The Islas Desertas, while uninhabited, were only 20 miles from Madeira. We wanted more extreme excitement and headed for the Islas Selvagens or Savage Islands. Very few people have ever heard of them. Even less have tried to visit them. Only a handful manage to land on them. They are over a 100 miles from anywhere in the North Atlantic. We knew if the weather turned sour we would not be able to stop as there are no protected anchorages. But we were all seasoned Atlantic sailors now. Our attitudes had changed. To head out overnight to find a tiny rock in the middle of nowhere seemed like child’s play. We all knew we could do it provided the weather held.

If the sunset was an omen we knew luck was with us.

Some omen ! Barrie and Margery were on watch later that night when Barrie was attacked. The reader might assume it was Margery – but no – it was a squid that came hurtling through the air in the pitch dark to land on his rapidly balding head. If I was a squid I think I would have chosen something a bit tastier – like Margery. But squid are a bit stupid. Why was it flying through the air instead of swimming through the sea like most sane squid? Why choose Barrie when Margery was sitting next to him? Nature is full of little mysteries! Perhaps it felt a bond with Barrie and decided to have a senior moment. But that’s unkind. As Barrie readily admits – he doesn’t have senior moments anymore. Nowadays he has lucid ones!

In case the reader gets too alarmed here’s another picture with my finger to give some idea of the size of this monster.

Next day the traumatised crew reached Selvagem Grande and we got our first glimpse of the warden’s house.

We dropped a hook and went ashore in the dinghy to meet the warden.

The place was alive with lizards. I’ve never seen such an intense population density as here.

The lizards live there all year round. The wardens only stay for 3 weeks at a time. Then they get replaced by other wardens. Unless there is a storm when the replacement wardens can’t land on the island. Then they have to stay for another week and by then the lizards have eaten most of the fresh fruit and vegetables so life gets more difficult.

Ricardo the warden took us for a walk around the island. Under every rock there seemed to be a Corrie’s Shearwater chick. These were the lucky ones. If the egg shell has no scratches they hatch. A single scratch allows the lizards’ claws to get a grip and rip the egg open. Exit one chick somewhat prematurely.

On the way Ricardo stopped to pick some wild tomatoes that grow on stunted bushes and gave them to me. God knows why. I think Margery had told him how much I love tomatoes. I must sort her out !

After that we pushed on to the top of the island.

The view from the top was amazing. A 360 degree horizon of nothing but ocean except for Selvagem Pequena some 15 miles away. This is the other Selvagem island with a warden. Ricardo explained that that island was even more basic and there the wardens had no toilet or shower. Legs crossed for 3 weeks ! And then he said it was by far his favourite place!

That was it then – an even more remote island to head for. Brilliant. We finished the tour of the summit plateau and headed back to the boat

It was getting dark so we stayed overnight. Selvagem Pequena is surrounded by rocks and wrecks and is too dangerous to visit in the dark. Besides there was now a nasty storm brewing in the Azores and a wicked little front was threatening to stretch from there to the Canaries. We decided to go and have a quick look at the little island before the bad weather hit and then hopefully out run it down to the Canaries.

The wind was getting up by then so we turned South to head for the Canaries.