Series contains materials related to Alan Haig-Brown's marine writing, including drafts of his published books and research sources.

Haig-Brown has written several published books, most focusing on the commercial fishing industry in British Columbia. The drafts in the series include the non-fiction, award-winning "Fishing for a Living" (1993) and the children's book, "The Suzie A" (1991). The research sources relate to various figures in the BC fishing industry, and to specific boats. Several schematic drawings of boats are also included within individual files.

Series contains photographs documenting various aspects of the marine industry and culture on the western and southern coasts of North America and the Asian Pacific coast primarily; there are some photographs taken in the Netherlands and Brazil.

Subjects depicted in the photographs include exteriors and interiors of numerous types of boats and ships, as well as practices, technologies and personalities in the marine trades. Some photographs are of marine engines produced by Cummins, for whom Haig-Brown writes a regular web newsletter called Hotips (alternately, Hottips).

The series also contains several photographs of Alan Haig-Brown's family, including his spouse Anya; his sister, Valerie Haig-Brown, editor and eldest daughter of Roderick Haig-Brown; and his daughter, filmmaker Helen Haig-Brown.