A Margate 'Hoy', a type of sailing boat often used for freight purposes but in this case one of the boats which in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries would ferry passengers from London along the Thames and then down the Kent coast to enjoy the fresh air and delights of seaside towns such as Margate. They gradually fell into disuse as their role was taken over by steamships, one of which is seen in the background of this illustration, overtaking the Hoy.