Making most of living on the coast

 Thinking about how to get the most out of living by the sea I am reminded of the long history the sea holds to contributing to our health and well being.Almost 500 years before birth of Christ Hippocrates encouraged his patients to bathe in warm sea water. He noticed fishermen who had injured their hands after soaking in warm sea water they had few infections. The warm sea water releases toxins between the blood and the water restores the balance of minerals in the blood.
                           
                             
I remember how my father used to heat up sea water for a foot bath. we gladly don't need to go to an exotic spa to get this treatment a trip to Huaxley and a quick warm up in the lobster pan...just the ticket!
The seawater has potassium for all over energy and iodine as a natural anticeptic.
We have records that Henry 111 bathed in the sea to heal scabies and in 1791 John Lathan opened the first seaside hospital.
In 1750 an Englishman named Russell published a work which enjoyed great popular success. In it he wrote" One should drink sea water, bathe in it and eat every product of the sea" on that bomb shell I am off for a Guinness!!!!!!!!!!!

Boxing day review

With wind howling outside my front door and after returning from a windy trip in the North Sea I am happy to look back on some highlights and surprises of the year.
The sea temperature is defiantly increasing and that's the reason we are catching fish not normally associated with this coastline.Tuna have been caught locally and swordfish sighted of Blyth.The catches this year were mostly cod ,Pollock,mackerel, whiting, sole and just to round the year up Bass!!

There are some trips which stand out when the weather, light and tides offer opportunities like nothing else and when you can give a friend a  trip out it's hard to believe this is Not the Mediterranean but just off the coast of Amble. Coming in after the sun has set and the sea is calm is a nice way to round off a day.

But fish is only part of the menu and as you can see Virginia's carrots are nearly as big as the fish I catch!

It was a good year for mackerel! This is Nev the Morning star engineer catching his tea.

  Virginia was fishing three hooked trace of daylights going for mackerel when this surprise collie found the bottom hook much to everybodies surprise as it was janded with a thumb on the deck..

It then found its way into my frying pan

Compass House Amble

Its been sometime since I have updated my blog.I have been busy with my new project and that is Compass House Amble.A traditional stone house that I have acquired for holiday letting.
The Northumberland coast is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful coastlines in England and attracts many visitors from all over the world.
I will be starting a new website soon which will be full of information on attractions and "Things to do" in Northumberland,restaurants,sea fishing,still water fishing,sailing,golfing,walking bird watching just to name a few.

Just for now here are a few picture of my holiday house.
Should you wish to book for a week or just a couple of days please contact me at sandy.scott@live.co.uk

Longlinning

Longlinning is a method of catching various species of fish.

This method is centuries old and allows undersized fish to be returned back to the sea alive.

I have caught various species of fish using this method and only keep the ones I want for my own food.

I will explain the method how to use a  long line and one that can be used from the shore

Back to work

 

On the last day of my leave the winds died back and we had a chance to get a run out before tying up the boat for a month.

We have been having some strong westerly winds so this was a bonus opportunity.  

We were fishing for cod and collies and didn't expect to get mackerel this early in the year. The mackerel have been caught

late last month but ten miles east of the Coquet Island. It is a good sign they are moving in shore this early.

It is looking promising for my next leave and we can get the smoker going again!

 The mackerel were not the only arrivals the young eider ducks
have made there perilous journey from the nesting grounds on the Coquet they look like small corks following the female eider.

Off to work for a month

Weather window

 We have had a week of westerly winds and the sea has had quite a lift but it didn't deter us  from getting out  to see what was about. Yesterday evening there was a weather window and Virginia and I grabbed our gear and went out to see if we would be lucky with a few fish . As we headed North out of Amble harbour towards one of my fishing marks the gannets were diving into the water after the sand eels.When we got to the ground we had the marks already on the chart plotter and the fish finder was showing a good result

Within ten minutes we were catching cod and coal fish.

 It didn't take long to start to fill the bucket and then the wind  changed and we headed for home before it became uncomfortable. I get plenty of bad weather when at work so when on leave I look for fair seas to fish in.

When we got home and started to gut the fish they were full of sand eels and the undigested ones I frooze for bait. So from one catch we hope to get the next catch!

It is such a good sign that the sea is full of sand eels. It is the Puffins main diet and helps to feed and replenish so much

marine life around these coasts.

This morning I went out to the Island with Davy in his Trident  Coble and came back with two lovely crabs for breakfast. They

feed in the iodine rich kelp and are rich in flavour. So the fridge is full again and I feel the season can begin in earnest.

Dawn Marie B

Theses are a couple of photos of the Dawn Marie B fishing for lobsters
of the Northumberland coast.On board is Skipper/owner Davy bell.



Here she is as the Morning Star

Finishing Touches before launch

 Quick photo of the Morning Star on the blocks just before launch.
The vessel to the right of the picture is the Admiral Collingwood having larch planking replaced.

 On the mobile 50Ton crane lining up for the launching dock.








Virginia down to give the final approval before launching



Spring clean

Before fishing could begin this leave the Morning Star needed

her annual dry dock. This year with the crew (David) putting in the

time and with some unusually good weather we managed to

complete the work in a week.

The propeller has been cleaned and polished to improve fuel efficiency and also slightly increases power.

This I achieved with cleaning first  with a scotch bright pad followed with fine emery paper and then soft cloth and lots of brasso.

 I checked the edges of the prop for any damage and to repair as any damage could cause the prop to become unbalanced causing further problems. All looked good!

All the underwater timbers have been cleaned with a pressure washer and thoroughly checked for any damage.The boat has been out of the water for two weeks and good and dry.Any paint that had come off during the winter was primed with underwater primer and left to dry then a full coat of anti fouling was applied.

It is always a good moment when she is renewed and fresh

for the summer season so it was pleasing to have a welcomed visit from Victor Henderson,the man who built her. He always has some fresh information about the boat he built 38 years ago.

The name Morning Star (or Venus as it is better known) was the name of my grandfathers boat.The sign writing was done by a local sign writer at last year's dry dock and was still as good as new.His work is on about every fishing vessel on the north east coast.






So on Friday the 6th May we were ready for the launch!
On the Amble boat company mobile hoist and ready for another season.
All the underwater safety checks have been made and of course the plug put in.
On a coble there is a wooden or cork plug in the forward end for when the boat is out of the water and sitting on timber support blocks she is down by the head so the plug is removed and any water will drain out also should it pour down with rain is saves having to bail out!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heading back to the marina with David Major (First Mate)

and having to listen to his wining "Mind th paint"

Anyway its the begining of the season and time to catch some fish.

Fruits from the sea an old tradition.

Sea weed is an everyday miracle with optimum nourishment for the soil. It makes excellent natural fertilizer. We collect it by the bags full to use on the allotment compost, mulching and digging in with the potatoes. It is full of iodine, amino acids, minerals and the full list of vitamins ABCDE+K- what a zest for growing!

It makes a real difference to the way everything grows with all these nutriments and the salt puts the slug off for a while.

It was a tradition on the east coast of Northern Ireland to gather dulse (a type of seaweed) from The Copeland Islands where the sea was particularly pure, dry it in the summer sun and eat it like crisps

The swans

 To-Day we tied the Morning star up for another month as I am returning to sea.The previous blog of my wife Virginia feeding the swans continues with their young signets.Beautiful birds and not a bit shy as they came up to the boat however they would not eat out of my hand but as soon as my wife came on board they came a lot closer and took bread from her hand.

 Full up thank you time and to go! I am away at sea until 25th April when the lobsters and crabs start growing and the season begins in earnest.

The Puffins have arrived

With such  a high pressure lying over the uk it brought favourable weather for a run out to Coquet Island. We just happened to be there and witness the arrival of the puffins for the start of their breeding season. Trying to photograph them is not that easy. If you look really clsely you may just spot a pair of puffins skimming the sea. They came in their  droves and the next day the island was full of birds.

By the time we returned to harbour the sun was setting and time

come in and relax