11 and 28 years on 'Tom' looks out for them

On a gray day: During Remembrance week it's not only the fallen who are called to mind; in 1997 somewhere between the 11 & 15th November, the Margaretha Maria was lost with all hands 50 miles South West of the Lizard, seventeen years before that on the 14th the Pietje Antje went down in poor weather with the loss of three men, five survived.

Whelks ahoy

A sign of the times, Newlyn's Pizza Patio tempts the tastebuds with a special offer, who could resist?......
Cornish sardines, the Resolute's night's work stand on the quay waiting for the Ocean Fish transport to turn up and collect......
120mm mesh set on the bar on the footrope of this trawl, the boys won't be gutting many stickers in the cod end on this boat!
dozens of whelk pots alongside the New Dawn....
professing to be the countries first green taxi company, biotravel's shuttle waits for its customers in the harbour car park this morning....
spotted on the dockside in Penzance this 3-drum winch....
with the boats keen to support keeping the Atlantic ocean clean here's the usual mix of net and Spanish long-lining gear waits on the quay to go to the skip

Spirit of Mystery passes up the Cape Verde Islands

Just a quick update on progress aboard the Spirit of Mystery with the boat now just off the Cape Verde Islands well to the west of the African mainland. There's plenty to keep the boys interested in addition to their daily chores, including keeping the decks wet under the heat of the sun - we should be so lucky!

Of doors and barn doors

No prizes for gussing what the boys will be up to on the Crystal Sea II today - they'll be hoping for some sunshine as all fishermen hate working in the rain when they are ashore....
not the only scales in the harbour evidence that the sardines are still coming ashore during the night hours......
brand new gear aboard the Dom Bosco, part of the Emma's fleet of pots......
not much doing on the market this morning......
an unusual sight at this time of year, a big 'barn door' skate from the Gary M's trip - the mud (protected by slime on the surface) on the skin of the skate reflects the kind of ground that skate prefer to live on....
the winter sales have started, maybe the Star should persuade one of the local breweries to create a beer in honour of the Mystery's voyage?.....
soon be bare naked trees in keel alley.....
well, who would argue with Debs?......

Badcock's Gallery have a new show for November month, these days affordable art may just be a wise investment!

CEFAS publications

As the winter nights draw in, pour yourself a hot toddy, sit in front of a roaring log fire and take the opportuntiy to do some background reading and research on the humble pilchard - here's a publication from CEFAS in 1966 - hot off the press!

Better still, does anyone have any stories or photos taken aboard PZ88, the Madeline, that was commssioned to undertake trials in 1961-63? Some things don't change - in those days the work was viewed with scepticism - for a short while:

"In addition to her main tasks of exploration and gear trials, MADELINE was also expected to search the traditional grounds when fish were scarce and to report any shoals found to the drifter fleet by radio. At first many drifters were reluctant to follow our advice, but after a few boats had made good shots from shoals located by MADELINE they answered the call so promptly that it was often difficult to get our own shot completed before the drifter fleet crowded us out."

Rememberance Sunday at Newlyn

The rowing gig Portheras heads in through the gaps after a testing training session in heavy swell conditions.....
"keep the home fires burning", a bonus for trawlers working in some areas is the amount of sea-coal still to be had from fishing handy to wrecks....
in the foreground, the beamer Filadelphia on the slip with, what was once a common site, is a coaster (from JST Services in Ayr) alongside the stone quay - the captain had asked to come into the port as they were rolling through 25° in the heavy swell sat out in the Bay - she's en route from Plymouth to Waterford......
a tarpaulin covering the bagged net gear strains in the stormy conditions.....
forever carved in stone, the names of local men lost during both wars last century....
wreaths laid in memory to those local men who gave their lives in war surround the base of the memorial outside the Mission in Newlyn.

Star Inn role

Debbie will see that young Mr Hicks knows how to celebrate in style, or just ask Bruce......
not the Mystery on the pub sign but the Rosebud, but that's another story and a fascinating insight into how one part of Newlyn was changed forever......
at the end of 40 fathom combination bridles languishes the
Crytal Sea II......
also from St Ives, the Dignity is here for the winter....
after attempting the Indian rope trick, it's time for the St Georges to move....
landing on Saturday morning ahead of the weather.......

as Harveys pick up the crab stocker.