Eddie at the helm

The GaryM lands a shot of Porbeagle shark amongst the monk and turbot for their second landing of the tide....
alongside the CarolH makes a welcome return to boost the trade this morning with another big trip, this time a fine shot of 180+ boxes of hake and some quality turbot from the big tangle nets....
something to keep the boys from CEFAS busy recording a sample of the hake landed.....
Mark from the Ajax sorts through and grades some pristine trubot and brill to finish off the tide with a bang.....
also on show, a shot of inshore caught grey mullet just in time for the local Easter resturant trade.....despite thier size, 7+ kilo hake don't quite fit in the market boxes
shattering the peace, the St Piran fires up her main engines......
before heading towards the gaps......
Penlee Lifeboat crewmember Zac manages a wave while stowing the ropes..... as poacher-turned-gamekeeper, Eddie Derriman eases the patrol boat past the Newlyn pier's lighthouse......
and out for a pleasant day's crusing monitoring the fishing activities around the Bay.

Chris Brooker keeps the story alive

With fishermen now being jailed for landing over-quota fish by using powers available at the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) to use the Proceeds of Crime Act, designed, in the first instance, to recover money from international drugs traffickers, money launderers and other major criminals is it time pinch yourself just in case this is all a dream? - See this article in the Telegraph courtesy of Christopher Brooker.

In particular, one of the comments (Igonikon Jack), from across the water makes for interesting reading.

Easter promise

The Angel spreads her wings on the end of the quay....
and another haul of scrap iron that includes a netter's anchor waits for collection, ......
the deck wash goes over the side as the Oban registered Braveheart comes to life.....
study in turquoise, waiting for the crabs to move.......
almost the end of the neap so the netters are back in town.....
and among them, the Ajax has a huge haul of hake to tempt the buyers into parting with their cash, especially as this is traditionally one of the best export markets of the year in the run up to Easter for our largely Catholic cousins....
the Go for It hit a quality patch of turbot for the Easter dinner plates....
still making an impression, late season cuttles providfe a welcome boost to the catch returns....
which in turn means the fuel supplies are keeping the fleet of familiar yellow tankers on the move.

Labora

Time for the all important maintenance to running gear aboard the Hans Senor, first of the visiting Dutch owned, Urk crewed, Belgian beamers to hit town.....
with the sun up and a gentle breeze blowing there's nothing better than taking things easy and chillin' afloat it seems, first away are Joe Crow and ex-trawler skipper Edward Harvey....
but they are not alone.....
and a sign it must be fairly calm as Clive takes a break from his demolition work and heads out for a spot of angling no doubt.....
someone is expecting a celestial visit it seems......
there's some heavy gear aboard the big Dutchman....
and further clues as to the real Angel due in over the weekend.....
and signs that the cuttles are still in abundance late in the season.....
bow view of the big Belgian flagged Dutch beamer......
with the waiting refrigerated transport waiting for the others to arrive......
as the quantities of sole being caught by these boats is low for the time of year, they must be thankful fuel prices are low, working the size of gear aboard the Ora et Labora (loosely translated as, Prayer and Work) must see a huge amount of fuel burnt for every hour they are at sea - for them, and the other Urk boats due to join them, Sunday will be a day of rest......
makes some of the local fleet look positively economical when they fire up in the morning.....
the redoubtable Maggie, long-time provider of bon'homie and superior bar-tendering in the 'Swordy', makes it a half century, this, is not likely to be a sedate or seriously sober party........
over the back of the North quay the waters run clear with thanks to the settled weather of late.

Waiting in the gaps

The Scillonian III passes up the Trinity House vessel, Galatea at anchor as she services a channel buoy.....
an crisp morning in the Northerly breeze will put paid any thoughts of a BBQ this weekend.....
behind one of the early season yachts, the refrigerated transport waits on the quay for half a dozen Belgian beam trawlers that are expected laetr today, as a rule these boats will spend Sunday in the harbour......
waiting for water in the gaps is the William Sampson with a winch problem to sort out......
one of the visiting yachts on the pontoon berths, some of these will be making their way to Scilly for the World Gig Racing Championships next weekend.....
looking spruce with a fresh coat of paint.

Helford waits for the Easter influx and riots in the tranquil streets?

The fisht to get proper landing facilities in place along the foreshore at helford look like continuing - read the full story as it appeared in the Telegraph yesterday from Jasper Gerard.

Silver Dory update

Doug Herdson, from the Marine Fish Information Services laboratory at Plymouth, has kndly filled in the missing information regarding the Silver John Dory caught by Roger Nowell aboard the inshore trawler Imogen working off the Scillies earlier this week.

"The fish is a Sailfin or Silver Dory Zenopsis conchifer http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/speciesSummary.php?ID=336&genusname=Zenopsis&speciesname=conchifer). This is probably the tenth for the UK (plus eleven or more in Irish Waters), there was one at Milford Haven in June 2007, but all the rest have been landed at Newlyn; the first in June 1992 and the last in November 2008."

Doug goes on to say that he does not know of any Rosy Dories caught in British waters but there have been at least 3 in Ireland.