Cruise to Scilies - Advice Please

[peasea]

I am proposing to cruise the Scilies from Devon around about the coming
Soltstice . Never been further West than Helford River -- would welcome advice.

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[jeanne]

Re: Cruise to Scillies - Advice Please

The Scillies are wonderful, and well worth the effort.
You will be asked to pay on specially laid visitors moorings at St Mary's, at New Grimsby, which is between Tresco and Bryher, and off the western end of St. Martins. You will also be asked to pay to at anchor in St Mary's harbour area [Probably legally], and on the Treso 'bank' of New Grimsby [Probably illegally]. This last may be avoided by either anchoring on the Bryher side of the channel, or at least claiming to be on the Bryher side when asked for payment. There are no marks to show where one starts and the other ends.
New Grimsby has the best shelter of any anchorage in the islands, whose main feature is the absence of all round shelter. On the chart it looks open to the north, but it isn't. The waves hit the rocks at the N entrance, bounce off and end with no pattern in the anchorage; the wind against tide chop is worse.
Anchoring is a bit of a lottery, look for the sand patches between the kelp, which will choke a light anchor before it sets. The locals recommend fisherman anchors.
All the islands are connected by a 'bus' service of open launches, and the time honoured way of learning the pilotage is to leave your boat somewhere safe, and do a few trips in them.
There is free food everywhere: pollack and mackeral can be caught with feathers, 'jigging' in the channels. shrimp may be netted under the kelp at low water, and if you are lucky, a shrimp net can catch crabs in shallow water. But it is cheap and easy to buy crabs from the fishermen, when they go to their keep boxes. There are mussels on the rocks, and clams [not cockles] in the flat sand of places like Green Bay on Bryher. If you can take the ground on bilge keels or legs, this is also the best place to wait out bad weather.
The Islands are like going back 30 years, to times when there was a Lantern slide show in the village hall on Saturday night, and everybody went!
Gig racing night is the highlight of the social calender. [Is it still Friday night?]
A trip on Petit Fox [a replica French Gaffer]l could be the highlight of the holiday.
Go for it!


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[jac]

Peasea we have a similar plan. We're leaving for the scillies aroundthe 28th although with a slightly longer sail from the solent.

Breat minds obviously.

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[billmacfarlane]

I went there last year for 5 days. The main port is St Mary's and there are about 30 mooring buoys to tie up to. Entry to the port is fairly straightforward. If they are busy you can anchor but holding there is through kelp so use the best anchor you've got for seaweed. Take more than one anchor as you might be reliant on them. When I was in St Mary's harbour it was in a NW moderate wind which was OK during the day but when it died in the evening the harbour was prone to the Atlantic groundswell and we rolled horribly in it and didn't get a good night's sleep. I saw a French boat putting out a sea anchor from his midship cleat to try and alleviate the rolloing. Under these conditions the New Grimsby anchorage was sheltered enough from the wind and practically free of groundswell. There is not one anchorage totally sheltered though if you choose the main north and south anchorages , you'll be fairly well sheltered fron the east and west as well. In winds above F6 quite simply go somewhere else if possible. We were nearly caught out trying to get back to our boat in a NW6 in St Mary's and it was getting a bit dodgy in the tender. Nearest port is Penzance though with very limited access. They're not as scary as the pilot book suggests, are stunningly beautiful and well worth a visit.

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[markdj]

WE are talking about going to the Scilly Isles the last week in July, sounds good though the weather will dictate whether we go north or south from Strangford.

Good Cruising


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[snooks]

Use Newlyn

Been to the Scillies qute a few times, always found it best to go to Newlyn, and wait till the weather is good....if you get a northerly or a southerly blow the day before the crossing can be lumpy (northerly are the worst out of the two) Don't risk a night time approach to the islands, it's better to set off from Newlyn early and arrive late afternoon/early evening.

IMHO, don't go to St Mary's it's usually crowded and unless you have a wing keel and can get clsoe to the beach, finding your boat in porth cressa is a mare...I prefer to head for Tresco/Bryer and New Grimsby if the wind is any direction except the north. There's a shop by Hangmans Island which bakes bread, but get there early otherwise they run out....last time I was there (a few years ago now) there was a local fisherman who used to row round selling live crabs...Old grimsby is worth a look, but holding isn't too good.

If the wind does come from the north head for St Agnes and Gugh and head for the Turks head (most south westerly pub in the British Isles)...point to note, in the summer the islands police force doubles to 2 and neither of them have a boat...I think you can work the rest out

Have a great time it's a beautiful cruising ground, get a good guide book and large scale charts and you'll have a wonderful time

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[Boathook]

I went there last year having sailed down from Christchurch (Solent). Final bash was from Falmouth with an early start and arrived late afternoon having mainly motored due to light winds. Mark Fishwicks? book West Country Cruising was a great help along with a large scale chart. If you can take the ground Green Bay, Bryher was good and its sand for walking ashore. Turks Head pub on St Agnes sold good beer and it's real ale ! I also agree with the comments. Go and enjoy it !

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[Goldie]

Re: Cruise to Scillies - Advice Please

I can recommend Water Mill Cove (St Mary's) as a good place to sit out a Westerly gale. Did so last year and was the only boat there. No facilities, but a good spot from which to explore the North end of the island on foot. Enjoy!

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[Goldie]

Re: Cruise to Scillies - Advice Please

I can recommend Water Mill Cove (St Mary's) as a good place to sit out a Westerly gale. Did so last year and was the only boat there. No facilities, but a good spot from which to explore the North end of the island on foot. Enjoy!

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[Scillypete]

There are numerous anchorages in Scilly and usually there is shelter to be found somewhere, the trick is to keep up to date with the weather forecast and be prepared to move about to more sheltered spots, do not stay in the harbour if it is forecast to blow from the west or NW, it will be extremely uncomfortable as already reported, Porthcressa is sheltered from these directions but if the wind should go back then you must move from there, Watermill cove as reported is an excellent anchorage, but if you are prepared to study your chart and take a little local advice then there are other little get away from it anchorages also.

One other tip - don't follow the pleasure boats in the channels they may cut a few corners and some are rumoured to run on wheels!!!

Enjoy

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[Chris_Robb]

We are planning to go there in the first 2 weeks of August. Not been there before, but main objection from SWMBO and 2nd mate will be lack of marinas! Thank god - we lie to an anchor so rarely, that I think we are forgetting what cruising is all about.

Is it easy to pick up water? So long as they can shower then I might get a longer stay there!

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[longjohnsilver]

If you moor in New Grimsby sound, the pub on Tresco just a few minutes walk up the hill have showers you can use.

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[vyv_cox]

One thing nobody else seems to have mentioned - look out for fresh-strong easterlies. There is almost nowhere that gives good shelter from this direction, although it must be said that there isn't a lot of shelter from any other direction either. OK if you can take the ground for much of the tide but I can state that it's pretty miserable on anchor anywhere.

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[Sybarite]

You can get all you need on the quay at St Mary's Port including showers. Water from a hose (£1) and fuel line - just keep out of the way of the Scillonian. You are charged for moorings and anchoring here but not round the corner on the SE facing bay. (Forget name) However beware strong south-easterlies.

Incidentally it's the only place I have ever been charged for water including places like Port Cros or Porquerolles in the Med where there is a known water shortage. However the harbour master and his staff are very helpful and so I don't mind this. I arrived with flat battery and they took it into their shed and charged it for me.

John.



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[Scillypete]

There is plenty of shelter to be found with the wind in an easterly direction that provide good holding and a smooth sea with no rolling, it is a question of choice as to where you want to be in a marina or enjoying the peace and tranquility that is available, I would not describe being anchored in Scilly with the sun out a couple of fresh caught mackerel on the grill and enjoying a glass of wine in the cockpit as miserable but then thats horses for courses I suppose.



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[billmacfarlane]

They have a system in St Mary's for picking up water and fuel. When they collect your mooring fee in the morning they'll ask you if you want water and fuel, and if you need it they'll give you a time to go alongside the quay.

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[vyv_cox]

Easterly gale in Scillies

Peace and tranquility are not the words that come to mind. We moved three times to try to find an alternative anchorage, had anchors tripped on numerous occasions by other boats dragging through the weed, sat anchor watches for three nights, took off dodgers, main and jib to reduce windage. There was no sun - just torrential rain and very poor visibility. Barbecueing fresh mackerel and sipping glasses of wine were far from our minds. Doesn't mean I would not return, just a warning that it is not always as you describe. And where are these marinas?

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[Scillypete]

Re: Easterly gale in Scillies

The marinas are not in Scilly but on the south coast, the habitual haunt these days of most that are not too familiar with their anchor thingy.

I agree it is not always sunshine and flat calm but there are anchorages aplenty, where were you anchored during this easterly gale, I would assume it was either in the harbour or New Grimsby, as you mention other boats dragging.

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[brianhumber]

Only been once, but enjoyed it. Its quite a plod in one go from east of the Lizard.
I feel you must try to pick a period of settled weather and watch the ground swell. Not knowing the local bays I cleared out as the weather broke, glad I did as it got nasty enough for me to run for Falmouth instead of Ushant, the rolling in St Marys as the swell built was bad. That said I still would like to go back.

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[vyv_cox]

Re: Easterly gale in Scillies

Harbour was completely full and several boats had big problems in there, judging by VHF traffic. We were in New Grimsby where the tide made things difficult but we moved to the other side of Bryher. I cannot say it was much better there.

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