Ripple in the Harbour
By Plumstone
Monday, May 31, 2004
A new boat appeared in Newlyn harbour a few years ago and has endured a severe restoration ever since, at the hands of John Lambourn and his team. The Mount's Bay lugger 'Ripple' was rescued from Penryn where she had been propping up the bridge and slowly decaying into the mud for a number of years . Ripple was a St Ives boat but operated out of Newlyn until the mid 1930's. She is part 'Newlyn' however because in 1927 she was taken out of the water and pulled round to Peak's yard in Tolcarne where ten feet was grafted into the middle of her.
Ripple is now back home and experiencing her first loving care for decades. Few of the Mount's Bay lugger fleet remain but there are several restoration projects under way by enthusiasts from the Mount's Bay Lugger Association and it is believed that a small fleet could be assembled to start working again in some capacity, possibly in Newlyn. The hull is now ready for the water and Ripple was launched into Newlyn harbour by the efforts of the Cornish Pirates Rugby Team who dragged her to the slipway.
