Blind Bay Hookers: The Little Ships of Early Nelson

Nelson's "Mosquito Fleet" of little sailing vessels played an important role in the first century of European settlement, not only in Blind Bay but around the whole top half of the South Island and across Cook Strait. From the Deal boats that came from England with the First New Zealand Company ships to the Tasmanian ketches and the Auckland built scows that carried timber, coal and other cargoes in and out of the bays, these vessels were the lifelines of a rugged and isolated region and their story is told in the context of the pioneers who built them, sailed them and depended on them. Fred Westrupp's forebears were Nelson sailors and boat builders and his family continues to follow the call of the sea. This book is history viewed from the foredeck. It is a story of achievement, complemented by a detailed chronology of Nelson vessels, illustrated from museum and private archives and enhanced by personal memories and anecdotes.