On Thursday 20th October at 7.00pm the German redundant lightship Elbe1 slipped quietly under the cover of darkness and without pomp and circumstance into Penzance harbour whilst its inhabitants carried on with their duties in ignorance of this historic event.

No German lightship has ever visited these coastal waters before and is very unlikely to do so again as the Elbe1 was here as a result of an invitation by the people of Penzance to their twinned port of Cuxhaven to join in the 200th anniversary celebrations of Nelson’s victory at Trafalgar.

Little advance publicity was given but after Pam telephoned the Harbour Master to find out the time Elbe1 was due to berth he said ‘About 6pm’. At 4.45pm we stood on the lighthouse quay and viewed Elbe1 sitting patiently and motionlessly in the safety of Mounts Bay waiting for the rising tide to reach equilibrium with the level of the water in the harbour. At that point the gate would be opened.

The prospect of a 75 minute wait seemed a very small price to pay for some splendid photo shots as the sun shone down on Elbe1, but as it got nearer to 6.00pm the light began to fade, clouds set in and a wind was getting up. The sea was getting choppy and the Harbour Master opened the gate so that a few fishing trawlers could make a dash across the Bay to Newlyn Harbour for their safe refuge for the night. Their exit was designed to free up a berth for Elbe1 but panic set in when the captain of the Scottish Campbeltown registered fishing boat could not be found anywhere on board his boat the Nova Sperro. Perhaps, as in ‘Drake’s Drum’ by Sir Henry Newbolt ‘he’s in his hammock, an’ a thousand miles away’; local St. Austell ale has that effect on people.

By 6.30pm it was dark; the wind was getting stronger and the sea more rougher when the Harbour Master made the decision to cut the Nova Sperro free and gently nudge her with a tug boat (a term loosely applied to a spare crabber) and together with the pilot boat they eased her out of the way and freed up a berth.

As soon as the operation was finished the Pilot boat; possibly another ex crabber; left in a blaze of on board floodlights and went into the Bay. By now Elbe1 had raised her anchor; had full navigation lights showing and her engine running and waited for the signal. This came in the form of a mating routine so often observed in game birds; where the Pilot boat waggled its fully lit up stern to Elbe1 and then proceeded back into the harbour with Elbe1 eagerly following her.

Both the sea and the wind were increasing in ferocity and I took up a position on the roof of the boarding office for the RMV Scillionian III so that I could get a commanding view of both inside the harbour and the Bay. Speed was now essential as the RMV Scillonian III was due to return at 7.10pm from a day trip to the Scilly Isles. She, too, wanted a safe haven for the night in view of the forecast gales and rain.

The pilot rounded the lighthouse at the end of the quay and darted through the gate followed closely by Elbe1 who let out a magnificent full blast of her fog horn as if to say ‘hello’ to the few onlookers.

She edged her way through the harbour gate at an inch at a time, as there was no room for error. Once inside the same two boats that ignominiously shunted the Nova Sperro to one side and now aided by a third gently pushed and nudged Elbe1 to her final resting place. Amidst a sea night air full of German and Cornish voices shouting instructions to each other in a language that neither understood Elbe1 was scraped and dented and her bowsprit narrowly missed lancing by two feet a window in a harbour restaurant.

With some final banging and clanging Elbe1 let out a belch of thick black diesel exhaust and the operation was complete. The gangplank was lowered where upon the Harbour Master, assisted by his two honorary and temporary ‘tug boat’ captains welcomed the Honoured Guests.

As I said, Elbe1 slipped quietly under the cover of darkness and without pomp and circumstance into Penzance harbour that night and no one witnessed the occasion; except for Pam and I, a handful of locals, and a depressed and forlorn baby Cormorant.