Black is black

Just when you thought it was a mullet - a garfish takes a bite!
The Jacoba's bulwarks are coming on....
The Ripple is beginning to shine....
and the black hand gang are in town again!

An esoteric evening in the Bay

a local seal watches points!.....
Sennen lifeboat has found its way to Newlyn.....
more wellies on the move as the sun goes down....
as the swans pass by the Monday race....
and the rest of the fleet pass by other more solubrious boats at rest in the Bay; like the chartered Solaia at anchor. Look closely, and you can just make out a kite that one of the guests is flying from her stern! Rumour has it that the present encumbent has swopped roles and is now a Pirate of Penzance!

Chaos - it's Monday and Newlyn is end-to-end with fish!

Peter's drafted in new help and he'll be busy box-washing all day looking at the market this morning!
..the Berlewen from Padstow gets her boxes washed and back aboard the boat pronto!

tagged pole-caught tuna from the Charisma...
.. unusually for a netter, a few crayfish...Although only two beamers landed, the market was wall-to-wall fish this morning....
with several big gillnetter trips from the Berlewen, Ocean Spray and Carol H dominating the western end of the market. Pole-caught Charisma's tuna trip looked lost amongst the hundreds of netter boxes. Unusually, the Carol H landed a dozen boxes of spur-dogs.

Anyone who tasted the tuna from the Nova Spero was in for a treat!
Boxes go back aboardthe Carol H for a back-to-back trip.

No market this morning

It was a while before the sun broke through the early morning low cloud....

...meanwhile, the Jacoba's scallop dredges are looking even hungrier with their bared tooth bars!latest showing at Badcock's Gallery is Kristin Vestgard's, 'Sweet Disguises'

Bend it, don't weld it.

Straight from metal specialists Teagle near Truro rolled sections for the scallop handling system wait to go aboard the Jacoba.
The Star of the North from Ullapool
Mount's Bay Lugger Association's Happy Return rests for the night.
Wonder if this is the way forward for the big beamers? One of the biggest operating from Newlyn has burnt approx £42,000 worth of fuel for three full 8 day trips!
The Jacoba's scallop gear on the quay.
All hands on the visiting lifeboat, Douglas Currie relax in the evening sunshine.

Newlyn Cornish tuna auction sale debacle

What was supposed to be a celebratory landing for the Nova Spero and skipper/owner Shaun Edwards and crew turned sour this morning. Nearly 600 of the finest, pole-caught Albacore tuna were withdrawn from sale after failing to reach an acceptable price. The withdrawn fish were later sent to Plymouth for auction.
Cornish Tuna founder, Quentin Knights checks the weight of an 11+kg tuna.......
and demonstrates to the camera the much valued 'blue' hue that only pole caught tuna possess.
a handful of sharks keep an eye on the tuna prior to the sale....
as the final final tallies are written for each box....
names to faces - of blog fame, meet Ben......
tuna sporting the new individual tags that only these accredited fish can carry....
Quentin demonstrates the correct way to steak a fish....

Despite the fatigue, let's hope the familiar smile returns to skipper Shaun's face when some more lucrative UK markets are found for this unique fish!

Watch a short video of the boys grading and weighing the catch.

The art of handlining for mackerel in St Ives Bay

A box of shining mackerel aboard the SS225 Provider....
conjoured from the depths by 'Boy' Stuart McClary.....an artist at work!
Meanwhile Barry on the Boy Brax relies on a stripper for the job....
Dan Downing steams the Josephine with her haul of 300kg of mackerel at approaching 20 knots for the harbour sands....
chased down by Traz aboard the Dignity.....
the Josephine is beached and then hauled out of the water by Dan's ever faithful Land Rover so that the boxed fish can be landed.....
under the gaze of some up-and-coming fishermen, handlines at the ready - good to see the next generation watching and learning!