Porthleven narrowly avoided a repeat of the 2014 disaster in Thursday’s storms after 26 foot waves saw the harbour’s sea defences begin to break up again.

Pictures show one of the wooden baulks, which protect the harbour and its sheltering fishing boats from the force of the waves, snapped in half and another apparently missing entirely, as a result of the storms hitting the port over Thursday and into Friday.

Waves hit a peak of 26 feet / eight metres high on three occasions on Thursday - at 6.30am, 12 noon and 12.30pm – with data showing both height and a sustained force from 6pm onwards throughout the night.

Thankfully the rest of the baulk continued to hold, meaning the harbour was not under threat in the same way as in February 2014, when huge waves rolled in as the defences failed entirely, causing boats to the sunk and the remainder having to be removed from the water for safety – the first time this had happened in more than a century.

The resultant cost of the damage and clear up operation topped £100,000 and the Fishermen’s Mission had to step in to help many fishermen who had lost their livelihoods.

This week has been a timely reminder of the help given, in the run up to a fundraising auction taking place in Porthleven in aid of the Fishermen’s Mission and featuring artwork from the wooden baulks damaged in 2014.

Almost 200 pieces have been created, which are due to be auctioned in a marquee on the Harbour Head and online on March 18. Images of the artwork are due to be projected onto the Bickford Smith Institute clock tower this Sunday, from 6.30pm, weather permitting.