Holiday reading of sorts

Hot off the press from the author (Mark Kurlansky) who brought us the enlightening tale of Cod, the history of the fish that changed the World, comes another thought provoking title, The Last Fish Tale: The Fate of the Atlantic and Our Disappearing Fisheries.

While fishermen tend to go on the defensive whenever conservation, the "Greens" or anything remotely environmental is mentioned, this latest book to hit the shops makes salutory reading - in the same way the current sharp rise in the cost of fuel has brought home to every household just how precious the natural resources of the planet are and the need to manage them. Reads like this are not good for getting off to a comforting night's sleep for anyone involved in the industry but should help to focus minds on how best to make way in the future.

Cornish Tuna boys' second landing

Time to wash down the decks on the Nova Spero after landing her second tuna trip to the FalFish and M&J Seafoods.....
Quentin, tuna-meister aboard the Nova Spero is happy to be back with over 1000 fish - Richard Ansell, the man from M&J, he say yes!
out in the Bay there is a jack-up rig anchored up....
while down the end of the New Quay, the Charisma puts her second trip of tuna aboard the waiting Falfish wagon....
good to see an old lifeboat still in service and making the rounds.....
catch of the day, brown crab from the Dom Bosco swing their way into the waiting viver lorry under the supervsion of Emma on the quay...
as the big tide passes, the Harvest Reaper heads for the netting grounds....
while the Charisma lands, the CKS passes by on her way up the harbour....

for these big tractor units, the private operators must be feeling the affect of fuel costs every bit as much as the boats.

One in one out

Brixham registered Ocean Spirit makes her way up to the market....

as the boys on the Sowenna leave their berth alongside the larket watched from the quay...

a couple of evening anglers take their chance to use feathers for a few mackerel...

as the Sowenna powers her way out the gaps...

the Plymouth Trawler Agents lorry is ready and waiting on the quay to take this trip off to Plymouth market...

FY269, Leven Mor has just put her day's work ashore, she sports some interesting decor above the wheelhouse these days - find out more about the boats from Porthleven...

a prehistoric scene of sorts!

Signs of Summer at last

With a blue sky and SW breeze, conditions for sailing and flag-flying in the Bay were perfect...
the market is busy with boats putting their catches ashore to catch a Monday market starved of fish before heading back out to sea again.....
crabbers like the Dom Bosco get the chance for fresh bait, and bait doesn't come better than gurnards for crab.......
taking advantage of the weather the boys have a BBQ going on deck....
fresh boxes go aboard the Ocean Spirit from Brixham.....
while a solitary gull inspects the net on the Amanda....
all hands get to pull the boxes off to the cold store on the market...
narrowly missing closing time, Edwin heads up the harbour to land...
where there are sure signs that the summer season is upon us as a gaggle of 'trippers' watch the proceedings with interest.

Cornish tuna round two!

Things are a bit quiet in the harbour now that most of the fleet has sailed after a particlularly unpleasant start to July so why not catch up with the Cornish tuna boys as they head south to the Bay of Biscay, a long way from home as they chase their elusive quarry!

"but red and green must not be seen"

"red to red, green to green, but red to green must not be seen", or "green to green, red to red, perfect safety, go ahead" so goes the various rhymes to remember the collision regulation, when meeting vessels head on, alter course to starboard and pass down the port side....
another hull gets a fresh coat of anti-fouling....

the Emma Louise now has her boarding steps cut into the shelterdeck....
there's a new feature down the stone quay, shellfish vivier tanks have been installed in the old buildings by the light, here the water is pumped up from near the gaps and out again....
the Resurgan is up on the slip for anti-fouling....

as the Elizabeth N gets away for another trip.

Down by the head

A quick glance at the waterline around the bow will tell the informed observer how much fish any boat has at the end of a trip, hence the expression "down by the head". The small white area is the major indicator - on a big trip the CKS would see all of the 'moustache' under the water. Below are typical bows on a number of other netters in the port.
A rather untidy paint job seen here - with no fish on board having landed...
and the same here (well not the paint job which is much more tidy) - of course all hands in the port get to know the look of each vessel on an individual basis so can gauge the volume of the catch on a boat by boat basis...
on the Nova Spero, seen here with none of her usual fleet of nets and gear abaord, much tuna will be needed to put her bow down in the water...
and this boat will need a seriously big trip to hide the 'moustache'

there were a few big mackerel shoaling off the end of the quay this evening.