David Barnicoat

David Barnicoat argues that dredging has been central to Falmouth's port development since the nineteenth century and remains important to the proposed £150 million docks expansion, which he says supports local jobs and the wider economy. He disputes claims that Falmouth Bay will be dredged or that vessels 750 metres long will be accommodated, and defends modern cruise ships' emissions and wastewater controls. However, he cautions that Falmouth should limit visits by ships carrying more than 3,000 passengers to avoid congestion, infrastructure strain and overtourism.

The article commemorates the 60th anniversary of the 1966 Darlwin disaster, in which a pleasure boat carrying 31 people sank off Dodman Point during gale-force winds. Survivor David Barnicoat recalls the Falmouth lifeboat’s search and recovery operation, during which 12 bodies were eventually recovered while the vessel itself was not found. A Truro inquiry concluded that the Darlwin was physically unfit for open-water travel, holding skipper Brian Michael Bown negligent and owner John Maitland Barrett at fault. The tragedy led to new licensing and qualification rules for pleasure-boat skippers.

RFA Argus has moved from her layup berth on the River Fal to Falmouth Docks to begin the next phase of her planned disposal following previous deployments and a costly refit. The Ministry of Defence faces scrutiny over procurement and ship refit costs, highlighted by Argus’s condition after a recent £6.5 million overhaul and the extended refit of HMS Scott. Balaena Falmouth, newly renamed after the acquisition of APCL Group, has begun its first Royal Navy contract with HMS Middleton arriving for a re-certification refit after five years in the Gulf.

ScaffFloat, based in Penryn, became the first company to win two awards in the same year at the European Commercial Marine Awards, earning recognition for innovation in vessel design and for a marine civils project involving its hoisted ScaffFloat system in Tanzania. The project involved designing self‑propelled pontoons to provide access for jetty construction, supported by extensive testing in Cornwall before deployment. A team member oversaw final assembly and training in Tanzania, and the company credits its progress to support from the Good Growth Project while expanding outreach to international markets.