German TV hits the harbour!

Star of many a movie, the Ruth cuts a dash off Penlee Point.

Caterers to the visiting German film unit, John Timson serve up a welcome breakfast in the early hours of Saturday morning prior to filming.....while the day's nibbles wait to go aboard locally hired Mermaid II....
and the film crew are given instructions as they don their lifesavers....
local dive support appears on cue......
time to get the divers away, as they steam past freshly painted Grimmy Mike's JoAnne.....
meanwhile, the CSFC patrol boat makes her way quietly to the gaps and off to sea - on a SATURDAY? - whatever next Shane!
and Nigel on the Crystal Waters II heaves a rope ashore after the annual family birthday cruise to Scilly.......
Mermaid II makes her way out with film crew safely stowed aboard and keeping their fingers crossed for some sunshine. Apparently, they will be filming a collision between two boats as part of a TV film for the ZF channel (German BBC equivalent).
Joey heads out for a day on the bass - he hasn't changed much since the photo below, taken around 1977!
and that punt is remarkably similar to the one below!
as another punt steams off for a day on the bass.....
an intrepid crew has just finished greasing the block at the end of the starboard derrick - better than sorting it at sea!Jersey crabber takes delivery of an artic's load of pots.

Open accommodation on the EAW

The prop shaft on the EAW has been cut through....
with the now open aft accommodation revealed
thiss was the entrance door to the engine room
end of the stren tube....

more heavy duty nails on view.in Penzance, good news, a new shop - but wait, what's this? is that the new stock in bin bags on the floor of the shop - yes its another charity shop!

The 500 arrive!

Some of the old buildings in Newlyn are being converted to apartments (like the Pilchard Works) - here the outside granite is being shot-blasted.
View inside a pot - but what will it be catching?
The Nova Spero lands to the waiting Iceberg before heading off to Plymouth. An empassioned Quentin from the Nova Spero explains to Seafood Cornwall Quality Officer Robert George why they are landing to Plymouth and not Newlyn market. David Stevens Jnr skipper of the Crystal Sea (who also lands to Plymouth and has done for over twelve months) listens with interest to the debate. Both skippers are convinced that all parties with an investment in Newlyn (stakeholders to use the modern parlance) need to come together and talk about a way forward for the port as a matter of real urgency before Newlyn goes the way of Milford, Fleetwood and other great ports. The Crystal Sea sailed away from the port for the last time bound for her new home north of the border. A replacement will arrive next month - watch the blog for more news soon. It says something about the state of the port if young, go-ahead and successful skippers are looking to land to a fish market nearly 100 miles away! Visiting Portsmouth crabber Kastel Paol. Baz and Ben stack boxes of tuna under the fishroom hatch.......
and wait for the skipper to heave on the landing gear....
Here's a proud man - Shaun and the Nova Spero team put ashore 500 prime Albacore tuna in Newlyn this morning - straight to the back of an Iceberg lorry bound for Dave Pessell's Plymouth Market - they will surely delight market manager Pete Bromley when they go up for auction tomorrow!



Watch a short video of Ben and Baz in the fishroom, Shaun on the landing winch and Quentin in the waiting truck - passionate commentary (warning Adult content!) from skipper Shaun!

George the Dolphin makes a splash!

In case anyone was wondering how it was known that the visiting dolphin was George - here are the tell-tale scars on his dorsal fin!
Not seen in Newlyn for several decades - a set of bobbins on a trawl footrope - trust Bob 'YoYo' Yeo on the immaculate Aurora to go for something different - and she is for sale too!

Steady boys!

Nathan and fellow Carol H crew look a little sheepish at the result of their faux-pas earlier in the day, a freshly welded new section - moral of the story? - don't drive off with the landing gear still hooked to the pickup truck if you want to avoid cracking the landing pole! - bet Phil wasn't too impressed!
Crabber's yellow wellies pose again.

Quick work made of the EAW

Multi-puprose Dignity from St Ives has put in an appearance
3 & 4 inch planks are ripped from the lower hull....and leave behind a sea of nails....

bet they don't make them like this anymore....a day' s work sees most of the starboard side stripped.....
under the appropriate plea over the garage of WS & S.....
all that remains of the oak planks - firewood!

More pieces for the Turner prize!

"Scattered blues"
"Atlantic Edges"
"Offcuts"
Looks like a jolly night starting at the Mission
The Jacoba now has new bulwarks in place both sides.

'Through the gaps' goes to Newquay!

Saturday saw thousands of visitors hit Newquay Harbour for their annual fish festival...Seafood Cornwall were a popular stand....
as was their rolling programme of live cookery demonstrations...
a few local merchants were able to show off locally caught fish....
while outside, master traditional lobster pot maker Dick Ede from Newlyn, held a captive audience....with willow branches freshly picked from the side of the A39 earlier that day!
one couple were particularly impressed as they realized Dick was doing this for the love of it - they noted he could have been at sea for the three days of the festival earning some money with the pots!