As a salty old seadog my heart yearns for the return of a wooden deck beneath my feet and a full sail overhead.

But this ancient mariner realises those days are past, and I have to question the feasibility of plans to revive Custom House Quay with traditional boats.

It’s true, the planned pontoon system does seem likely to restrict access to the basin, and I’m not sure what it will bring except increased rental fees for the harbour commissioners.

Yet at the same time, the basin currently stands empty, and not putting in berths won’t magically fill it. I don’t imagine you’ll be able to cross the harbour from deck to oaken deck any time soon, and would like to see more evidence that festivals and traders will flock to Falmouth before I reject the pontoons.

That said, I have to wonder why the harbour commissioners would object to sail traders plying their wares in the harbour - if indeed they do - and why their fees are so high?

There may be a business case for restricting access, but FHC remains a closed ledger.