Leaving Scilly
Millybrown
Mark Hillmann
Thu 2 Jul 2009 10:03
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The wind came East on Friday 19 June and we
stayed on the wind until the last night, Friday 26, when it had become light
enough for me to motor through the night. Having expected the wind to come
round to South, it did, but waited until we were north of the
Scillies.
The wind had eased down for the last couple of days
and twice the shipping played tricks. There were three fishing boats one
evening, so I was kept a more frequent watch all night and saw nothing
more. Two nights later there were three ships on the AIS, again just at
dusk, so you think "shipping lanes". Up and down at 20 to 30 minute
intervals all night and again nothing more showed up. London bus
syndrome?
500 miles off France a collared dove came on
board. He stayed for perhaps half an hour and then set off east.
There seemed too much wind for him to reach land.
100 miles north west of the Scillies two pigeons
landed on the spray hood. They were brightly coloured, so perhaps homing
pigeons. They stayed all night and by the amount of droppings had not
been hungry. In the morning they set off towards Wales, looking as if it
was a small flight that they would soon complete. Downwind and flying
strongly.
The Scillies were warm, even yesterday when
Lorna left and the mist never cleared properly, so she departed by
ship with the planes cancelled. We walked much of St Mary's and
Tresco, saw the flowers and checked the cafes. Lorna had
flown in for her third boat visit this year, a
record.
Off to Milford Haven now but the computers are
still not talking to the satellite phone, so the next blog will be at the next
wi-fi.
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