Haddock

A little Haddock on a sorting table, I thought it looked a bit stumpy or maybe its just a fat one, fat from all the good feeding on prawns in the Irish Sea

Power Block

A new power block recently fitted to the "Argonaut IV". The Power block is powered hydraulics, It is used a bit like a JCB arm with the gray portion a the end containing a wheel which rotates and hauls the net in as it passes over it. Power blocks advanced fishing as it allowed nets to be hauled quickly, which prevents fish from escaping, and allows the net  to be back fishing quicker. It also saved the back breaking work off off hauling it by hand. Its a problem alot of fish species face; that technology to catch them moves quicker than the advancement of their evolution to avoid being caught, will they catch up and pass out the technology ??

Ginalyn

A photo of the deck of my friend's boat "Ginalyn", he is in the middle of doing annual maintenance work so things a bit messy, he probably wont appreciate me putting up a photo with the boat like this. As you can see its quite compact with not much room for standing about idle, which never happens onboard this boat.

Empty!

I had an unusual sight greet me this morning. An empty harbour. Where is everybody? It gets quite this time of year as the majority of the prawn fishing fleet have relocated to the west coast as the prawn fishing improves over there and gets slack here on the east coast. A couple of boats arrived during the day and it didn't seem so odd.

Dillon Owen

The "Dillon Owen" arriving in Howth to take on a net. A Danish built vessel, it is very versatile. The design of the vessel allows it to participate in different fisheries. Red makes a boat appear bigger and this trawler probably appears bigger due to the fish pumping equipment  placed on the deck forward off the wheelhouse.

Ambitious

The "Ambitious" crew busy mending its nets on the pier in Howth. The trawler is stern to the wall allowing the taking off and putting back on nets on the drums which can be seen at the back of the boat.

Forkbeard

A Forkbeard caught off the Coast of Ireland. Also known as "sweaty Betty" there is a nice fillet of fish on it. It doesn't keep well and goes soft rather quickly, Even this one looks a bit under pressure and he is just out of the sea.

Silver Strand

Inshore potter "Silver Strand" in Clogherhead getting some very impressive aluminium welding work done. A lovely looking boat and well laid out boat it would be one of my favourties.

High Tide

The first of the winter's big tides here on the east coast. Aided by the surge in the sea brought on the recent bad weather it is the highest I have seen in a while. It is not good for the boats tied up  if their ropes and fenders are not adjusted to deal with this. All that was missing was a north wind to bring the water a bit higher and I would be walking about in my wellies.

Celtic Warrior II

Celtic Warrior II arriving in Howth on  fine spring afternoon, a newish enough boat to the Irish fleet and has recently had freezing equipment installed to allow the freezing off the catch onboard.

Vierge Marie.

The "Vierge Marie" looking very good after been paintied, a new colour scheme, I like it, all set another years work!

Fish box and Inspector!

Here is a fish box I found washed up in Connemara. I am surprised by the good condition it is in. It is not broken by being bashed up against the rocky shore where I discovered it, nor perished from floating in the sea and being exposed to the sun. It is typical of a fish box used by the Spanish vessels operating off the west coast of Ireland. As you can see it is being inspected by my resident inspector of all things washed up "Sammy D". I sometimes lose finds to him as he chews them and runs around with them hanging out of his mouth. This box pass his inspection and he has had no interest in it.

Loira

The French registered trawler "Loira" tied up in the port of Vigo in Spain. This vessel is Spanish operated but registered in France to avail of French quota. I love the shape of these older Spainish trawlers. The Spanish nation's unsatisfiable appetite for seafood sees them with vessels registered in many countries to avail of that nations quota, but I suppose that is how you feed over 47 million people?

Beal Linn.

The skipper of the inshore fishing vessel "Beal Linn" heading out to check on his lobster and crab pots. He sets his baited pots in around the rocks and islands off the coast of Dublin. There was a series of these "Beal" boats built and quiet a few are still about.

Back to Sea.

The "Rose of Sharon II" looking very clean after a repaint. After spending a few weeks getting painted and maintaining nets the vessel is heading to the fishing grounds to the South of Ireland.

Boats at dusk.

The "Vierge Marie" And the "Arkh Angell" at dusk in Clogherhead, Co Louth. The two trawlers are after a long and well deserved tie up period where they  were painted and maintenance work was carried out. They should be ready for another years work targeting prawns around the Irish Coast.

Pots & Pans

The cooking arrangements on board a French trawler. I am always curious to see what the fishermen eat when at sea. Some take full advantage of the situation they are in and eat fish. I think some of them get fed up looking at the stuff and opt for non fish meals. I cant recall what was in the pot. Everything is constrained so it doesn't end up on the galley floor in poor weather.

Monkfish!

A  Monkfish  trashing about on the gutting table of a trawler. Monkfish is in the news here quiet a bit as a fisherman refused to discard  his catch over quota and landed over 4 tonnes of it and gave it away for free.
No one can argue that throwing perfectly good fish back into the sea is wrong so what is the alternative? Having a free for all is hardly an option and is a short term solution. The redistribution of quotas throughout member states would be an non runner with most  member states I think.
I think the scientific assessments that is used to determine the quotas  needs to incorporate more of the fishermen's catch and activity data. A radical approach would be to limit boats time at sea and allow them to land what they catch along with improved methods of releasing juvenile fish.
Monkfish is a lovely tasty fish, I have a tasty recipe for it and I will be adding a recipe page here soon. 

Eblana

The Howth based trawler "Eblana" tied up in the dwindling summer  sunlight. The skipper are currently trialing a gear which is designed to allow juvenile fish escape.

Rubber Duckie!

I found this guy washed up in Connemara, Ireland. I am curious as to where it might have came from. Rubber Ducks are released at sea to study currents,but this guy had no information on him. Another possible theory is that he may have come from the consignment of rubber ducks trapped in the Arctic but after a bit of internet searching he looks nothing like them(must belong to a different family). All I do know is that it was made in china and the hole at the bottom used in the moulding process has been sealed as to though to prevent water getting in.
And if your day needs anymore brightening up;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mh85R-S-dh8


 

The Stern trawler "Le Dolmen" in Howth at high tide. Nets everywhere on the pier getting repaired and checked. It was a quiet month of September for "Le Dolmen" as prawn fishing goes traditionally quiet in September, leaves a lot of fishermen the opportunity to paint boats and overhaul equipment.

Rath Eilte

The Balbriggan based "Rath Eilte" arriving Howth. It is very well and brightly painted and doesn't look its age of 60 years plus. It targets prawns in the Irish Sea towing a single net.