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Wednesday, 24 May 2023

Survey ship, Jorgen Amundsen on the slip.

 

Scottish prawn trawler Orion is the latest to make a landing in Newlyn...


while the skipper of the Jorgen Amundsen plans to locate the wreck of cargo vessel MV Mark that sank on the same night as the Penlee Lifeboat Disaster.  The MV Mark got into difficulty off Penzance, Cornwall, on the night of 19 December 1981, resulting in six crew losing their lives. The vessel has never been found and identified, although debris was found. Fredrik Lunde says he hopes to find the ship and get more information for the families of its crew. The bulk carrier, loaded with China clay, suffered engine failure and lost contact with the coastguard. Fredrik Lunde became interested in the MV Mark after locals in Penzance told him about it - debris including a lifebelt was washed up, with the belt now hanging on the wall in a local pub, The Dock in Penzance. The sinking happened on the same night the Penlee lifeboat was dispatched to help the Union Star. Newspaper reports at the time pointed out that 22 lives were lost that night - 16 from the Solomon Browne lifeboat and the coaster it had attempted to reach. Fredrik, who has been in Cornwall since April plans to take out his converted Norwegian rescue ship, which he has been turning into a survey vessel, to examine a possible wreck site some 165ft (50m) deep, about seven nautical miles off Penzance...


meanwhile, the Algrie, the first ex-Dutch beam trawler ever brought to Newlyn is one of the remaining three boats now waiting the return of the tug to tow them to Belgium and the scrapyard - end of an era indeed...

three men and their ladder...


a brighter sign of the changing fortunes and times, the harbour now has its very own electric forklift...


looks like there is still plenty of mending to do before the gear goes back aboard the Spirited Lady III...


and even more work for the guys aboard the Enterprise...


at this time of year the pontoon berths are filled with passing yachts, build it and they will come...


today's mackerel boats have yet to land their morning's catch, now where did the landing book go?...


there was a mix of fish on the market tis morning with quality fish like these hake and red mullet...


and John Dory from the Orion...


landings of mackerel picked up a little last night for the punt men...


you wouldn't want these to be wrapped around you when swimming in the Bay...


staple catch for the beam trawl fleet...


while these make an additional bonus to the landings...


if you know where to go there are still shots of bass to be had...


beam trawlers like the Trevessa IV make the biggest landings of megrim sole...


fish like these red mullet add variety to the trips...


looks like today could be fine.

Monday, 22 May 2023

Monday morning finds the Scottish prawn fleet in Newlyn.


Finally the weather seems to have settled...



which will mean the tug will be back for these two in a few days time...


following the departure of these old stalwarts of Stevenson's fleet...


headed for a scrapyard in Belgium...




with no beam trawlers landed over the weekend it was down to the visiting Scottish prawn boats to fill the market with whole monk...


of all sizes...


the 'bait' that the monk dangles in front of its cavernous jaw can clearly be seen here...



there were good trips from the local inshore trawlers too...



with quality fish like these John Dory...



Couch's bream...




and superb red mullet...


turbot a-plenty...



that often seem to travel in pairs, the up side and downside to veery turbot is clear to be seen...



both types of squid on offer from the Spirited Lady...



while Dovers...



megrim...



and lemon sole from the prawners...



inshore boats continue to pick away on the eight leggers...



the use of seaweed is he traditional way of keeping shellfish like lobsters alive when not able to be kept in seawater...



a fine BBQ treat in the offing...





tow of the prawn fleet...



while the Cornishman undergoes another major overhaul...



Ocean Vision back in Newlyn...



with plenty of trawl work to keep skipper Zander busy...



headed for the slip...



nothing beats the morning light says Breton artist Christophe, currently visiting Newlyn...



along with friends on their yacht...


nearly made it to the cradle...



atypical trawl wear and tear, the combination fishing line has parted at the splice, always a fun job replacing that!...




the latest entries in the slipway record book...


which go back to day one, these from back in the 80s...



'PD', the Slipmeister and his kingdom...



she'll have to wait for high-water this evening before being slipped...



as the cradle needed to be made narrower to accommodate her beam...



a day sailer...



as another visiting prawner arrives...



the Ocean Crest heads in through the gaps.