By land and by sea - an invasion from the land of red soil

Heavy plant from across the border about to be unshipped......
alongside the Sea Spirit, out of the water again....
looking more like a scene from an American road movie than a tranquil Cornish seaport......
another Devonian, this time the Girl Debra has put a trawl ashore for mending.....
as the bug beamer Lady Lou with around 120 boxes prepares her gear for the next trip.....
in the meantime, the transport has arrived to take the visitors' fish....
there's bags of work for the Nowell fleet over the next few days, ashore......
not the best way to pull off the bridles from a trawler, watch that clutch.......
almost done, a refurbished footrope from the Crystal Sea II fills the quayside......
but there's another heavy rockhopper footrope waiting on the quay......
over on the hard for a bottom scrub and checkover, the Ripple waits for the next low water.....
one of many ex-Breton fishing boats converted to liveaboards to be found in Penzance Harbour.....
and there's always a pirate to be found somewhere in the vicinity.

Stevenson's day in Court

In a landmark case, local fishing company W Stevenson & Son are in Crown Court over the landing and sale of over-quote or 'blackfish'. Day one of the hearing saw the prosecution allege that around £4 million pounds worth of illegally handled fish were involved. The case is likely to add weight to the arguemnt that the Proceeds of Crime Act (2002) is being used unfairly to target fishermen - as in the case of father and son aboard the trawler, Arcane, featured in the BBC series Trawlermen. The confiscation hearing is due to last three days and finish on Thursday.

A blue day

With the best fishing for langoustine when the tide has a low co-efficient, visiting Scottish prawner Tranquility gets her trip ashore to the waiting transport, which sadly means there won't be any supplies for local buyers on the market for Cornish restaurants and hotels.....
turning for the gaps, the Ajax ends of her neap tide's netting trip......
ahead of another afternoon mackerel man......
the Ben Loyal finishes off her annual refit with a bottom scrub.......
seems that you had to be blue to land at the market today, so Mr Chivers is the odd one out in his black-hulled punt......
ready to square away after landing on the Tranquility......
alongside the Crystal Sea II, where skipper David is up the pole with grease gun in hand.....

below the waterline on this tosher shows the need for regular maintenance to keep the hull as smooth as possible in order to reduce friction and therefore lower the all-imprtant fuel consumption.

Better run of Bank Holday mackerel

Local Falmouth based RYA sailing school, Trysail pay a visit......
the Inspiration seen heading back in past the Mount with the mornings haul of line caught mackerel......
and a good run at that.......
yet another bottom gets scrubbed at low water on 'the hard'.

Blake and other artists on show

Short and simple message outside the Star Inn....
off for a long weekend, the big Dutchmen waits to go back to sea after consigning their last trip to Ostende market by lorry.......
bright and cheerful art in Babcocks......
including the current show from Peter Blake...........
and just to prove the property market appears to be moving in the area, this Newlyn cottage, handy to the Dolphin and Swordfish comes complete with a work by local artist Ben Gunn (who knows, one day the artwork may be worth more than the house)........
old-fashioned rooftop surveillance.......
given their stability, catamaran's, like this French example, often prefer to anchor off the harbour, ........
the punt Sea Jay complete with the wiffer aboard, gets another run round the Bay.

After four years of restoration, Ripple unfurls and raises her rags

Slack pickings for the mackerel boys at the moment.....
Mr Curtis Jnr and Twinkle heave a new footrope ashore - plenty of work ahead when the boat is next in, putting a new trawl together......
Ripplemeister John Lambourn, with enlisted help, makes ready to sail the Ripple for the first time in over 50 years......
the Ben Loyal is back in Newlyn and looking resplendent.......
with the offshore element of the Duchy hosting the 20th Isles of Scilly World Gig Championship this weekend there can't be a better way to participate than aboard your own boat, no accommodation problems, able to get close to the action during the gig races and, with a boat like this, the islands are but a couple of hours away......
and who can resist posing for a photo call up on the bow?.......
meanwhile, some of the locals still have to work at the weekend.......
leaving the quay, and careful not to nudge brother's catamaran astern of him, the Ripple is all set to make history and be the first local fishing lugger to sail through the gaps for some time......
but first the sail needs to be unfurled......
and hoisted by a largely novice crew......
who, in their enthusiasm to get to sea, almost forget to make fast the forefoot of the sail.......
seconds later she makes for the gaps and provides a perfect illustration as to why the luggers are such efficent sailing machines, (and copied in all guizes) there is still the mizzen sail of similar size yet to be raised......
through the gasp under sail for the first time......
and out towards the Mount......
heeling at a gentle angle and making good speed in the light onshore breeze......
as the Brixham beamer, 3 Sons steams in......
followed by the Go For It with the Ripple off in the distance making ready to hoist her mizzen.....

work begins to hoist the 3 Son's gear back aboard the boat.

As May Day draws to a close

Ship-shape and Bristol-fashion aboard the Dutchman......
The scrap metal skip is full again.....
while one of the lazier local gulls looks for a scrap to eat in the general rubbish skip......
with the season underway, the hardier yellow-wellies arrive in town.