Did they have plastic boats in WWII like that?,(reply>), @PajamaMan I imagine there was enough slack between the net and the trawlers to generally keep them a safe distance from the detonation,(reply>), @Dalton Nabors What about the guys on the wooden trawler?,(reply>), @PajamaMan Thats the idea,(reply>), @Decpeachyboy Wait, wouldn't a magnetic net explode the mines!?,(reply>), @PajamaMan No. In WWII a minesweeper would be two wooden trawlers dragging a magnetic net between them. The reason the HMS Middleton isn't made of wood is because glass-reinforced plastic still (mostly) protects it from small arms fire.