An English Summer 51

 

Full sized, 'can't-see-the-horizon-when-you-are-in-the-troughs,' ocean rollers hurl themselves into Wingletang Bay and shatter on the Little Hakestone. It is Friday evening. As Stargazer crossed St Mary's Road, the breeze filled in to twenty seven knots, but the ring of islands kept the sea state moderate.

As we sailed south of Peninnis Head, to clear the Spanish Ledges reef, we lost that lee. Feeling the full force, of the 'summer blow,' and the sea state it had whipped up. The Hakestone, on the western side of the entrance to The Cove, is bearing the full brunt. A scend is running down the St Agnes (western) side of the anchorage. But, in the north east corner, there is a triangle of calm water, in the lee of Gugh. 

Stargazer anchors, in that triangle of flat water, for the night. Alone save for two large, but wary seals, hunting among the outlying rocks, of The Hoe. Our breakwater. The wind is still more east than northeast. By tomorrow evening it will be round to the northwest. We will need to re-anchor, nearer to the centre of the bay, once that happens, to avoid being set down onto the rocks, which are currently protecting us. We have plenty of space to do so, once the swell dies down, in the mid part of the bay. I turn in and sleep well.

In fact, I have a lie in. When I come on deck, at ten hundred, on Saturday morning, I find twenty or more boats shoe-horned into the anchorage, with us. Packed like sardines. There will be fun and games at high water, when the sand bar connecting Gugh and St Agnes covers, and a swirling eddy sets in for a couple of hours. The closely packed boats will not swing at the same time. Collisions and tangled anchor chains are bound to ensue. Additionally, there is now no space for Stargazer to re-anchor more centrally, to accommodate the forecast change in wind direction. We need to hunt down a new anchorage, for tonight.

We sail over to Porth Cressa. That too is full.

I take Stargazer for an afternoon sail in St Mary's Road, the sheltered central lagoon, whilst I think through our options. All those boats, in The Cove and Porth Cressa, must have come from Isle of Scilly anchorages - and left spaces. No one would have crossed from the mainland in the overnight sea state. Looking at AIS tracks, many boats have simply switched from St Mary's harbour to Porth Cressa, as the wind went round. Most of those in The Cove seem to have come down over Tresco flats, from New Grimsby.

I calculate how much water Stargazer will require, to get over the flats, using notes from our earlier transit. By fifteen hundred we are safely over and in New Grimsby Sound. Much emptied of boats. With millpond still water.

We anchor for the night, with a good margin of depth, for Monday morning's very low tide, close to the centre of anchorage, to allow for a shift in the wind direction. A tick against all objectives. I celebrate with a substantial curry.

By Sunday morning, the heads (sea toilet) is mended (don't ask!), the laundry is drying in the rigging, water tanks are refilled . . . . and all is well in the world, once more.