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Saturday 18 April 2009

Another boat scrapped

The Dartmouth regisered St Petroc is the latest local vessel to suffer the decommssioner's cuts in fleet size......
with the wheelhouse and engine making an undignified exit from the harbour being towed behind a tractor.....
while between trips, at every opportunity the boats are getting a lick of paint.....
work continues on the delayed flood prevention scheme to ensure that the stream flowing from the boating pool under the Penzance to Newlyn road......
as ever the local gull population are on the lookout for a ready meal....
with the latest pair-team back in harbour after landing.....
down the road, one of the local Indian Restaurants made one curry too hot and suffered a small blaze.......
The Defiant is still flying her pair-trawling day signal in the guise of the flag for the letter 'T' in the harbour -try the flag quiz here - not to be confused with the French flag which, in other circumstances, may have been raised in support of the French Fisherman across the channel causing chaos by blocking key cross-channel ports!

Thursday 16 April 2009

Flying visit from Dutchmen, and Dutch women.

The Imogen's new trawl is taking shape despite the boys off for another tea break......
a fresh breeze blowing sees the dance of the seven veils being performed in the market.....
only the best hand-lined, slush-iced mackerel for Ocean Fish......
time for a quick post-landing tea aboard the Silver Spray.......
Robert George and others from Seafood Cornwall take a group of Dutch inshore fishermen and women on a guided tour of the port; spokesperson for the visitors was surprised to find England's top port having a rather 'antiquated' fish market! - hopefully the next time they visit things will be different!

Wednesday 15 April 2009

You bend 'em we mend 'em

Steaming out on the hunt for Spring mackerel and overtaking the Rachel & Paul, the Still Waters heavier in the bow with a cuddy punches a choppy sea.....
down to the nearest millimetre, the Imogen's new footrope begins to take shape.....
making a quick exit from the deck of the Jacoba.......
back in after another week on the prawns, the Tranquility waits for her transport to arrive - despite a number of local boats trying to develop the fishery for langoustine over the years, boats still seem to find a better market for prawns well away from Newlyn......
cutting in at an angle on the bent derrick.....
or taking a more comfortable approach to welding....
the sparks fly as the fourth derrick to be straightened in as many weeks takes shape.....
for some reasonit seems that Turkey is this year's hot spot destination for Newlyn residents if the sign outside the local PO is anything to go by.

Tuesday 14 April 2009

Inspiration at last!

Slipping the lifting strops over the bow of the boat before using the small crane at the end of the New Quay....
lifts the Boy Dylan from the water onto the waiting trailer.......
that's an awful lot of scallops in the fuel tanker.....
a cold start for one of the beamers......
watched closely from the cab of the mobile crane.....
seems there's always one who draws the short straw and gets the underneath painting job......
last few jobs to do before sailing, taking new nets aboard the Gary M......
a visitor from Padstow waits for fuel alongside the market......
time to replace some of the blocks on the foremast of the beamer......


Sennen's lifeboat still in berth while the lifeboat house is re-built......
the Chivers snr & jnr check the morning's mackerel catch held in slush ice in an insulated tub.....
and the moment may have gone unnoticed by some in the port, but today saw the arrival after completion of her maiden voyage by the Inspiration fishing for the Pilchard Works under the command of Dick Eades......
attracting the attention of the local gull population.....
setting off in search of a gullet-sized fresh mackerel......
the start of a new neap tide sees the Silver Dawn head for the iceworks berth......
Dick gets a hand from another Barry.....
to get the Boy Brax's fish ashore.....
before hooking up the Inspiration's catch........
and hoisting it up to the quayside......
before the skipper makes it up himself to begin the process of......
sorting and grading the fish into small, medium, large medium and large - no jumbo mackerel at this time of year......
seems the boys are making a point about a small repair job needing to be done on the market cold store door....
time to get down on your knees and save your back.......
back down the quay, Silver Dory catcher, young Roger Nowell and Nigel begin to put together a new footrope.......
a spot of roof repair work for one of the stores gets underway.......
while out through the gaps sails the Gary M.......
another beamer derrick waits to be straightened.

Monday 13 April 2009

Mizzly Monday morning

Hordes of hungry gulls surround the Dom Bosco as she takes on fresh bait......
pausing to stow the mackerel stripper on the way in....
the Ajax heads up the harbour for ice signalling the change in tides as the Springs give way to the Neaps.....
in contrast to the weekend, Monday misty morning......
and in day in poor visibility in store for the crabber as she heads through the gaps.