End of an era as last lugger goes for sale
For the first time in well over 200 years, the port of Looe could soon be without a traditional Cornish sailing lugger.
With the departure of the Our Daddy to a new home in Brixham recently, the Erin has been the South East Cornwall harbour’s only true fishing and sailing lugger.
But now she, too, is for sale and when a deal goes through, the port will lose the quintessential fishing and sailing boats which have been an ever-present part of the Cornish coastline since the 1800s.
The Erin’s owners, Paul and Maggie Greenwood, have confirmed their decision. ‘Neither of us is getting any younger,’ said Paul, now 65, who grew up on luggers; left school to
by JOHN COLLINGS Sunday Independent
fish and sail aboard them and has since written two books about life at sea,working these grand old ladies of the oceans.
‘We’ve had Erin for seven years and during that time we have sailed extensively to Brittany and other French ports, to the Channel Islands, Biscay, the Scillies and even the Mediterranean,’ he said.
The trip to the Med some three years ago was particularly memorable.
The couple had to take down Erin’s mast on the Seine and stow it on deck so that they could negotiate the numerous bridges and locks down through France.
Once they arrived at Port St Louis, near Lyon, the mast was stepped again, so that the couple could enjoy sailing the Med.
Paul Greenwood
‘It took us about six weeks to get through France but we were away for almost three months in total,’ said Paul.
An 38-ft pilchard driver fishing boat, with a rig of Cornish Dipping Lug, the Erin was built in 1904 by the Arthur Frazier family for Richard Lakeman of Mevagissey. Originally called the Ibis, her name was changed when Lakeman sold her on, but she remained in local ownership in the Mevagissey area until 1976 when Gérard Cey, of Lézardrieux, Brittany, bought her from the Elvin family.
He used her for cruising off the French coastline and Channel-hopping.
Coincidentally, one of Paul’s four former Looe-based luggers was also called Ibis; the others were Eileen and the Our Boys.
However, Paul and Maggie are unlikely to be giving up the sea. They quite fancy touring the European waterways and, in any event, Paul, as chairman of the Cornish Lugger Association, is already busy organising next year’s biennial regatta for the luggers in Looe Bay.
Ever the superstitious seafaring salt, he tells me with a smile: ‘We have a date for next year’s regatta. It’s over the weekend of June 14, 15 and 16 – and that’s in the year 2012A, of course!’
Anyone who would like more information about the Erin, can call Paul Greenwood on Looe (01503)
Paul and Maggie Greenwood’s Looe-based lugger,Erin,in full sail. Originally an 38-ft pilchard driver fishing boat,with a rig of Cornish Dipping Lug,she was built in 1904 by the Arthur Frazier family at Mevagissey.
265 380; e-mail:
mags.g@virgin.net, or visit the website at:
www.apolloduck.co.uk
Read John Collings’ weekly watersports columns in our sister paper, the Sunday Independent
jc.collings@
btopenworld.com
LOOE NEWS AUGUST 2012 9
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