Already the warmest day of the year - at seven in the morning.

Penzance Rare Books has gone green or so it would seem judging by the verdant window display.......

looking across the harbour all colour has been washed from the view by the hazy start......

leaving only silhouettes in the harbour.......

under wraps......

the Billy Rowney is halfway through a full paint job.........

the floating home of the Avalon Bell.........

clear enough.......

Emma Louise riding high.......

there's no shortage of artistic endeavour in the cultural capital of Penwith, get creative and dare to wear your maddest hat at the bijou Artist Residence Hotel in Chapel Street over the Jubilee Weekend.........

or pop along to The Exchange in return for some right side brain activity......

and then take advantage of Penzance's growing music scene now extended to bars like, would you believe, the once notorious Farmer's Arms at the top of Causewayhead now under Taf Thomas' tutelage this top town destination now features regular live music and plays a key role in the continually developing Cornwall music scene. 

Mitch Tonks' Spider Crab Risotto with Scallops for starters.

 After sweating the finely chopped onion, garlic and red pepper in olly oil till soft......

 the rice, fish stock, tomato, paprika and saffron are added......

 and for the last few minutes on goes the crab before boing popped in the oven until all the stock has been absorbed and the rice soft and creamy.........

 that gives time to quickly heat through some black pudding.......

and a couple of scallops in beurre noisette for starters while the main dish is doing its thing in the oven which can take up to 20 minutes.........

with some frozen crab stock in the freezer, and by using picked crab not cracked claws, this was a quick and easy dish to prepare - the advantage of having made crab stock in the past when getting hold of whole crab to cook and pick at home.

Fine weather gives top AIS reception

A sure indication of high pressure over the UK and a few days of fine weather - just check out the range of the AIS, normally restricted to line of sight distances - maybe 30-40 miles.  Here the Ajax has been picked up around 100 miles west of Newlyn, the boat furthest west nearly 350 miles away! Bring on the sunshine and those John Dorys are sure to show!

Watch Coast on Sunday - BBC2

Trending quietly on Twitter at the moment - @ILoveCornwallUK #cornwall BBC Coast features Newlyn in a brand new episode this Sunday night 9pm BBC2.

Old School

Hide them razors! - Roger has seen it all!

Stranger things at sea

Yound Adam, next generation in the Curtiss dynasty takes a mooring rope from the legendary Joe Crowe aboard the Elisabeth Veronique as he pulls into a berth......

the boat is currently triple-rigging and targetting quality fish like brill, Dover, lemon and megrim sole.....

it seems that rigger boots are de rigeur abord her......

last trip they had the right foot, this trip the left from an old Hunter Bullseye boot......

just a sample of this weeks catch, it never ceases to amaze trawlermen just what appears in the cod ends........

suits you Sir!........

off up the slip goes the netter, Gary M........

as the Tranquility pulls into berth on the end of the new quay......

wear and tear on a beamer shoe, with one new plate fitted.......

after landing the inshore boat, Shiralee heads home......

so too the Scillonian III at just after 7pm........

there's a big match tonight when the Pirates take on London Welsh at the Mennaye Field ground.

Kathleen and May

One of the most significant of English historical ships, well, the Katheleen & May.......

and not just because she is the last three masted topsail schooner afloat.......

but because on seeing this ship, HRH the Duke of Edinburgh, finding her laid up and redundant in the River Torridge in the mid 60s then decided to start the maritime trust using her as their initial exhibit firstly in Plymouth, Sutton Harbour, and then for the latter years in St Katherine’s dock London - we owe him for this move - just like we have Prince Albert to thank for such iconic instituitions as the Great Exhibition and the V&A Museum - closer to home we now have the Cornish Maritime Trust that looks after the maritime history of a county where no one is more than 14 miles from the sea.........

the has been owned by Plant Hire Company's boss Steve Clarke since 1998.......

and as you walk on the deck of the boat and look about.......

you begin to appreciate the love, care and attention to detail that has been lavished both topsides......

and down below in the old hold......

when she was used mainly to haul coal in her early years........

the engine room sports an unusual hydraulic drive for her props.....

the helmsan's view for'ard.....

and from astern of the wheel........

the original cargo winches must have seem some serious sweat fall to the deck.......

as would the main sail winches as she was worked four-handed!........

so, looking at the size of her it would be a fool who picked a fight with one of the deckies aboard her!.........

view looking across the deck of the James RH - the Kathleen & May is on her way to London where she will be moored opposite the Queen during the jubilee celebrations on the Thames - no doubt she will give owner Steve Clarke a wave as she awarded him an OBE not so long ago!