Saturday & Sunday 22 &23 May 2010 St Mary’s Harbour Isles of Scilly N490 55.112’ W0060 18.796’

Enjoying fine and sunny weather with an easterly breeze blowing through the anchorage, we had two days of tourism in St Mary’s Harbour, Hugh Town and Tresco.

A wander through the streets on Hugh Town provided eye catching views and sights – wondrous plants and flowers not normally seen on the mainland. Looking out onto Port Cressa across the isthmus from St Mary’s Harbour is breathtaking. Our wander brought us to the Museum of Iles of Scilly, a fascinating eclectic mix of artefacts showing the history of the Isles of Scilly; stories of wrecks, flower growing, Torrey Canyon, fishing, espionage in the Second World War making D Day possible, and Harold Wilson to mention but a few. A gig caught the imagination; Pilot Gigs, as suggested by the name, were originally used to take Pilots out to vessels coming off the Atlantic, the first crew from the harbour, there got the job! Today gig racing is an important sport in the Islands which host the world championships. It, however, came as a surprise to discover that these boats were originally used not just for their primary purpose of taking Pilots out to ships but also for assisting at shipwrecks, lifeboat, and even a bit of smuggling from Brittany on the side. The last time that a gig was used to put a Pilot on board a vessel was in 1939, and the last rescue involving a Gig was at the wreck of the "Mindau" in the Isles of Scilly in 1959.

And so to lunch – a beer and the most enormous crab sandwich taken on the terrace of the Tregarthan’s Hotel overlooking the harbour and approaches. A beautiful view.

Then a walk around Garrison Hill. The Garrison, developed around the south coast of St Mary’s starting in Georgian times until the World War II, is based on Star Castle originally built by Henry VIII to protect the islands.

Sunday was a boat trip – cheating, by tripper boat – to Tresco to visit the world famous Abbey Gardens. They were begun in 1834 by Augustus Smith, who had leased the Isles of Scilly and chosen to live on Tresco, around the remains of St Nicholas Priory. Along three long terraces, the gardens bring together an extraordinary collection of plants, all possible due to the warm climate of the Isles of Scilly. Then a walk along the island to New Grimsby for a beer overlooking the anchorage in New Grimsby Sound.

Alcyone set sail for Padstow at 1000 hours for a night passage – I would like to say “a night sail” but there was absolutely no wind and hence motored all the way, arriving at 1200 hours on Monday.