Hobbler

A Hobbler was the name for a freelance pilot in the Bristol Channel engaged in guiding ships safely into port through treacherous waters. The trade was highly competitive, with the first to reach the incoming vessels securing the deal. The term was also used in eastern Ireland, and its legacy lives on in gig and skiff racing clubs.

The term was also used amongst river and canal workers, to describe those who provided casual labour, particularly for towing boats.

In south west Wales ‘hobbling’ was also used to describe activities boatmen used to supplement fishing income, such as providing pleasure trips for tourists. The term ‘hobbling’  or ‘on the hobble’  is still used today to describe informal or casual employment.

The roots of the word may be similar to those for ‘Hobby’. A ‘Hobelar’ was a type of light cavalryman or mounted skirmisher in the middle ages.  The gaelic term ‘obann’ means swift.