The wind was decidedly unhelpful as we prepared to leave Warderick Wells and we ended up motoring all the way to Big Majors Spot. On arrival the anchorage was the busiest we had come across, with many very large motor yachts taking advantage of the good holding and shelter from the South Easterly winds.

We had sighted the famous swimming pigs on the beach as we were dropping the anchor and were soon eating a tasty lunch and getting ready to go ashore and make their acquaintance. As the pigs can be quite aggressive we were lucky that we were visiting later in the day and they had obviously done quite well out of everyone that had gone before. We had saved some bits of cauliflower stalk and other vegetables but as we approached they had already swum out to a hard dinghy and seemed to be attempting to board it so we held back, concerned about what they could do to our, more fragile,  little rubber one. Eventually they gave up their attempts to climb onto the other dinghy and swam our way. We kept them at a distance by throwing our titbits into the water, where they attracted small shoals of fish as well as the pigs, going ashore when the bag was empty. They did follow us but didn’t prove too ferocious as the rootled in the sand at the water’s edge. The island is uninhabited apart from the pigs and it is slightly unclear what they are doing there and whether anyone takes responsibility for them but they are certainly well adapted to the life they lead and the swimming must keep them very fit. How do they cope with all that salt water As we were leaving the beach they were swimming a long way out after another boat full of free food.

We dinghied round the corner of the island with the aim of going to the Thunderball grotto to see what it was like, but the wind was kicking up enough of a sea to make us wet and the prospect unattractive so we returned to the boat for tea.

The evening saw us relaxing with a sundowner before eating on board out of the store cupboard, in the absence of any shops to replenish supplies,  and another round of “Oh Hell” to round off the day.