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Tuesday 2 May 2017

May Day aftermath


The scrapping gear is all set to break up the wooden fishing boat Excellent, 81 years after she was built...


with a huge inflatable floating boom in place to catch any oil that might be spilt...


arrivals over the weekend included two more prawn boats, though they only put their white fish ashore - the prawns are either shipped directly back for processing to Scotland or if frozen off to Spain...


there was plenty of fish from a couple of big trips form the beamers that landed...


including the a large number of in-season megrim soles...


and a few boxes of John Dory...


half a dozen cuttles as opposed to six tons of cuttles well and truly indicate the end of their season...


the biggest of the turbot this morning were form the Algrie...


it seems as though there are more witches this year on the grounds than normal...


big whole monk...


and a handful of Dorys...


and hake...


along with a few megrims from the Vision III...


as the netter, Ygraine sails in a flat calm...


surely the Galilee is nearing completion...


as another boat is given a severe refit...


judging by the amount of steel plate on the quayside waiting to be fitted...


there are three main components to the footrope of a bottom trawl, the wire fishing line that passes through the centre of the rubber discs and bobbins that makes up the actual footrope, next comes the fishing line made of combination which is connected to the footrope and then the bolsh line on which the meshes of the trawl are set...


good to see Billy basking in the morning sun...


modern, purpose built scallopers have plenty of working deck space...


showing the full extent of the preventative oil spillage boom...


the AA's  boxes are ready for her arrival at the iceworks berth...


a reminder of the work in progress...


and one of the tolls being used to break up the old boat - with its extremely rare enamelled Kelvin main engine...


the tool for the job, modelled it would seem on a cross between the cutting and crushing claw of a lobster...


and ready to go...


local fans have been enjoying the BT Experience for so many years now that some must be taking their grandchildren along to see them by now!









Monday 1 May 2017

Busy weekend in Newlyn.


Yet another Devonian visitor, this time Dan has brought in the Olivia Belle from Bideford...



and the huge Scottish prawner, Achieve joins the fleet over the weekend...


Brackan from the Spirited Lady III catches up on the gossip with fellow skipper Dan aboard the Our Olivia...


a set of Baboushka-like inshore trawlers...


the trawl deck...


business end of the Apollo...


looking aft over the trawl deck of the Achieve...


 a clue as to the origins of this boat...



some take 'Fishing for Litter' to extremes...


Phil offers Nigel some advice on how best to knock the pin out of the link...


yet another lengthened prawner...


Newlyn's largest trawler, Crystal Sea is in for the weekend...


side-by-side, two of the most modern trawlers in the south west...


the long arm of the power block enables the fishing line and footrope to be mended in-situ...


towing off bridles to be checked for length....


as Zander brings the Vision III into berth...


for running repairs to her gear and nets...


while retired skipper David Stevens senior acquaints anthropology student Lamorna Ash with the boat...


that she is about to spend 8 days aboard - he, and maybe she, is hoping that the severe easterly gale 8-9s forecast for Friday don't materialise...


more litter coming ashore...


a piece of very old telephone cable trawled up by the Crystal Sea - with eight different component parts - starting from the outside - a heavy coat of pitch then the protective steel wire outer case, oakum, wound cotton tape, wound brass tape, hard rubber sheath over the solid half-inch copper core...


the Excellent is due to be broken up starting tomorrow morning...


as the demolition crew unload their gear...


the local seal enjoys breakfast...


while the crusher that will break up the boat disembarks...


and the tools are put in place...


the scene is set...


as a protective boom is pulled into the harbour to surround the vessel...



 big ships carry big fuel tanks and need big fuel tankers...



the narrow streets of Newlyn stood still for a few minutes while the transport moved out of the quay.