THE OLD CAPSTAN, SENNEN COVE, CORNWALL...

 The Old Capstan, Sennen Cove…

(inspired by a picture of the Round House,

 Sennen Cove by Emma Perring…)

Lobster traps and a coiled rope

Lie idly by, alongside

A small skiff without oars,

Whilst men in hats expend energy

Shoving long levers, clockwise…

Shuffling, their boots gain purchase,

Leaning, their backs strain, perchance

The old capstan will wind its cable

And thus haul vessels from the quayside,

Up the incline of a slipway, coarse, 

Or perhaps winch them down to a waiting tide,

Where a crew tarried harbour-side

To tackle a fierce Atlantic gale’s force… 

Pete Ray

The print by M Watts (below) is very much about how the capstan worked, whilst Emma Perring’s painting (above) shows the Round House as it is now…