ed ▁boat ▁build ers ▁around ▁the ▁coast , ▁asking ▁them ▁to ▁collect ▁all ▁boats ▁with ▁" sh allow ▁draft " ▁that ▁could ▁navigate ▁the ▁shall ow ▁waters . ▁Att ention ▁was ▁directed ▁to ▁the ▁pleasure ▁boats , ▁private ▁y ach ts ▁and ▁launch es ▁mo ored ▁on ▁the ▁River ▁Th ames ▁and ▁along ▁the ▁south ▁and ▁east ▁coast s . ▁Some ▁of ▁them ▁were ▁taken ▁with ▁the ▁own ers ' ▁permission ▁– ▁and ▁with ▁the ▁own ers ▁ins isting ▁they ▁would ▁sail ▁them ▁– ▁while ▁others ▁were ▁requ is ition ed ▁by ▁the ▁government ▁with ▁no ▁time ▁for ▁the ▁own ers ▁to ▁be ▁contact ed . ▁The ▁boats ▁were ▁checked ▁to ▁make ▁sure ▁they ▁were ▁se aw orth y , ▁fuel led , ▁and ▁taken ▁to ▁R ams gate ▁to ▁set ▁sail ▁for ▁D unk irk . ▁They ▁were ▁man ned ▁by ▁Naval ▁Offic ers , ▁Rat ings ▁and ▁experienced ▁volunte ers . ▁Very ▁few ▁own ers ▁man ned ▁their ▁own ▁vessels , ▁apart ▁from ▁fish erm en ▁and ▁one ▁or ▁two ▁others . ▁ ▁When ▁they ▁reached ▁France , ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁boats ▁acted ▁as ▁sh utt les ▁between ▁the ▁be aches ▁and ▁the ▁destroy ers , ▁fer ry ing ▁soldiers ▁to ▁the ▁war ships . ▁O thers ▁carried ▁hundreds ▁of ▁soldiers ▁each ▁back ▁to ▁R ams gate , ▁protected ▁by ▁the ▁Royal ▁Air ▁Force ▁from ▁the ▁attacks ▁of ▁the ▁Luft wa ffe . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁Association ▁of ▁D unk irk ▁Little ▁Sh ips , ▁the ▁term ▁" L ittle