An enormous amount of gratitude for the team that came together on short notice to help unload the ship last week.

New Dawn Traders is currently just myself and Jowan. As the ever-shifting arrival date for unloading moved into the one week where I could not be available, this put an enormous pressure on us. Jowan met the challenge with calm determination, and our friends rallied around him.

Thank you to Jowan, Debbie, Gemma, Benedict, Seb and Finn - who, between them, lugged almost 12 tons of cargo from the ship’s pontoon to the storage up a steep gangway (it was not possible to wait till the high tide). Thank you also to Foundation Roasters and Brazier Coffee Roasters for collecting their beans.

It was the first time since unloading a barrel of rum from the Tres Hombres, with a LOT of fanfare 10 years ago,  that we could bring a ship to our hometown to deliver international cargo. Thank you to A&P Falmouth, the port authorities and agents who made this possible for us.

Last but not least, thank you to the Ide Min ship and crew for finally making it back. What was meant to be a 4-month round trip turned into a 7-month odyssey. They will be happy to be in their home port of Amsterdam… and with many a tale to tell from their first Atlantic voyage.

Photography: Han C Fisher