towards handling general cargo, offshore support and energy-related shipping. Since the 1980s, Great Yarmouth’s port has seen a steady stream of coastal cargo vessels and coasters arriving from across the North Sea, the Baltic and Europe.
In the 1980s and 1990s small to medium-sized coasters, such as those illustrated here, were regular callers, bringing in timber, grain, aggregates, cement and other bulk commodities. Many were of less than 3,000dwt and were flagged not only in the UK, Netherlands and Germany, but also further afield. Their shallow draughts suited the Yare’s narrow and tide-dependent…
