Fishermen, smugglers, and Royal Navy service

Did sailors return from the Navy with prize money to buy fishing vessels, and which fishing communities benefited?

There was movement between coastal trades and naval service, with prize money among its attractions. Cornish fishermen and smugglers receive the most attention, but no particular fishing fleet is identified as having expanded through vessels bought with those earnings.

Cornish fishermen and smugglers could bring detailed knowledge of the French coast into Royal Navy service. Captains valued that experience in sailing masters and navigators, sometimes making naval employment an alternative to arrest. Service could also provide protection from creditors and an opportunity to earn prize money. Local knowledge could guide attacks on French smuggling bases, with the possibility of settling former commercial grudges before returning to civilian life. A recalled captain's insistence on retaining his sailing master and experienced ratings illustrates the value placed on trusted practical knowledge.