The Future

FALMOUTH AND THE DOCKS

There is always a lot to associate with the docks, going back many years. For instance, the Lifeboat. The first one to come to Falmouth was in 1867. That was called the " City of Gloucester ", followed by the " Jane Whittington" and the " Bob Newbon ". These were rowing vessels and up until 1918, were housed in a shed in the Docks. Because of the alterations to be carried out in the dockyard at this time it was deemed necessary to move the lifeboat to a part of Falmouth Inner Harbour. All this was carried out quite amicably and the space given up by the vessels was eventually taken over by two new dry-docks and both finished by 1928. The latest of the lifeboats, Richard Cox Scott, "lives" quite near to the docks as the photograph shows.

No ships can enter Falmouth without the help of a "Pilot". Vastly experienced people with a wealth of knowledge about the channels that must be manoeuvred in. The Falmouth Pilot's Association started life in the 1870's. A family concern, really. The first pilot was a gentleman called "Mr Vincent" from St. Mawes. The pilots awarded the title of pilot were local boat owners who knew the tides and various obstacles that were hazards to shipping coming into the Falmouth Area. The first photo is an old shot of the "Vincent" named after the original pilot and was typical of the type of craft that would be used.

However, over the years the titles of the "Pilot" were handed over to more qualified men, notably those who attained their Masters Ticket in the Merchant Navy. Also this association became part of Trinity House. It was and is a job with many hazards to overcome and one unfortunate and tragic example of this was the ultimate death of a Falmouth Pilot trying to board a ship in difficulty in 1975. He was called Mr Mitchell and the vessel he was boarding was the P&O ferry "Eagle" which ran from Southampton to Spain, Portugal and Tangier. Storms had caused the ship to call into Falmouth for repairs.

Above is a photo of the L K Mitchell, a new Pilot boat that was ordered and given his name in his honour. It was built in Scotland and has a Nelson 56 ft Hull (photo circa 1976). The photo shows the proto-type on trials. The head pilot of that time, Capt. Frank Sowden went to oversee some of the work carried out. Although officially retired, he is still actively involved with the Pilots namely with the Harbour commissioners. One very unusual aspect of Captain Sowden's life is that he is a decedent of the Vincent's, so the clock has done a full circle.

What is the outcome of all these years of hard work, unsettling times, happy times. The Docks has been the hub of Falmouth. I know, people will pooh- pooh that sort of statement especially the ones that promote Tourism. Tourism in itself is so very important to the area, but one must consider people who depend on other types of industry including ship repair. The Docks are a vital facility for the local economy and have always tried to act as a good neighbour. One example was "The Tall Ships Race" held in 1998. The docks gave the people of Falmouth the opportunity to visit the ships alongside the wharves. The public were treated to seeing ships in their full glory. It was possible to go aboard and meet some of the crews. Big parties with concerts were held in the town and they even imported a Fun Fair into the docks. There was no shortages of stalls selling their various wares. The following photo gives some idea of that time, that was just one example of the Dock's good Public Relations with the town.

Over the recent years ship repair has become a less reliable industry to be involved in and as time goes on it becomes harder to find work. The owners A&P feel that it is necessary to maintain the work in this part of Britain. It has plans to develop part of the Dock's land in order to help with the ship repair side. Much money is required, (85 million pounds +). So all avenues are being looked into to raise this capital, including vital talks with the Rural Development Agency (R.D.A.) and Objective One. The Cruise liners hold some hope for the yard, but only time will tell. Even now, the last of the viable wooden wharves the "Queens" has become unsafe as far as using its crane. The photo above is a reconstruction of the docks as proposed in one idea to developing the area. It is so important that projects of this nature come to fulfilment because the Docks are so crucial to the towns future and prosperity.

Many years ago, whist in the Merchant Navy, it wasn't unusual to be in a port and be asked where I was from. Naturally I was proud to say I was from Falmouth, wondering if the person knew where it was. The reply in many cases would be, " Oh! They've got a good repair yard there, haven't they?". At another time,our ship was visited by a Lloyds Surveyor down in the River Plate. It turned out that he had served his apprenticeship in the Docks as a marine fitter, went to sea, attained his Chief Engineers tickets in both Steam and Diesel and eventually became a surveyor. Strange! These small instances gives one the idea of what the docks is all about.

An advert placed in a local paper 2002 asking for applicants for apprenticeships. A very good sign for the industry

In 1860, the foundation stone was laid to commemorate the opening of the Docks. All this was recorded in the "Falmouth Packet". One hundred years later, a supplement in the same paper recognized the Docks and what it meant to the town. But, will there be a feature in the "Falmouth Packet" in 2010 to celebrate 150 years? Who Knows? And when the next ship sails, the exhausts are coming from the funnel, and men look at her with pride, will someone say- "That was a Proper Job".

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