French trawler, 'P'tite Julie' missing 50 miles off the Lizard

A distress transmission from St Brieux registered stern trawler, P'tite Julie has been reported 50 miles off the Lizard at 0500 this morning. By mid-day, one fisherman had been found alive and flown to hosptital in Brest suffering from hypothermia and shock, two more bodies had been recovered in an intensive sea search by French and RNAS Culdrose rescue helicopters.

The steel trawler with a crew of six, one of a fleet of twelve owned by the company Armement Porcher, was built in 1991.

A slow start to the New Year as the fleet prepares to sail

Despite the rather damp atmosphere, an electrician sorts the shore side power supply to the Cornishamn and Billy Rowney....
the port's largest crabber-to-be has a nearly complete shelterdeck....
making her way to the iceworks, the Sapphire leads the charge to sea for the first trip of the year.....
as young Roger Nowell and Joe Crow put the marks in a new set of warps for the Imogen...
visiting Sheerness lifeboat is moored alongside themulti-purpose cat, Dignity from St Ives.

Happy New Year to One and All!

Well, if its going to blow then now is the time! Even the the Scillies' Steamship supply vessel, Gry Maritha has, unusually, taken shelter in Newlyn.

Christmas break

After a mega dish of baked hake on Tom Bawcock's night, Christmas dinner this year comprised of a turkey, stuffed with a duck, stuffed with a pheasant, stuffed with pigeon breasts plus pork, apple and chestnut stuffing.....

carefully sewn together....and here's the result.....
on the Saturday following there's life down the quay aboard PZ78......
and PZ199......
while the poor forecast kept the netting fleet in port.....
there's a small repair job aboard the Cornishman to be done...
Looking forward to next year when the Ripple gets her masts in place...

No stopping the pot boys!

The iceworks castle makes an imposing sight....
Lionel finishes off the last of the year's chores with a final box wash....
as the sun goes down the lights come on....
and the annual plea for more quota shines out to all those who drive past....
there's no stopping the crab fleet, the Intuition takes boxes of frozen bat on board for tomorrow's fishing...
two of the biggest from W&S are all lit up at the end of the quay

Close of play 2007, almost!

reminiscent of a scene from The Birds, gulls wheel and fight over a few market scraps...
this scene won't change much over the break as the fleet ties up for Christmas..
a deserted market waits to be hosed down....
the Cornshman sports a few seasonal decorations...
and with the recent fine weather, the tree stayed in place this year!

our man Tom looks out over the bay as the sun puts in an appearance

Last of the boats to the market

With the weather thankfully giving all hands a break, the netting fleet and the beamers by and large managed full trips in the pre-Christmas dash to the market. Though the fishing has been patchy, prices have kept most smiling - unusually, there were more than a few boxes of dogs with some of the boats...
Drew on the CKS keeps the high seas free of jetsam and puts his rubbish ashore...
The Harvest Reaper, late in getting their trip to the market - last chance tomorrow for the final sale of 2007!
Always a big favourite with the restaurants this time of year, good sized red mullet were in evidence in several trips landed...
the other Harvest Reaper is wrapped for Xmas it seems!
aboard the beamer, its the last time the guys will be going through her gear this year.