I know this is meant to be an angling website, but you can’t be on a boat in the Solent area without sooner or later seeing an unusual vessel with historical connections. We often see square rigged sailing vessels, preserved MTBs and air-sea rescue launches and this year we also saw the Waverley. The picture above was taken as she passed me while I was fishing the autumn cod marks off Gilkicker. This is the last operational paddle steamer in the world, and sho goes on a national tour every year providing trips and hosting corporate events. If you want to find out more about any of the historic vessels you see, check out the National Historic Ships database. Even small privately owned vessels are listed, and some of the stories behind the boats are fascinating. More details on the Waverley are here