Tag Archives: Newlyn
The last Cornish fishing lugger of its kind sets sail for repairs around the British Isles
An historic Cornish lugger has sailed out of Newlyn for the start of a 1,000-mile journey to the Scottish Highlands. Barnabas is the only surviving fishing vessel of her kind in the world and is on a six week round trip to fit out new masts at Ullapool. 30 volunteer sailors from the Cornwall Maritime Trust are taking it in turns to crew Barnabas during different legs of the journey across the Celtic nations of the British Isles. Toby Floyer the Chair of the Trustee is the first to be the ship’s skipper. He says sailors will get to experience what it would have been like for generations of people who “got their living from the sea”. Video, Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:43
A New Chapter In Newlyn’s Fishing Legacy: Formalising The Fish Auction Agreement
In a significant development for the Port of Newlyn, the Newlyn Pier & Harbour Commissioners (NP&HC) and W Stevenson & Sons Limited (WS&S) have finalised a landmark agreement, poised to redefine the UK’s leading quality fish auction from 1st April 2024. This formalization solidifies a longstanding and productive relationship, setting the stage for a modernised partnership aimed at bolstering the facilities and services for the Cornish fleet and the wider UK fishing industry. With the agreement set to activate on the 1st of April, WS&S will assume exclusive auctioneering rights at Newlyn Fish Market for a duration of seven years. more, >>click to read<< 10:31
New Ring Netter Joins Newlyn Fleet
Built by G Smyth Boats in Kilkeel, new ring netter Inter-Nos PZ-46 made its delivery trip home to Newlyn to dock in its home port before Christmas. The Maxus Fast Cat has been designed and outfitted to fish for pilchards and is powered by a pair of Volvo Penta D8A5-A-MH main engines. The deck is laid out with a Spencer Carter 3000lb slave hauler with a MV500 motor and a Thistle Lift crane with a telescopic extension. more, >>click to read<< 08:31
Three in one week.
They say a week is a long time in politics, or if you wait ages for a bus, three come along at once – in just one week Newlyn has just seen the loss of three members of its fishing community. First to make his way to the deck of the big fishing boat in the sky was Mr PCCM himself, son of a coastguard, Dick Harvey. Dick epitomised ‘old school’. Talking of HMRC and tax, fish buyer Geoff Davies, seen here with early-days mobile phone hitched to is belt, was a tax inspector in a previous life – that was before he came to fish from Newlyn and then, subsequently went ashore and worked for leading fish merchant Nick Howell when his premises were behind Waghorns. Fishing runs deep in the Stevens family, generations have fished from the port of St Ives. Ernest Stevens, David Stevens father had the second and much larger Rose of Sharon built in 1969 by Forbes of Sandhaven, the first built them back in 1964. Lots of photos, >click to read< 09:45
Full on fish landings this #FishyFriday in Newlyn.
Good Morning from Newlyn! 22 photos and a nice video! >click to review< 09:47
F/V Harvest Reaper for Sale – “Undoubtedly the finest under 10m trawler produced by a UK yard”
Harvest Reaper was built in 1988 for top Newlyn inshore skipper Bob Yeo to incorporate his ideas on how to get the most out of an under 10m boat. She was built by Abels in Bristol who had a reputation both for solid construction and innovative design. Their partnership created a roomy multi-purpose vessel capable of both stern and beam trawling. Her massive beam and draught created a stable boat that allowed for a forward engine room and large 160 box fishroom resulting in a quiet 4-berth accommodation aft. Photos, video, >click to read< 08:24
RIP Pussen, the feral harbour cat.
For those who have lived and worked on the harbour in Newlyn over the past 10 years, the sight of a black and white feral cat hunting for rats in the rocks by the RNLI boathouse wouldn’t have been a strange sight. She had a great bounty there which kept her fit. But as for her main food supply she depended on the many pigeons that housed in the wall face on the way to the net sheds opposite Trelawney fish shop. It was in this location that I was lucky enough to see her engage in what she did best. I rigged gillnets in the end shed which gave me a front seat to the act. I called her to me almost daily after that but she showed no interest until I saw her pass one day and offered her some fresh ham from my lunch. This she accepted from a distance,,, photos, Freddie Bates, adopted cat companion. >click to read< 10:23
Sunny Monday in Newlyn.
Sardine boat, Pelagic Marksman upon the hard for a pre-season hull check… Lots of great phots! >click to review< 16:07
Prawn trawler Orion in Newlyn
Orion, also known as the ‘sailor’s star’ is actually a constellation and so named as it is visible the whole world over and therefore when looked at provides a constant connection between loved ones at home and a sailor wherever they may be,,, photos, >click to read< 11:00
A Record Breaker!
The record for the value of fish landed in a single trip at one of England’s busiest fishing ports has been broken. The Enterprise caught the £87,353 haul during an eight-day trip out of Newlyn, Cornwall, last month. Skipper Nathan Marshall said “the stars were aligned” as they broke the previous port record by £11,000. The 43m (141ft) ship is the largest beam trawler in the port, and the newest having arrived in 2021. “Some hauls are better than others but on this trip they were just all good hauls, every single one of them.” >click to read<, More photos of the trip, Boom! Star ship Enterprise lands a record-breaking £87,353 trip. >click to read< 07:32
Full-on #FishyFriday in Newlyn
The repairs to the Fishermens Arms must be taking longer than when they built the place. Mordros looking good in the morning sunshine. some classy curves on the crabber Francesca’s revamped wheelhouse. A lot of fantastic photos of fish and other interesting happenings in Newlyn, Cornwall on #FishyFriday. Enjoy! >click to read< 09:28
Photo’s: Monday morning in Newlyn – a misty start to the day.
A nice selection of photos from Lawrence Hartwell. >click to review< and click on the photos to enlarge them! Thank you, Lawrence! 13:01
First freezing #FishyFriday this year in Newlyn!
The sight of an ill-fitting hard hat three sizes too small earlier in the week provided a first glimpse of the big Padstow man himself in this celebration of skippers-to-be in the Swordfish circa 1985 cuddling a very young Billy Bunn, alongside another big skipper-to-be, Don Liddicoat and (seated) skipper/owner of the Ocean Harvester, Mervyn Mountjoy, sadly now no longer with us,,, Lots of fishy photos, >click to read< 10:32
Newlyn: Grimmy Mike RIP.
There are, or rather were, two well-known skippers called Mike in Newlyn, both referred to by their ports of origin, Milford Mike and Grimmy Mike. Whilst Milford Mike is currently a contender for the oldest working fisherman in the port, sad news has reached Newlyn that Grimmy Mike has gone to the big wheelhouse in the sky. For those who are not aware, Mike Mahon, better known as Grimmy Mike became something of living legend in 
Newlyn and beyond. The photo above epitomises Grimmy’s political fishing career – the little guy steaming ahead, singlehandedly trying to champion his beloved fishing industry battling against the full weight of legislation in the form the much-hated Common Fisheries Policy. Grimmy’s finest moment came when he sought the support of Canadian Fisheries minister, Brian Tobin who flew to Newlyn for the 1995 Fish Festival. photos,>click to read< 14:47
Newlyn: That was the year that was – 2021 in pictures
Notwithstanding Covid, history was made in January 2021 when Newlyn’s fish auction went online signaling the end of the shout auction. Busy markets are now devoid of buyers, all of whom bid from the comfort of a remote computer, wherever that may be. The demise of things that had been a feature of the harbour for many years was to be repeated several times later in the year, the next casualty being landings of fish from the boats in the Waterdance fleet being landed in Newlyn but transported by road for auction at Brixham which, despite the need to reduce the carbon footprint, sees large quantities of the sae fish then transported back to Newlyn for processing and transported yet again back up the A30 for distribution beyond Cornwall. Photo’s, >click to read< 08
With the shortest day of the year over, summer is on its way!
First light this morning sees Tom keeping his ever-watchful eye over the fleet. Almost all are now safely tied up in port, though the crabbers and netters will look to put in a few days between Christmas and New Year’s Eve to keep supplies going. As light floods the harbour the sky almost resembles the aurora borealis as the sun rises. as the hues intensify above the horizon. >Photos, click to read< 11:22
Tributes paid to ‘patriarch of Newlyn’ Billy Stevenson
The family and friends of Billy Stevenson have paid tribute to the ‘patriarch of Newlyn’. William ‘Billy’ Stevenson was one of the fishing port’s most emblematic figures, known for successfully growing and running the family business and for his lifelong passion for Cornwall’s fishing industry and its people. Billy began working as a fisherman out of Newlyn when he was 15 in 1943. His whole family has been involved with the industry and W Stevenson & Sons remains one of the largest suppliers of fish in the South West. The Stevensons have been fishing out of the West Cornwall town for over 100 years and now run a core fleet of 10 beam trawlers. >click to read< 10:35
It was a Fine #FishyFriday morning in Newlyn
Big shift in the weather this morning as strong winds and heavy skies give way to patches of blue and light winds… lots of fish, and photos! >click to read< 10:24
Fish Galore! It’s a fine Fishy Friday in Newlyn
Cool cloud colours this morning but still autumnal temperatures pervade… Lots of fish photo’s, from Tuna to Turbot! >click to read< 08:34
It’s another fine FishyFriday in Newlyn.
Last few hours for the netting fleet before they leave their berths to take ice and head away for the next tide… with fine weather comes fine fishing and the auction was full of inshore landings this morning… lots of photos, >click to read< 22:09
Fine, flat calm #FishyFriday in Newlyn.
Fine start to the final day of the week and with a big spring tide the netting fleet are all in port waiting for the next neap to begin…fish, photos, >click to read< 22:44
Fish galore on Monday morning’s market in Newlyn!
Algrie heads away from the gaps past the Mount on a fine morning passing the Irene at anchor in Gwavas Lake, hopefully those wet looking clouds will dissipate throughout the day,,, plenty of fish and photos, >click to read< 22:20
Fish tails – on the final #FishyFriday of July
Hard to believe looking across the harbour this morning that six hours before this was taken both St Marys and Sennen lifeboat were patrolling the Scillys as gusts up to 69mph caused chaos both ashore and at sea. An impatient fleet gets the gear sorted before leaving the quay and heading back to sea.. first away was the hake netter Ajax, Fish, photos, >click to read< 22:47
Men at work on the Manin on a muggy Monday morning in Newlyn
Hardly a breath of wind to disturb the tranquil waters of Newlyn this morning as the crew of the Ocean Pride struggle to pull the Sapphire II back into her berth before making her way to the slip cradle. Meanwhile on the fish market there are couple of big trips of haddock and other quality white fish for the Irish trawler Unity. hake from the Ajax, and quality flats form the beam trawler Sapphire II. Lots of beautiful fish, beautiful photos! >click to read< 08:08
Profit and turnover down as UK fishing fleet weathers a challenging year.
Our first economic performance estimates for 2020 show impact of pandemic on fishing industry. Fishing fleet performance in 2020 The total operating profit of the UK fishing fleet fell by almost a fifth in 2020 as the sector dealt with the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. The data we’re publishing today shows that: Operating profit fell by 19% from £264 million in 2019 to £214 million in 2020. Turnover, which had been above the £1 billion mark for the previous three years, fell to £843 million. This is a 17% reduction. These totals,,, photos, >click to read<22:26
UK’s fishing crews outraged at Brexit betrayal five years after
It’s 5am on a brisk June morning and on board the Girl Pamela fishing vessel, skipper Graham Nicholas is taking me through some basic housekeeping ahead of a 12-hour stint at sea. “If you need to piss or puke,” he says, “do it overboard. If you need to shit, do it in the bucket.” On the fifth anniversary of the vote to leave the EU, many say their industry has been betrayed Above all, he has one outstanding question. As Brexit negotiations faltered over fishing rights last year, “But if we’re so unimportant, how comes the Europeans fought so f****g hard for their fishermen?” >click to read<19:03
Monday morning in Newlyn
Fishing vessel Silver Dawn at dawn heads in through the gaps for the fish market. She will pass a bevvy of the port’s biggest crabbers, five of them currently between trips, tyre fenders in the making, they could come in handy. The weekend saw a number of landings from boats large and small including these top quality red mullet from the Fishing Vessel Harvest Reaper, >32 photos, video, click to read< 22:32
More Celtic visitors in Newlyn
Amaven Uno, another visiting Spanish flag stern trawler is in Newlyn Tuesday morning, while another Scottish prawn boat moored on the end of the Marwy Williams pier – her namesake fished her 30 years ago along with the Loranthus, Wavecrest and Bounteous – they made two pair teams that fished for winter mackerel landing in Penzance dock. as can be seen from this photo, with the fully laden Loranthus laying outside the Bounteous having her mackerel pumped ashore – most likely for fishmeal – sadly, the Bounteous was lost one night when she capsized while hauling her midwater trawl full of mackerel >19 photos, click to read< 10:55
First of this season’s Scottish prawn fleet arrives in Newlyn.
BF191 Vision IV is the first of this year’s visiting prawn fleet to arrive in Newlyn, seen here astern of the Irish twin-rigger Unity, with a hydraulic gear problem to sort. Some of the crew keep themselves busy pressure washing the hull. The beam trawler St Georges is busy putting back together her trawls, and not looking too shabby for her 48 years at sea, >click for 6 photos< 12:51
New build Amanda of Ladram in Newlyn.
Waterdance’s latest vessel to join their ever-expanding fleet is PW-6, the Amanda of Ladram, skippered by Jonathon Walsh. The largely Padstow based skipper and crew will operate mainly from Newlyn targeting mainly MSC Certified hake. the boat is currently fishing north of the Scillys, and, like all the vessels in the fleet she will overland her fish from Newlyn to be sold on the market at Brixham. >click to watch< a 9:46 video tour, and a 62 image photo gallery by Lawrence Hartwell, Through the Gaps 22:34
