Busy market under a hazy sky

The best part of W&S beamer fleet is between trips.

Chris Morley RASsing - in Navy parlance, 'refuelling at sea' -

Mr Morley now making way.

A fine trip of hake and turbot for top gillnetter Sowenna.

Auctioneer, Robin Turner holds court on the market floor - now doubt he will be in Twickenham this weekend as the Cornish Pirates and Mounts Bay feature in rugby finals.

A misty start to the day - Crystal Sea takes ice.

Brian takes over from chief box washer Lionel for the morning.

Boxes of fish wait to be picked up at the market doorway.

Still thin on the ground and mostly mediums - a punt's mornings mackerel catch awaits the sale.

And the sun continues to shine...

Another serious yacht touches base in Newlyn
True British workmen still exist...
Down comes the Crossby's mast.
FalFish have invested in some attractive vinyl van decoration
The Trewar' minus her wheelhouse
On the slip the John Roberts
They don't make them like this any more - the Hatherleigh, built by Richards Iron Works, Lowestoft.1961 / 197gt - as the Suffolk Punch. The boat, now owned by Pindar Maritime as a promotional vessel has recently undergone a refit at A&P in Falmouth Docks. A&P Falmouth are keen to get other South West boat owners to have their vessels refitted in the massive dry docks - a single dock could fit at least three large beam trawlers if the owners could book together - potentially an economic solution.
Work continues breaking the Trewar.
Young Roger on the Padstow registered Nantewas about to leave on another trip.

Last of the netters get away early Sunday morning

John Turtle's Ben Loyal steam away from the gaps past the Mount and MSC guardship, Anglian Princess.An early season yellow-welly gets busy with a mop - mind you, this is a serious ocean cruiser!

The smallest boat in the Stevenson fleet, the Cathryn puts fish ashore.

Glorious Easter weekend weather

Things don't look too good aboard the Trewarveneth.....It's only Maurice busy with the gas axe taking care of the wheelhouse casing.

Grub and gas going aboard the Berlewen from Padstow.
And then its shifting to take ice.That's after Shaun has moved the Nova Spero - time those injectors were done Shaun!Over in Penzance harbour the angling boats start their summer season in flat calm conditions - nothing worse than a bunch of green anglers they say!
Badcock's Gallery has just opened its Easter showing of local artists.
Boy Danny has a day off this weekend - the harbour is like glass.

Meanwhile, over in St Ives harbour...

St Ives Harbour Master and ex-fisherman Stephen Bassett patrols a crowded Easter holiday harbourfront whilst discussing, it seems, the merits of a decent sized pasty. PZ1 heads for th fish market to pick up a few more pots.

Aboard the Imogen, 'young' Roger Nowell takes ice before he and Joe Crow head off for the grounds off the Scillies.Mojo Marine's, Mac Johns wields an angle grinder as work continues on the destruction of the Trewarveneth. There's every chance that the Swordfish Inn (background) will see the boys at lunchtime for a break.
Harbourmaster Andrew Munson looks on and acknowledges the "end of an era" - the Trewar', the first of several W&S vessels that have contributed for half a century to the making of the port as it is today to be scrapped.

Easter rush to market

Under the watchful eye of the office, WS & Sons ex MFV Trewarveneth enters the final days of her life in the port.


Mr Johns warms up the chainsaw to demolish the wheelhouse.


Won't take long to fill the skip!
Under the shelterdeck the gas torch illuminates proceedings.
Early season yacht on the way in through the gaps.
Brixham beamer, BM361 Barentszee lands to a waiting lorry.
Also in is the Plymouth based Admiral Grenville.

Margaret of Ladram from Exeter comes astern alongside the iceworks berth.
Todays high water times.

High water

Concarneau registered Kerleven on the North quay. The original skipper pair-trawled for tuna with the Bugaled Breizh (patron Michelle Douce) at one time. It seems that getting crew in Briattany is an issue same as here - le vieux patron Jean Eve is back aboard at 72!
Classic boat, Lizzie May has popped round from Falmouth.
The Trewarveneth's days are numbered, an empty skip awaits the broken ship, a far cry from the day she held the port record under a very youthful skipper, one Roger Nowell.

Anchor seiner Crossby, from Grimsby lays astern of the Tewarveneth.Over the other side of the harbour refrigerated transport, also from Grimsby and worth considerably more than the MFV Crossby, waits for her load of fish from tomorrow's market alongside the iceworks.
A sign of the times - no kidding, so harbours are dangerous places!
How many turns have been taken round these bits and by whom?
View through the wheelhouse window of the Crossby.
Good to see a Cornish chough in the harbour!
In one view: a wartime MFV come trawler, come liner, laid up for twenty years, come netter; a modern steel Breton trawler, a handful of GRP punts, the Chickadee and the Lisa, wooden punts with heritage.