Spitfire had a propeller problem recently and was 'careened' on the maintenance bay. This involved taking the current prop off, then sending it north for repair, temporarily installing its older 'spare prop to continue prawn-trawling, and then swapping props again.

Prawn crackers!

photo by Kenny Maule

Click <READ MORE> for photo 2

The Harbour Trust has put together successful FLAG and Marine Scotland grant applications. Most of the allowable costs are expected to be grant-funded, leaving the Trust with less than £5,000 to find from its own funds.

Most of the cameras will be Hikvision 'Darkfighter' marine-grade, stainless-steel units to improve the effectiveness of the images and protect from the adverse conditions that we experience at the harbour.

Upgrading, improving and adding to the existing CCTV cameras means the final total will be 12 cameras in Cromwell, Victoria, the Maggie and the Battery area, surveying several directions. The cameras are aimed at the boats and harbour working areas.

Appreciation is given to the Dunbar Sailing Club and Barry Buglass for allowing their premises to be used for this project. CCTV signs will be posted around the harbour once Planning Permission has been granted.

photo by Kenny Maule

Click <READ MORE> for photo 2 from Hikvision's brochure

 

 

 

 

 

In September Dunbar RNLI volunteers were delighted to receive a new television set thanks to the generosity of the town’s Rotary Club.

The new smart TV was part of a £500 donation and will allow the station to benefit from a new volunteer paging system currently being rolled out by the charity. Under the state-of-the-art RCAMS system, in an emergency situation, the TV will show which volunteers are able to respond to a shout, quickly helping prepare the right response. Dunbar Lifeboat coxswain Gary Fairbairn said: “Thanks to the very kind donation from the Rotary Club, the station will be able to benefit from the latest technological advances.

The Rotary Club of Dunbar meets every Monday evening at 6.30pm at the Hillside Hotel.

photo courtesy RNLI: Nick Mailer

On Sept. 28th Dunbar Rowing Club hosted its Tweed Row from Tweedmouth to Paxton House and return, about 12 miles in total. This annual 'raid', organised by the Club's Paul Ingram, has increased in popularity every year and 2019's event hosted 22 skiffs. The weather was sunny and the skiffs managed to negotiate the shallows and deeps of this tidal part of the Tweed, rowing even past Paxton House to upriver of the chain-link bridge (the famous Union Suspension Bridge).

NB: Border reivers were raiders along the Anglo-Scottish border

photos by Christine Mincher (photo 1: 'preparation at Tweedmouth')

Click <READ MORE> for photo 2: 'relax by the river'.

Catch me if you can.... The two fish boxes above show two very different catches from Dunbar Harbour. At Dunbar harbour we are trying to roll back the plastic tide but we rely on everyone to be tidy. Plastic pollution is a human problem and thus can be solved only by we humans.

The health of our oceans is vital, please see: https://www.goesfoundation.com/  and especially 'Call to Action' www.goesfoundation.com/call-to-action/  Our harbourmaster, Quentin Dimmer, recently met with the GOES organisation which is based in Edinburgh.

Stopping the plastic tide is vital for the future health of our oceans and so is stopping the chemical tide. We can all make choices with the products that we purchase and some of the most toxic are actually cleaning products that we use in our homes, and personal care products such as cosmetics and sun-screen. The Global Oceanic Environmental Study (GOES Foundation) based in Edinburgh is advocating that we should all take a non-toxic approach to how we live: design out and ban all toxic chemicals, hazardous waste and plastics. Their website lists the most toxic of these chemicals and ones that must be avoided, not only for the health of the environment, but for your own health and wellbeing, especially the health of children. 

photo by Quentin Dimmer, FP page: @dunbarharbour

Congratulations to The Outsiders (Tadg, Maggie, Ann and Pippa) who triumphed in the Dunbar Lifeboat Quiz last night in a closely fought contest.
Thanks to all the teams who took part, to our quiz master Derek, to Pat Wilson and her team for organising and to the staff at Dunbar Bowling Club for being such great hosts.

photo courtesy RNLI fb

Sailing Club's Craning-out Day Monday 7th Oct. The autumn crane-out went extremely smoothly and efficiently. It was a great spectacle with yachts being craned out and 'flown' through the air. The marshals, wearing their hi-vis vests, ensured a safe completion, despite a strong wind.

photos courtesy Paul Ingram (Sailing Club Commodore)

Click <READ MORE> for photo of Kilmaha airborne.

Pix in the Stix had a full house at the Battery. Alastair Seagroatt said: "Thank you, everyone, for supporting our open-air cinema at Dunbar on Saturday 28th Sept. It was a beautiful, mainly-still night and the audience response was superb. Our autumn films in East Linton will start again soon; we’ll let you know the films after our next meeting. Many thanks again." www.pixinthestix.org.uk/ "Get your name on their mailing list":--     

FB, www.facebook.com/pages/category/Movie-Theater/Pix-in-the-Stix-186782084695454/ 

photo courtesy Pix in the Stix

 

Passing the Battery: a small skein, only 120 geese. Some geese are resident, mainly at Aberlady Bay, and honk their way over Dunbar to feed in the fields behind. Others migrate enormous distances. During the autumn- and early-winter mornings, geese move from these roost sites to stubble fields, where they will feed upon spilt grain. Late afternoon sees the return flight to their roost sites.

When in flight, geese are called a skein; when not in flight, a gaggle; and when flying in a V formation, they are referred to as a wedge.

Read more at https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/bird-and-wildlife-guides/ask-an-expert/previous/pinkfeet.aspx#tCAB0f4ioWU0cFqU.99

photos by Kenny Maule

Click <READ MORE> for photo 2, passing the Battery

Well-known local photographer, Fraser Stewart, has often contributed images to these Harbour Newsletters. He now has an exhibition: 'Faces of Dunbar', Oct. 16 - Nov. 10 at John Muir’s Birthplace, on the High Street. "This exhibition is a range of my photographic work of the many facets of Dunbar. It is a study of the diverse communities within a small coastal town. Dunbar is surrounded by beautiful nature and is a joy to explore and live in. Yet it is the people who provide the dynamic of the town, creating employment, starting up organisations and social groups. This exhibition captures all aspects of our unique community."

Since Fraser moved to Dunbar in 2010 he has "captured the moment" rather than composing photos. This photo illustrates a young girl modelling Jacqui Burke's wedding outfits in Cromwell Harbour area, someone said something amusing and she burst out laughing.

photo by Fraser Stewart