Going down to the sea in ships...

Psalm 107 talks of those that go down to the sea in ships and has  been frequently used to remind those on shore  of the particular hardships and perils that face people who work on and in the water. 

That reminder is particularly sharp today with the tragedy last night near Tarbert on Loch Fyne.   The search has gone on all day to try and find the two men who are believed to have been in the fishing boat the Nancy Glen when it capsized.

I came back cross the Clyde , en route from Edinburgh, late this morning ~(with snow showers scudding across the Firth as my picture shows)  and during the day I have been in touch with a number of people in the communities  - that is the community of Tarbert itself but also the wider fishing community of Argyll and Bute. 

Those involved are well known in the village and there is a palpable sense of shock as well as a deep grief and concern for the families.   Fishing remains a very dangerous business and those who are in it deserve our respect , support and - at this time especially -  our prayers.