Cruising the Isles of Scilly

 Katy and I have been in the Isles of Scilly for about 10 days, after sailing aross from another overnight visit to the Helford River. The trip over took us south-southwest past The Lizard, the southernmost point of the of the British mainland (if that makes sense...), and then west across a stretch of open ocean to the Scillies. Here's a map that shows our approximate course.

We arrived shortly before sunset and anchored a good ways out from shore, as we weren't sure what the bottom contour was like. We're still getting used to 4 meter tidal swings, which makes anchoring a bit more interesting than around Cape Cod.

 

The anchorage ("The Cove") is between the sometimes-connected islands of St. Agnes and Gugh. The sand bar between the islands floods at high tide.

The morning after we arrived we paddled in to the bar, schlepped the kayak up the beach, tied it to a rock, and went off to explore first Gugh, then St. Agnes.

 The Scilly Isles are all about rocks -- both on the islands and around the islands. The waters of the Isles are studded with hazards, large and small, and with the large tidal swing, a rock that was clearly visible a few hours ago could be lurking just below the surface now, so it's important to pay attention to the chart, give known obstacles a wide berth, and keep your eyes open at the helm!

 We had a great time playing "What does THAT rock look like to YOU?"

 

 

St. Agnes has fewer than 100 year-round residents, and they seem to maintain a healthy sense of humor.

 

 

 

We had been told by another sailor to be sure to get ice cream on St. Agnes, and towards the end of our walk we found it. Troytown Farm does, in fact, make some of the most delicious ice cream I have ever eaten.

After enjoying our ice cream we wandered back to the kayak -- to discover that the bar between Gugh and St. Agnes was flooded, and our kayak was now on the far side of the bar, where a kind Samaritan had moved it. The spot we had "secured" it was now totally submerged. Lesson learned! We waded across, paddled back out to the boat and moved it further in towards shore for a bit more protection from swells.

We spent another day exploring St. Agnes and then sailed a short hop to pick up a mooring in St. Mary's Pool.

 

St. Mary's is the most populous island in the group and one of the largest by area. We stayed on the mooring for three nights and walked a lot each day, and we still didn't manage to see everything we wanted to.

 

 

At the end of one long walk we wound up at Juliet's Garden, where we had delicious food and exotic drinks.

 

 

We might have stayed longer at St. Mary's, but it turns out that the harbor is not very well protected, and we slept poorly due to heavy swells from the west, so we moved on to a more protected spot between the islands of Tresco and Bryher.

 

As we walked around Tresco, I found myself thinking of similar scenery elsewhere.

The scenes brought back many memories: hiking with Dan and Sue, kayaking with Michael and Lucy, Thanksgiving walks with the Petersen clan. 

The highlight of Tresco was the Tresco Abbey Gardens. We oooohed and aaaaahed our way through the gardens, finding new wonders around every corner. There are many thoughtfully-placed benches, and found ourselves sitting and just looking, content to be still in the midst of the beauty.

The next day we wandered around Bryher Island, Tresco's smaller and more homespun neighbor. The combination of the terrain and the waves makes for some beautiful and rugged scenes.

 

 

As on the other islands, there is also whimsy to be had.

 

 By the end of the day we had clear skies and calm winds and seas, so we took the opportunity to move to St. Helen's Pool, a well-protected anchorage where we expect to spend the next few days. We were treated to this sunset as we ate dinner last night in the cockpit.

 

 

 

For more pictures, visit these albums:

• From the Helford River to St. Agnes and Gugh
• St. Mary's Island 
• Walking Tresco Island - to the north
• Too many pictures of Tresco Abbey Garden
  
• Exploring Bryher Island
  

More in a few days.

 

-- Jerry