The public gets a chance to look around the Penlee lifeboat Ivan Ellen...
slipping (thankfully) well behind in the 'shouts' league table this year...
today saw plenty of dedicated supporters manning various stalls in the ILB boatshed...
with a range of goodies on offer...
and a display of Penlee lifeboat memorabilia...
including items from the old lifeboat shed...
flying that most symbolic flag...
served so valiantly by the likes of Charlie Wackers (top) who was lost on the Solomon Browne...
and today serving cake and cakes...
along with lifeboat souvenirs...
served with a smile...
along the harbour wall the Christmas lights team swing into action...
along at Penlee Point the old lifeboat station is open for the first time since 1981...
seems every man...
and his dogs wants to get a look in
with a warm welcome at the door from lifeboat crew David Pascoe...
once inside the huge winch can be seen that hauled the original boat Elizabeth Blanche up the steeper than normal slipway...
on the walls the service record stops with the last shout recorded...
the French yacht Gan which ran aground on the the beach in front of Newlyn Green in August 16th 1979 without loss of life...
there have been many changes to the slip over the years to accommodate successive and bigger boats, the Elizabeth Blanche weighed around 8 tons, by comparison, today's Ivan Ellen weighs in at around 44 tons...
which would be more than enough for the diesel powered winch...
hauling up such a steep slope...
outside the plaque tells the story...
with a view of Penzance just over a mile away...
these days the lifeboat is kept on a pontoon berth for immediate action...
meanwhile the harbour's business carries on as normal...
with boats like the Mayflower getting ready for sea...
now pacing himself with his batteries fully charged, handline maestro Dennis Pascoe and father of lifeboat crew David enjoys a Wagon Wheel after landing 62Kg of huge squid for his morning's work...
ILB and ALB together in their berths...
not one of the crew sleeping on the job but the practice dummy taking a break...
inside and at the helm a couple of youngsters get to hear all about the boat...
and even a chance to see what 2,5000 Hp looks like with her twin Caterpillar engines...
today is also about the fundraising of course...
and a rare chance to get all round the boat in safe conditions...
and a look at the ILB Paul Alexander
the lifeboat house always post details of the last shout in the seaward window...
in front of the market, the Britannia V is about to land...
a good shot of hake for Monday's market...
after only two days at sea...
the hake fishing has not been this good for 20 years.
