|Barry Your description of a Galway hooker is fair enough! The main distinguishing characteristic is the exagerated "tumblehome" (curvature of the topsides of the hull). They're now raced enrgetically on the West Coast of Ireland, in summer. Apart from fishing, their other main use was in transporting turf.

Regards

p.s. In Athlone, where I live, there was a pub called "The Hooker", for many years. There was a constant stream of women getting their photograph taken standing outside it! They didn't seem interested in the model boat in the window!