Bit fresh in St Ives

With a fresh northerly draft, SS 246 makes her way in past Smeaton's pier late in the afternoon.....as the harbour road is swept by seas at high water.Back in Newlyn, Badcock's Gallery have just taken delivery of works for their next showing.....
While the wind is revving up for the inevitable winter blows, let's not forget the National Coast Watch Institution who do a stirling job scanning the inshore waters of our coast - here is the watch station at Gwennap Head.
The Ben Loyal tidies up after her latest tuna trip.....
aboard the Cornishman the gear gets its customary end of trip overhaul.

Would one of our boats like to make this?!

News from North of the border for all fans of the BBC Trawlermen series; here's John Buchan skipper of the Ocean Venture opening this year's fish fest looking a tad apprehensive - well guess what, he's just put ashore a trip of £100,100 - bet his pal on the Amity has a wry smile on his face!
Closer to home the new scallop handling system on the Jacoba is taking shape....
with a brand new set of rollers waiting on the quay to be fitted....
With all the mention of Plymouth fish market - check out this archive pic - 'Gentleman' Jim Nixon of seiner Scarlet Thread fame and his 'general factotum', and now market manger at Plymouth, Pete Bromley.
It won't be long before the Newlyn Fisherman's memorial bronze statue is put in place - here the ground is under preparation.

Albacore encore - tuna arrivee!

Past and present WS&S auctioneers, Tony and Laurence are a picture of concentration as the early sale gets under way........
waiting patiently in the queue are 14 boxes of jigged squid - nice day's work Dennis!
500 Tuna from the Charisma on the market this morning along with another 500 consigned to Plymouth to help spread the buying power......
wait for the auctioneer to move their way....
The Charisma in tier alongside the Nova Spero.

German TV hits the harbour!

Star of many a movie, the Ruth cuts a dash off Penlee Point.

Caterers to the visiting German film unit, John Timson serve up a welcome breakfast in the early hours of Saturday morning prior to filming.....while the day's nibbles wait to go aboard locally hired Mermaid II....
and the film crew are given instructions as they don their lifesavers....
local dive support appears on cue......
time to get the divers away, as they steam past freshly painted Grimmy Mike's JoAnne.....
meanwhile, the CSFC patrol boat makes her way quietly to the gaps and off to sea - on a SATURDAY? - whatever next Shane!
and Nigel on the Crystal Waters II heaves a rope ashore after the annual family birthday cruise to Scilly.......
Mermaid II makes her way out with film crew safely stowed aboard and keeping their fingers crossed for some sunshine. Apparently, they will be filming a collision between two boats as part of a TV film for the ZF channel (German BBC equivalent).
Joey heads out for a day on the bass - he hasn't changed much since the photo below, taken around 1977!
and that punt is remarkably similar to the one below!
as another punt steams off for a day on the bass.....
an intrepid crew has just finished greasing the block at the end of the starboard derrick - better than sorting it at sea!Jersey crabber takes delivery of an artic's load of pots.

Open accommodation on the EAW

The prop shaft on the EAW has been cut through....
with the now open aft accommodation revealed
thiss was the entrance door to the engine room
end of the stren tube....

more heavy duty nails on view.in Penzance, good news, a new shop - but wait, what's this? is that the new stock in bin bags on the floor of the shop - yes its another charity shop!

The 500 arrive!

Some of the old buildings in Newlyn are being converted to apartments (like the Pilchard Works) - here the outside granite is being shot-blasted.
View inside a pot - but what will it be catching?
The Nova Spero lands to the waiting Iceberg before heading off to Plymouth. An empassioned Quentin from the Nova Spero explains to Seafood Cornwall Quality Officer Robert George why they are landing to Plymouth and not Newlyn market. David Stevens Jnr skipper of the Crystal Sea (who also lands to Plymouth and has done for over twelve months) listens with interest to the debate. Both skippers are convinced that all parties with an investment in Newlyn (stakeholders to use the modern parlance) need to come together and talk about a way forward for the port as a matter of real urgency before Newlyn goes the way of Milford, Fleetwood and other great ports. The Crystal Sea sailed away from the port for the last time bound for her new home north of the border. A replacement will arrive next month - watch the blog for more news soon. It says something about the state of the port if young, go-ahead and successful skippers are looking to land to a fish market nearly 100 miles away! Visiting Portsmouth crabber Kastel Paol. Baz and Ben stack boxes of tuna under the fishroom hatch.......
and wait for the skipper to heave on the landing gear....
Here's a proud man - Shaun and the Nova Spero team put ashore 500 prime Albacore tuna in Newlyn this morning - straight to the back of an Iceberg lorry bound for Dave Pessell's Plymouth Market - they will surely delight market manager Pete Bromley when they go up for auction tomorrow!



Watch a short video of Ben and Baz in the fishroom, Shaun on the landing winch and Quentin in the waiting truck - passionate commentary (warning Adult content!) from skipper Shaun!

George the Dolphin makes a splash!

In case anyone was wondering how it was known that the visiting dolphin was George - here are the tell-tale scars on his dorsal fin!
Not seen in Newlyn for several decades - a set of bobbins on a trawl footrope - trust Bob 'YoYo' Yeo on the immaculate Aurora to go for something different - and she is for sale too!