SOS - Ben My Chree gets tow from Sennen lifeboat.

Ben My Chree on the slip at Newlyn.

 

Newlyn gill netter Ben My Chree suffered a main engine problem while steaming back from the grounds north of the Scillys in the traffic separation zone between the islands and Land's End - not the best place to stop.  Sennen lifeboat was launched and, after securing a line aboard the stricken vessel, made the long tow back to the boat's home port arriving in the early hours of the morning. The Ben My Chree was working nets for ground fish like hake, pollack and ling on the rough ground around 20 miles from the Scillys when she broke down.

In a previous life, Gloria Maris tuna fishing.

Built in St Guenole, Brittany, as the tuna boat Gloria Maris the Ben My Chree was brought to Newlyn in 1979 for the Hicks fishing family.

In recent days, another Ben My Chree has made the headlines - this time in the Isle of Man were a ferry of the same name was hit by a 60mph gust temporarily delaying passengers at the port of Douglas while the boat underwent inspection.

SOS - Save the Coastguard service!

Nautilus International have just published this paper behalf of its members in response to the planned reduction in services of the Coastguard in the UK.

Please read.

Just call him Captain!

Nathan Marshal - Jumping for Joy!

After months of studying the laws regarding stability, righting angles, GZ times the weight = RM, free surface effect, deviation and variation, TVMDC, declination and amplitude, index errors and eye sights, MHW, chart datum, notwithstanding anything contained in Rules 4 through 18 any vessel......, the vessel on the starboard side....., morse code and all the rest that goes to make up a Class II skipper's ticket, a certain young Nathan Marshall is no doubt celebrating this afternoon having successfully completed his final oral exams in Dublin. Most certainly he will enjoy a pink pint or two in a hostelry oft frequented by friendly sailors before catching a plane back to Cornwall.

To see an example of the kind of questions you get asked in an MCA Oral Exam - check out MCAOrals.co.uk or test your own knowledge of the Rules of the Road, as the Collision Regulations are known.

Painting on the Pier? - Watercolour at Tate Britain - be prepared!

Why not flex your watercolour muscle on March the 12th and join in with the painting on the quay party when the Old Harbour will be full of luggers.

If you are lucky enough to be visiting London in the coming months take some time out and visit Tate Britain for their latest exhibition which starts today.

"Watercolour at Tate Britain invites you to challenge your preconceptions of what watercolour is. The most ambitious exhibition about watercolour ever to be staged, with works spanning 800 years, this boundary-breaking survey celebrates the full variety of ways watercolour has been used. From manuscripts, miniatures and maps through to works showing the expressive visual splendour of foreign landscapes, watercolour has always played a part in British Art.

Watercolour also offers the chance to see rarely displayed works in all their luminous glory, by artists ranging from JMW Turner and Thomas Girtin to Anish Kapoor and Tracey Emin.

The exhibition presents a full and fresh assessment on the history and future of watercolour painting. It aims to question our thoughts on what watercolour stands for, presenting famous and lesser-known works side by side and bringing this popular, universal and enduring medium back to the centre of our cultural heritage."

The Newlyn School boasts a number of artists that made their mark in the medium of watercolour.

Valentine Seafood - if scallops be the food of love - eat on!

Sautéed Scallops with Lentils and Oaked Chardonnay.

(Rick Stein's Taste of the Sea)

Deep fried Scallop Roes in spicy egg-white batter.

To prepare the sauce;  heat ground pinches of turmeric, allspice, ground cloves, and ground nutmeg along with sweated chopped onion and carrot ad and reduce fish stock and an oaked chardonnay by two thirds, add the double cream as above and again, reduce by two thirds.......

time to set the table........

crumpet for starters.......

prepare a soft meringue for the scallop roes......

dip in rice flour with added paprika and cayenne to spice them up........

a few seconds in the wok with hot oil.......

on with the best Newlyn scallops........

voila! - served on a bed of puy lentils and a few tiny steamed carrots - and a lamb chop to make it surf 'n turf!.

Fish fight for space on the market at Newlyn.

Mini re-fit for Lentern's the butchers - or did they just want to be off for Valentine's night?........

seems the gulls aren't the only ones keen to get hold of the cuttles........

all smiles with Alan and the boys aboard the Golden Harvest........

Sennen lifeboat gets passed by the Silver Spray........

still no sign of the gear going back aboard the Rowney.......

Charisma, one of the Padstow fleet waits under the ice machine after landing.......

battle of the big paws.......

bonus bass shot from the netter.......

with a lonely lobster keeping guard......

good run of haddock on the ground at the moment......

although this guy looks les than impressed the smoothhounds seem to be making good money for the boys aboard the BMC........

pile'em high and get them sorted quick, the auctioneer is on his way.......

not many of these guys to a box........

and a shot of mackerel for a change.......

quality tails from the Lisa Jacqueline.

Braised cuttlefsh with a warm salad, purple sprouting and ink vinaigrette - Chef, Nathan Outlaw.

Warm Salad of Braised Cuttlefish and Purple Sprouting, Ink Vinaigrette

Recipe courtesy of Cornish seafood chef Nathan Outlaw - currently at the St Enodoc Hotel in Roc and recently awarded two Mchelin Stars to boot.

For the Cuttlefish
1kg cuttlefish cleaned, prepared and left whole, saving the ink
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
6 ripe tomatoes cut into quarters
600ml fish stock
100ml dry white wine


Sweat off the vegetables for 5 minutes in a pan. Add the wine and reduce to nothing and then add the fish stock. Bring the stock to the simmer and add the cuttlefish. Simmer for 1 ½ hours or until tender. When the cuttlefish is ready remove from the stock and allow cooling. Strain off the stock for the vinaigrette and cool. When the cuttlefish is cold slice into 2cm strips and reserve until serving


For the purple sprouting
28 nice pieces of purple sprouting


Bring a large pan of salted water to the simmer and blanch the sprouting for 2 minutes. Refresh in ice water and drain off. If you’re doing in advance place in the fridge. If you’re serving straight away don’t refresh just serve immediately.


Ink vinaigrette
2 finely chopped shallots
75ml red wine vinegar
75ml cuttlefish stock
150ml extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp cuttlefish ink


Add the shallots, vinegar and stock together and leave to stand for 30 minutes. Then add the ink and whisk in the oil. Season with salt and serve immediately.


Garnish
20g fine capers
4 sprigs of tarragon, picked
Squeeze of lemon


To serve
Warm the cuttlefish up in a bit of the vinaigrette, not to hot. Place the sprouting, capers and tarragon into a large bowl and then gently mix with the warm cuttlefish. Add a squeeze of lemon and season with sea salt and black pepper. Serve in bowl plate with a jug of vinaigrette on the side.

Put together the simple set of ingredients (plumped for tinned rather than fresh toms)........

one cuttle simmering slowly in the sauce........

sliced and ready to serve turned gently in with the purple sprouting (plus a few heads of broccoli)........

the starter was a failure - don't be tempted to pick mussels from Porthmeor Beach in St Ives, they are full of grit - the beach is way too sandy methinks!