Mike Collier has been the port's public face of the MCA for the last 14 years...
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| Mike Collier - and his clipboard in hand |
- not a job likely to garner friends easily as he had the unenviable task of carrying out the never popular but oh-so-necessary dreaded 'DTI' (the nautical equivalent of the MOT) on the local fleet - and many of the rules are written to apply to all vessels so when it comes to things like fireproofing floor and door regulations on boats where even a small fire would necessitate abandoning ship rather than trying to fight the fire boat owners get a tad hot under the collar - many years ago, a previous incumbent of the post made George Lawry, owner of the 55' Sea Eagle remove a wooden ladder from the engine room and replace it with a steel set of steps - given that the engine room deckhead was low enough to have to bend down all the time and that the steps out of the engine room were all of 6 treads seemed excessive to him - George protested loudly - he wanted to know how long did he think that anyone would actually stay alive in an engine room with a fire in it - and that if there was a fire he was damned sure he could ascend a set of very heavy wooden steps even if they were on fire themselves - not so a set of steel steps which would surely be totally impossible to climb! - the DTI surveyor insisted and the steps were fitted - almost the first time they were used George slipped on them and gashed his shin - a year later and his shin still required treatment - even the benign person that George was even he found it difficult not to feel a great loathing towards the DTI and its willingness to apply 'big ship' rules on tiny fishing vessels without any taking into account any practical assessment of risk - so Mike Collier managed for the best part to apply the rules for the overall benefit of Newlyn's mighty fleet of fishing boats without...
Mike Collier talks to BBC Radio Cornwall's Donna Birrell.
apart from the MCA, Mike is a trustee for the local branch of the RNMDSF and Mission - he is heading up the team looking to find a new owner sympathetic with the needs of the port and the Mission building...
and of course he is the leading light in putting together and running the annual Newlyn Fish Festival on the day...
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| Mike Collier with Caroline Quentin opening the 2012 Fish Festival |
the port's hugely popular annual summer celebration of all things fishy.