Another week in the Isles of Scilly.

The second week in September was warm and calm, with just enough wind for the Scillies and, a promise of not too much swell.

An early departure from our mooring in the Helford, in the dark with a waning moon and, after passing the local fishing boat preparing for work, our navigation lights!  a motorsail took us to the Lizard by breakfast and the wind filled in giving us a splendid reach well past Lands End.  

  

 

As often is the case on land fall, the tide, despite a freshen increasing NNW breeze had us well north of St Mary's Sound so we decided to go north around to New Grimsby.  We had a spectacular sail close to the north of St Martins and Round Island, reminiscent of Brittany and just locating the entrance between Byher and Tresco.  The swell, after all and perhaps inevitably, was prodigious, so we picked up a mooring as far in as we would float and went ashore to pay our dues and a possible, Covid regulated, pint at the New Inn after a walk to King Charles' Castle.  We arrived at the pub, to find we had left all our cards and cash aboard.  However there was a spare table, so we were treated to our first pub meal, for which a telephone call from aboard, later on, was paid along with our two nights mooring,  

       

The following day was, cloudy but dry and spent walking around Bryher, in a clock wise direction.  This was the first time either of us had landed on Bryher. Various cafes were open and welcoming but the main Hotel was closed to non residents.  The Fraggle Rock, however provided a welcome pint before returning aboard for another very rolly night.

   

Once the tide was right we went on to Waterrmill Cove on the north side of St Mary's where we caught the dinghy painter around the prop so had to anchor!  A pleasant swim revealed no damage and the efficacy of the rope cutter and no further tools were required other than a green scourer to clean the boot top!  Our walk ashore completed our perambulatory circumnavigation of St Mary's started some four years ago.  We visited the ruined first settlement, at Halangy Down, near the TV mast and met the lone skipper and his dog, of the only other vessel at anchor.  

 

After a socially distanced cockpit drink and peaceful night, we decided to try the north side of St Martin's, sailing around the Eastern Isles and anchoring in Bread and Cheese Cove, under the day mark but just for lunch, as the rolling was again prodigious and we were somewhat exposed and so decided to return to a mooring at Hugh Town, for the rest of our stay.

  

The showers appeared to be open and,  feeling much fresher, we received a text from Geoff and Sarah West, who, Alison Rawlins, our neighbour had noticed were holidaying on the Islands for the first time, in lieu of more foreign climes.  It was an opportunity to catch up since they moved to Devon some years ago.  We met them the following day at the  Julliet's Garden Cafe for a long lunch and tea in warm, sunny but sultry conditions.

  

Sure enough there was thundery rain that night and a fairly dense mist but this didn't stop us departing in the early hours via St Mary's Sound and, once clear, we motor sailed with a light misty wind to the Lizard.  Here the mist lifted leaving us in fresher sunny weather to anchor off Coverack, for milk an ice cream and bread, before returning to our mooring in the Helford. 

 

Late September passage to Gull Rock and back with Sarah and friend Jane.

  

A few days on mooring, replacing engine fluids and cleaning the heads with dilute HCL before an early layup in October.