The youngsters from the stricken tallship tucked into a Cornish Pasty or two once they were safe ashore on Monday.

Staff from Cornwall Council had earlier worked with representatives from the Polish Embassy and a wide range of other partners throughout the weekend to ensure that the 47 members of the crew of the Fryderyk Chopin were safely returned to dry land on Monday morning.

Staff had been liaising with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency on the incident involving the food processing ship Athena, when a call was received from the Frederyk Chopin on Friday night. She had lost both her masts during storms and the vessel was drifting in the heavy seas around 100 miles off the Isles of Scilly.

The captain of the vessel said he was surprised the steel masts had snapped. The boat was well suited to rough weather and had gone round Cape Horn.

Youngsters on board seemed unperturbed by their ordeal. They said they had stayed below deck after the first mast snapped and felt perfectly safe. They had full trust in their captain and now looked forward to returning to the tall ship and continue their journey once repairs had been carried out.

Meanwhile, another vessel, the factory ship Athena, which had been on fire in Falmouth Bay having made her way from the south west approaches, remains at anchor.

Work by Cornwall Council is continuing with the Secretary of State’s Representative, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the Falmouth Harbour Master on arrangements for dealing with her.

Her multi-national crew have now left the area having spent the night in a local hotel.