Page 37 - recollections of a life in Porthleven

and what a haul we had from it. Approx 10 lobsters, at least 7 large monkfish
and half a dozen crayfish. We cleaned the nets and cast them again on the
same ground before moving onto our second tier of nets.

Things were going quite well, we had three or four nets up out of the tier but
then it got caught up. Try as much as we could we could not free the net for
about 1/4 of an hour. Then it broke free but as we hauled it up the net was
badly ripped.

Dad was on the winch and I cleaned the net removing the lobsters and
crayfish etc. With just the two of us it was hard work netting but we managed.
As we were getting near the end of the tier Dad slowed down the winch. I
looked at him thinking, 'What now? 'Time is getting on and I'm meeting up
with this girl as soon as we get back in'.

'Boy get a few fathom of rope and put a loop in it'. Dad shouted.

'Why Dad? I said.

'Boy I think we have a body in our nets'. Dad shouted.

I rushed to the side of him and looked over the side. I could just make it out
coming up in the net. I could make out what looked like someone's face with
two eyes open, the mouth open and the teeth catching the light every so
often. 'What are we going to do?' I shouted at Dad.

We had no radio on the boat so we could not call the coastguard for help.
So we decided to get the body on the boat, cover it over and steam back in.
So, I got on with clearing the deck on the opposite side of the boat from the
winch and getting some spare waterproofs out to cover the body over with.
Dad gave me some dos and don'ts and slowly started the winch up to pull
the net and body up onto the boat.

Looking into the sea and watching the eyes and teeth getting closer, I thought
it must be the body of a young person as the outline was looking quite small.
Then I looked at Dad and said, 'Dad, it isn't a human's body, it's a seal!!!
So when it broke water I cut it out of the net. What a trip this was turning
out to be......