Thousands of tonnes of armour rock are being shipped out of the port for two important coastal sea defence projects, to protect the fishing village of Coverack and several locations on the Isles of Scilly.

Keynvor Morlift, the marine construction company with a base at Falmouth Wharves, has shipped the first consignment of 6,500 tonnes of stone required for the project at Coverack.

Keynvor MorLift Ltd are UK-based marine contractors. They are specialists in shoreline, coastal and offshore marine services and operations, with a wealth of experience ranging from marine renewable energy construction projects to project cargo, marine civil engineering, salvage operations and many more offshore and specialist marine services.

The proposed Coverack development to reduce coastal erosion consists of a new 87m long coastal sea defence wall, comprising a 56m sea wall on top of a rock revetment – a sloping structure built on shorelines, along the base of cliffs or in front of sea walls to absorb and dissipate the energy of waves – in the south, and a 31m rock armour revetment slope in the north.

The barge Mormaen 15, laden with stone, was towed from Falmouth to Coverack Cove by the tugs Venture and Severn Sea. Tidal conditions dictate the operation.

The barge was winched towards the shore where the armour rock was discharged onto the beach in a two day long operation. The stone was then loaded into dumper trucks and distributed along the base of the intended sea defence.

In July 2017 the village was hit by flash floods after four inches of rain fell in three hours, roads and paths were torn up by the torrents of water, houses were flooded and sea defences severely damaged. Winter storms affected the site as well.

Meanwhile the Falmouth Towage Company tug Mercia has towed a barge from the Docks to St Mary’s to deliver the first load of armour rock to be used at Porthloo beach, St Mary's, with a second consignment due at Porthmellon Beach in early September.

All told, 11,000 tonnes of rock will be used on the islands. Due to the onset of winter the Isles of Scilly programme will be halted in October, resuming again next year.

Sea defences will be improved at sites on St Mary's, St Martin's, Bryher and St Agnes as part of the £8.1m Climate Adaptation Scilly project.