Tyne coal keel : a unique British watercraft, 1400-1890 /by Adrian Osler

"Once seen on the river Tyne in their hundreds, for over five centuries these black-hulled, black-sailed watercraft provided a vital link in the transport chain of Britain's biggest energy business, the 'Coal Trade'. Here, for the first time, is the keel's story: a story that is told with the authority of a scholar, the practical grasp of a lifelong boat user, and the familiarity of a long-term local resident. It is an intriguing tale of a commonplace medieval boat that, over time, evolved into a cruical component and popular icon of Tyneside's pioneering industrial age."