I have added a small amount of information, which may amuse those interested in vessels of the Shannon Estuary, to yesterday’s post. I have also included links to some information about The Hon Captain Pakenham, whose career and family links are interesting.
Note the possibility that Mr Paterson’s naval career was ended by the Treaty of Amiens.
Irish waterways history 
Hi,
I am interested in the professional boatmen who trained on the 19c sailing turf boats, and then worked on the yachts and on the houseboats and steamers. Have we found any more information about them?
Vincent Delany
I can’t speak for anybody else but it’s not a topic I have researched (or am likely to research in the foreseeable future). I don’t know how many such boatmen could be regarded as “professional”: they might not have been full-time boatmen. And the proportion who “then” worked on yachts, houseboats or steamers is likely to have been small as turf boats were far more numerous. Even there, though, hands might have been casual labour, employed only during the season. bjg