THE DOLFYN, BEACHED AT MOUSEHOLE, DECEMBER 2000...

Grounded Dolfyn Decays At Mousehole

Floundering,

A vessel encumbered by its grounding:

Useless, helpless, hapless,

Gruesome in its blundering

And incongruous in the extreme…

Thrusting,

A monstrosity scuppered by its rusting:

Battered, splattered, scattered,

Noisome in its festering 

And rapacious like a bad dream…

Pete Ray

4th June 2020

 On 29th December 2000, the Dutch owned ‘DOLFYN’, a vessel on cable guard duty, protecting telecommunications cables from trawlers, ran aground off Carn Topna beach in Mousehole. 

The Penlee Lifeboat ‘MABEL ALICE’ rescued the crew, including one injured man but due to the shallow water and a rising sea-swell, the ship could not be towed free. 

The ‘Dolfyn’ remained on the foreshore for quite some time, for no agreement could be reached as to the responsibility for the removal of the vessel, which had no salvage value.

Consequently it remained marooned, it rusted, then broke up and was considered an eyesore, until eventually the carcass was taken away… 

I was shocked when I saw the ship lying in shallow water all those years back, for it was so incongruous that it was like seeing an aircraft carrier marooned on the River Avon in Stratford…