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Thursday 26 November 2009

Breton boats in Newlyn over the years.

The Loctudy stern trawler Kristel Vihan (Little Kristel) rolls her way to the gaps watched from the quay by Billy Stevenson from the comfort of his Dolomite.....
followed in by the Audierne registered Ouseau Bleu.......
the Ar Bleiz Mor passes the lighthouse in scuffly weather......
a dozen boats, mainly from Loctudy - the older 'classique' wooden boats are moored closest to the quay.....in port and tied up outside the local ex-St Guenole boat Ben My Chree, a handful of prawn trawlers, mainly from Loctudy......
while some young go-ahead Breton skippers, like Michel Douce, invested in the latest in boat design at the time - new fully shelter-decked stern trawlers with their twin net drums and working deck that extended from the stern and forar'd below the wheelhouse..... some skippers, like that of the Passereau made do with converting their sidewinder trawlers by fitting an aluminium shelterdeck and twin net drums.....

like Alain Jagoux with the Riquita seen here landing a full 15 day trip of langoustine into her home port of St Geunole......
she too was later shelterdecked though with a glass fibre shelter, the skipper's son, not wishing to follow directly in his father's footsteps finished university in Quimper and became editor of the French monthly fishing magazine Eco Peche.....
the Atlantel was another Loctudy 'classique' boat converted.....
a closer shot of the working deck aboard the Lorient registered Pearl de Jade, with skipper and two sons in the crew - a rare visit to Newlyn when she had gearbox trouble on the Smalls prawn gound, the skipper rigged a huge fores'l that she carried and had sailed her the best part of fifty miles south to the Longships when Kenny Thomas (the then Penlee lifeboat cox'n) picked her up with the Mystique and towed her to Newlyn.......
the Keriolet was one of many ex-Breton trawlers that were bought by local skippers, seen here berthed inside the Le Petit Zico, an early example of gill netting boats of which the Keriolet would one day join......
apart from trawlers and netters there were occasional crabbers like the Nymphee probably the first boat ever to be rescued by, the then, brand new Penlee lifeboat Mabel Alice......
after several hundred steel 19m shelterdecked boats replaced almost every 'classique' vessel in the Breton fleet a new generation of 24m boats, many with 3 or 4 net drums arrived on the scene - seldom seen in Newlyn during all but the poorest weather - or embarrassingly, in this instance, for Rolande, the skipper of the An Dou Bleizh waiting to float in the gaps having tried to get in without sufficient water....
the Loctudy Le Heidi skippered by Phillip was a regular vistor as he often worked closer to Newlyn for fish rather than prawns......
the second boat owned by Christian from St Guenole, the Hibernia was built for speed specifically to allow her to work the Porcupine Bank for langoustine.....
three Loctudy boats leave en-masse after a storm has passed.

Wednesday 25 November 2009

MSC update

Keep up to date with news from the MSC - this week it's bass research in ICES area VIIf, East of 5˚30' West.

Bound for France despite the forecast.

All set to sort, but no sign of any whitefish on the market this morning......
thought the Lucy managed to get a 400kg shot of Cornish Sardines from the Bay working under the lee along the western shore.....
with the sky laden with heavy clouds.....
the La Servane makes a run from Newlyn despite the forecast......

Gale warnings - Issued: 2157 Tue 24 Nov

Southwesterly storm force 10, decreasing gale force 8 imminent

Shipping Forecast - Issued: 0505 Wed 25 Nov

Wind West or southwest 6 to gale 8.
Sea State Very rough occasionally high.

Weather Squally showers.

Visibility Moderate or good occasionally poor.



Despite the storm warning issued around midnight by the Met Office, La Servane leaves the harbour at first light and heads back to France to land. There had been discussions with the owners about landing her fish to Newlyn market, which would have been the first time a French boat had landed her fish for many years.

Monday 23 November 2009

Bara an Aod heads for home

Checking out the AIS it would appear the the Guilvenec registered Bara An Aod is underway and heading south back to port.

Sunday 22 November 2009

Tresco needs sand.

Two for the price of one in the Star Inn.......
on Saturday, another twin rigger from Concarneau, La Servane joined the Bara an Aod sheltering from the weather.....
the fine lines of master sign-writer Squirrel......
enhance the new cat from Cheetah Marine.......
maybe a fan of Take That too?........
wire warp wrapped and ready to go........
how many men does it take to light a lobster, Newlyn Harbour lights volunteers make the best of a break in the weather......
four net drums and twin rig detail from the Servane......
while her harbour gen set in the bow keeps the fishroom cooling working.......
making her way out on exercise......
and making light of the big ground sea running.....
Harbour Lighters heading back for a well earned break.......
in Penzance wet dock, plenty of ropes ashore to keep the Scillonian III safely in her berth.....
almost all the boats are now in the winter storage area......
looks like they're having to import sand over on Tresco in Scilly - the weather must have taken away some of the beaches.

Saturday 21 November 2009

"Southerly severe gale force 9 now decreased gale force 8 veering southwesterly imminent and increasing severe gale force 9 soon"

With the Mount barely visible in the background a Guilvenec registered trawler heads for the gaps......
passing the Anglian Princess still at anchor......
the Bara An Aod (one of three boats in the 'bread' fleet, bara is Breton for bread, she was the Concarneau registered Salangane) makes the gaps and heads for a berth.......
her youngish crew get a bow rope ashore......
while in the stern, an old hand has seen it all before.....
and immediately they turn to and get on with some running gear maintenance, unusually she is working twin rig trawls......
the latest cat at rest on the quay.....
something is not quite right in the harbour......
despite the shortage of supplies, a smiling face completes a reduced offering on Stevenson's wet fish counter display......
if the weather continues these guys might join their saltwater cousins and find a spot on the counter too......
sporting the brand new 'man cage' enforced on the harbour lights team by yet more H&S, at £500 it was a cost the harbour lights funds could have done without having to fork out on this year.....
there's not much of the cafe flag display left over at PZ dock......
and tons of building materials waiting on the quay for the Gry Maritha.