Hi Steve sounds a fascinating book, is it generally available or do you have a specific source. (It's sometimes difficult to find things out here in the colonies).

Phillipa, I think we've been round this bouy before, but "hooker" can be either a generic derogatory, or fond term for a ship. I assume it was from this usage that the common US land based usage derived. I was always puzzled as to why people in American films referred to women as ships!

The name Hooker I understand, originated with a type of Dutch fishing vessel, and as noted in the very brief description of the Galway boats on the link you provided, there seems to be certain similarities in construction, "apple cheeked" being a common description applied to Dutch vessels. How much this is due to direct influence and how much to convergent design for a similar task is open to question. Do you know if this is addressed in any of the references mentioned on the site?

Pete M