FOR the first time in well over 200 years, the port of Looe could soon be without a traditional Cornish sailing lugger.

With the departure of the Our Daddy to a new home in Brixham recently, the Erin has been the South East Cornwall harbour's only true fishing and sailing lugger.

But now she, too, is for sale and when a deal goes through, the port will lose the quintessential fishing and sailing boats which have been an ever-present part of the Cornish coastline since the 1800s.

The Erin's owners, Paul and Maggie Greenwood, confirmed their decision this week. 'Neither of us is getting any younger,' said Paul, now 65, who grew up on luggers; left school to fish and sail aboard them and has since written two books about life at sea, working these grand old ladies of the oceans.'

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