No pressure - Penzance Rotary Club's annual Newlyn pressure testing.

The Dry Dock's latest job is the small coaster Geudell......
as a rule, converting fishing boats to live-aboards never does much for their looks - especially around the rear end......
still much work to be done on this steel hull in PZ dock.......
a very comfortable looking big cat gets a morning hose down......
the Ben My Chree is beginning to look good after the glossing has been done.....
more spring cleaning aboard the multi-purpose work horse Mojo.....
every year Penzance Rotary Club provides a free blood pressure check up for anyone in Newlyn - last year several people subsequently received treatment for heart conditions that they were unaware of as a result of the free check.

Waiting for news of the new harbour commssioners.

After a series of interviews, the names of eight new harbour commissioners are soon to be announced. A total of 26 applications were received from which 16 were shortlisted. These eight new commissioners will sit alongside three DoT appointees and one of the new board's first jobs will be to oversee the introduction of the pending Harbour Revision Order that will bring Newlyn into line with the DoT's 'Good Governance' guidelines. With all government departments and offices in a state of purdah prior to the general election it seems that dissolution of the current board will not happen until at least May 7th.


In the meantime, no clues as to the identity of any new members have come to light - though this pick-up has been spotted in a certain parking space in front of the harbour offices.

Friday's fish fiesta.

Beamer cod ends hung out to dry......
the march of the blue box empire continues down the quay......
a good combination.......
there' a couple of green interlopers at the box washer station......
hand grading this year's rarest fish on the market.....
at long last there's a showing of mackerel in the Bay as a couple of mackerel men check the price with the Wiffer......
with hit and miss results for the handful of boats quick to catch on......
no doubt the price will plummet from the £1.70 a kilo on Thursday......
whereas these Dorys always hold their price.....
time for the anglers to hit the wrecks courtesy of Viking Charters......
as a steady trickle of yachts make an appearance.....
another Brixham beamer makes a start on her gear.....
while the punt Mark & James heads back to her berth.....
the punts will all be hoping that the mackerel are here to stay....
over in the Mission there's some renovation work to be tendered for by any local building firms interested - with the added bonus of the finest fresh Newlyn haddock, chips and mushy peas for lunch every day!

French tow job makes Andrew's day.

Call the signwriter!.......
time to let go the ends of the crabber......
just when harbour master Andrew Munson thought it was time to head home for tea the St Brieus registered Neway tows in her fellow company boat the Cap 4000........
unaware of the impending drama, a passing tosher heads out through the gaps......
Andrew tries to head off the Neway as the skipper seems hell bent on making his way down the =harbour and not where he is wanted......
despite his attempts, the tow continues in the wrong direction......
and Andrew in the harbour punt is forced to follow......
eventually managing to persuade the visiting skipper to come around and head for the correct berth! An engineer is expected to arrive from France the following day with the required starter motor in his possession.

Warp factor 10

Skipper Billy Worth, ably assisted by Juicy and Perry turn one of Newlyn's biggest trawlers around in the harbour before taking on a drum of new warp.

Top dinner party fish on the fish market.

At eleven kilos this specimen turbot would make the perfect Come Dine With Me centrepiece (if a little over the top), at £160 on the market you'd need to make sure you won the £1000 to cover the cost!......
equally valuable as a result of their scarcity, a handful of mackerel just about cover the bottom of a box, at one end......
down the quay, time for the St Georges to have new warps, skipper Billy Worth puts his back into turning the boat round so that the starboard winch drum can be loaded......
Juicy spritely hops up on to the quay......
to supervise proceedings........
ably assisted by Perry, without a pair of spoons in his hand.......
as ever, it's the high-tec approach down the quay, a plank of wood with the weight of an engineer that provides a steadying drum brake as the winch heaves the wire......
around a series......
of blocks and a ton of granite resting on the pallet to take out the snatch - simple but effective..

High above the gaps.

The vantage from St Peter's Hill provides an ideal 'through the gaps' spotting point......
as the boats head back to land.