pugwash
New member
Heading for Mevagisseyjust on sunset the other day, I turned in about a mile east of the entrance and saw a small fishing vessel between me and the port. As it was to port of me I had to give way and was steering towards its stern when I realized a crew man was rapidly paying out either a line or a net which was supported on the surface by a series of buoys (actually, they looked more like fenders). The vessel had no marks, the end of the floating line had no marks. While trying to work out how far the line stretched I saw the vessel stop. The end of the line was thrown over, again no mark, and the vessel sped off so my way was now clear. However, as I approached the port and looked back, down-sun, I saw a whole series of these floating lines bobbing on the surface in parallel, must have been a dozen of them 100 yards long and only a few yards apart. Imagine hitting that lot! I didn't go ashore in Mevagissey so got no chance to talk with any fishermen, and next morning the floating lines were gone.
What's going on here? Surely it's not legal to cast floating lines -- unlit and unmarked -- on the surface. I couldn't imagine a bigger hazard. Or is there something I ought to know?
What's going on here? Surely it's not legal to cast floating lines -- unlit and unmarked -- on the surface. I couldn't imagine a bigger hazard. Or is there something I ought to know?