Painting on the Quay day

All set for the annual Painting on the Quay day in the Old Harbour, Newlyn...

despite the heavy mist that enveloped the harbour a handful of hardy local artists including Tim Hall and Henrietta Graham set up their easels...

and brushes...

and put down the first few strokes in charcoal to sketch in the outline picture on canvas...

Tim using a framing aid to structure the work...

and capture the scene from his point of view...

as the Cornwall Painting Holidays pair settled down to concentrate on making a start getting some paint on the canvas before the drizzle turned to rain...

while an unabashed event organiser and long-time lugger enthusiast John Lambourn, owner of the restored St Ives lugger, Ripple talks the history behind 'paint up' days and fishing boats...

by now the tide has just turned...

and, like Canute before them, the artists fail to halt its progress as the scene then changes before their eyes...

but the initial sketches...

have already caught the scene...

and the main subject areas blocked in...

from the working pallette...

another painting has been bugun from another point of view...

as the heavy mist lifts...

the business of the port continues as the Twilight III heads out through the gaps...

and painting party day 2017...

draws to a close as high water approaches.

Do fishermen feel pain?

While the business of catching fish carries on as per usual in Newlyn...

a small group from Cornwall Animal Save using their right to peaceful protest, made their way around the harbour - making it clear their feelings on the rights of animals, including fish, not to be slaughtered for human consumption...

unless, of course, it is to provide leather for your purple Dr Martens...

while some fishermen tolerated this unusual protest in the harbour with a sympathetic, but decidedly un-empathetic smile, others slightly less tolerant of their presence made it clear that they should procreate somewhere else or words to that effect (you might have to ask young Nigel for the exact terminology used)...

meanwhile, the port continued to see the more normal activities associated with the business of catching fish to feed the nation...

 as young mr Puckey in the Aaltje Adriaantje heads for the ice works...

 to take on boxes and ice...

as the Crystal Sea makes her way in to land off the end of the Mary Williams pier...

 our man on the forklift, with the kind of hands that have never pushed a pen around a desk had the final word on the matter, "two sugars Sir"?

So, back in the real world, some people (millions) have no option but to eat meat as crops capable of sustaining them cannot survive extended drought conditions what's the solution?

Painting Day on the Quay - Newlyn Old Harbour tomorrow from 10am ro 5pm.

Bring your paints!

This must be  a sign that it is about to be...

another inspiring Painting Day on the Quay...

down the Old Harbour in Newlyn...

this morning sees the first of the luggers to be berthed ready for the annual hull painting task..

the Mounts Bay Lugger Association's Happy Return which will be joined by other luggers later today...

these days the bigger boats in the modern fleet avail themselves of the slip for similar work.

Tiz a foggy #FishyFriday

Just the two beam trawlers this morning...

which means the market is well supplied with bottom dwelling fish like these rays...

monk fish...

ling...

Dover sole...

and the lesser spotted plaice...

a handful of octopus...

while the netter, Joy of Ladram bulked some big pollack...

and hake along with a few...

pouts which, like many fish at this time of year are ready to spawn...

auctioneer Ryan was giving the mic the benefit of his view on the state of the nation...

which, unlike the this fish box is definitely not in the black...

the sepia ink of which seems to get everywhere when the cuttles...

are landed on the market...

 in bulk..

by the beam trawlers...

along with a few red mullet...

while the handline boys have enjoyed more settled weather and picked away a few good mackerel...

fueled up and ready to go, the Three Jays is all set for another day at sea...

dreaming of fish like this...

spot the interloper in these mackerel...

a must attend meeting with IFCA for all inshore men and anyone else who wants to stay in the know.

Fisheries Minister George Eustice - Fishing implications post Brexit

Subject: Brexit: Agriculture and fisheries

Witnesses: George Eustice MP, Minister of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

International Women's Day and Women at sea - in Alaska

Today is #InternationalWomansDay - so it would be fitting to pay tribute to tribute to a few of the few women in the local fishing industry...

like Sam, who not only works as an observer for Cefas but crews aboard her husband's netter, Sea Spray...

or staff at FalFish...

or Elaine who manages Stevenson's wet fish shop - back in the day there were some notable characters handlining for mackerel - anyone fishing out of Newlyn around then will well remember Carol with Robin on the Quo Vadis' pithy tongue crackling over the VHF or Kim who fished with Ian Johns on the Aquarius - often family firms have women in key roles...

like Emma Rowse, the other half and business partner of skipper and fleet manager, Mark Rowse of the the crab fishing and processing company, Rowse Fishing...

most notably locally is of course Elisabeth Stevenson - but women actually at sea are very much the exception - not so across the pond however in Alaska it seems things are different...

156° West but pretty much on the same Longitude as Fairisle is the fishing town of Homer...

where, after 15 years of maritime experience and five seasons spent as a marine technician on research vessels in Antartica, Amy Schaub bought her own Seine salmon fishing boat, the Norsel in 2015...

it looks colder outside the fishroom than in! For some superb photographs and an insight into the lives of the fisherwomen of Alaska you can read the full story in the current issue of Vogue online magazine here: