First Monday fish auction for 2017

Three beam trawlers, one inshore, two netters and a dozen handliners landed fish for the first Monday market of the year...

including a huge trip of monk from the New Harmony...

huge box sized brill...

buyers go head-to-head...

a dozen boxes of witches - a big landing of these cousins to the megrim...

and a big landing of ling, once landed by the ton when Newlyn had a fleet of 50-60' longliners, back in the day...

some ray missed out on the spots...

good little dollop or red mullet for the beamer...

the At Ives mackerel boats enjoyed a bumper weekend with prices holding up making them happy men...

MSC Cornish hake courtesy of the Charisma...

with some real crackers...

and, unusually for Newlyn and these warmer waters, a small halibut...

more MSC Certified hake...

heavy clouds roll in from the west heralding what looks likely to be a rather inclement day...

not that will bother the ever-watchful Tom...

in his WWII watch cap popular with so many fishermen - get your own hand knitted classic watch cap here and keep the head dry and ears warm!

Never far from the sea.

A brief tour of West Penwith including the crystal clear waters of St Ives, Mousehole Christmas Lights, Church Cove and Cadgwith Cove finishing up in the Cadgwith Cove Inn serenaded by regulars of the Sunday Folk Session including squeeze box maestro, Bob Glanville. 

#Porthleven baulks - Huge art auction for the Fishermen's Mission in March!

In all, ten major storms hit Porthleven between November 2013 and Febnruary 2014...

during the day of February 5th 2014, the Porhleven Harbour baulks were burst.

Two ton wooden baulks have protected the inner harbour since its construction in 1858

The Porthleven Baulk Project is an imaginative, creative fundraiser. It is about creating beauty and hope from devastation, by using broken baulks, destroyed by fierce nature and re-forming them into a wide variety of unique and stunning art pieces. Out of loss and darkness comes hope.

The reclaimed baulks were cut up in blocks or as a 'canvas'.

On the 5th February 2014 the harbour defences in Porthleven, South West Cornwall gave way to the torrential beating from sea. Ten boats sank in Porthleven harbour, and many fishermen lost floats, nets and crab pots when huge waves crashed through into the inner harbour. Work had already been impossible due to the extreme, on-going weather conditions and then the storms destroyed their means to catch.

The storm of 2013/ 2014 lasted for six months. During that difficult time, the Charity the Fishermen’s Mission, supported fishermen and their families. It was soon decided by the trustees and the board, that support was needed urgently. Payments of up to £500 would be given to fishermen upon the receipt of one household bill in arrears. Over £110,000 was given to fishing families in the South West alone.

Baulks were cut up into sections and stored.

The Porthleven baulks, individually are two tonnes of wood bolted together and with substantial metal caps. They are lifted into the harbour entrance by a crane. As a resident of Porthleven and a Regional Fundraising Manager for the Fishermen’s Mission (in Cornwall) I would walk past the boat yard and look on at the broken pieces of the harbour defenses and often think of the storms. An idea formed, permission to use the wood was granted and the Porthleven Baulk Project was launched.

We have a team of dedicated volunteers working on the project tirelessly. They are Leigh Santi, Rita Collier, Pat Hosking, Bel Higgs, Suzie Williams, Barbara Powell, John Winterton and Louise Winterton. We are working with many creative people to make innovative items from the broken baulks, which will then be sold at an auction in aid of the Charity.  You can follow progess on Twitter with @PorthlevenArt or on their Facebook page.  ..

At least 80 artists have already agreed to paint on to the wood (in canvas cut sizes). Others are working with the wood to create mosaics, etchings, ceramic and glass. Craftspeople are creating items of furniture. Each piece will have a letter of signed authenticity to prove that these pieces are from the Porthleven baulks. Artists include Daphne McClure, Michael and son Nick Praed, Naomi Frears, Elaine Turnbull, Kim Potter, David Hosking, Mark Lace, Nigel Chamberlain, Caroline Cleave, Christine Brunnock, David Cordeaux, Julia Schofield, Cailtin McClintock, Dee Cook, Dame Carol-Anne Duffy, the Queen's poet, Lesley Holmes, Kim Potter, Suzie Williams, Jason Lilley and many more.

The auction will be held on 18th March of next year (2017) in the Atlantic Inn, Porthleven with an online auction as well. All the pieces will be on display at the Lifeboat House from the 4th to the 10th March 2017.

This is a unique opportunity to support The Fishermen’s Mission by purchasing not only a piece of social history but a celebration of enduring talent.

First fish-laden #FishyFriday of 2017 in Newlyn.

Two beam trawlers, three inshore trawlers a big netter and a handful of inshore boats made sure there were plenty of top quality fish on the market this morning...

including a good run of monk tails form the netter New Harmony...

a big shot, for a beam trawler, of haddock from the Aglrie which even from the days when Del Puckey was skipper has always fished well for the firm....

just the one interloper from Pud land...

a huge trip of megrims..

in a big trip from the Sapphire II...

which included some winter red mullet...

a handful of scallops...

and some very red spotted plaice...

top fish of the day were a handful of bream in stonking condition - with that SW3-bound air about them...

along with a smattering of JDs from the Harvest Reaper...

the Joy of Ladram landed a big trip of hake along with these coley...

and haddock...

with the temperature due to hit a balmy 9˚ later today the buyers were keen to get through the fish...

cuttles were in short supply...

more of the pick of the day...

unlike fishing for the handliners in Mount's Bay, it seems there are plenty of mackerel on the north coast for the St Ives boats...

the expensive part of any trip is about to be pumped aboard the Sapphire II...

while the lorry fleet are at the ready for their loads.