The next two days are forecast to have strongish easterlies and thundery showers…but we also want to visit the other islands. This would mean leaving our snug and secure mooring and taking our chances at anchor. It’s not the anchoring which is a problem….it’s the lightning. There’s nothing like being in a thunderstorm with a big metal pole stuck up in the air. Where we are, there are loads of bigger and, more importantly, tall boats. We’ve noticed several boats coming in, all with the same idea, so we decide to stay put and make use of the many commercial boats that ply between the islands.

We book a trip to Tresco and St Agnes for Friday, so opt to take a trip to St Martin’s  today.

The population here is just 134, but with loads of self-catering places.  Actually, we notice lots of fields being left to go to bracken with attendant rusting farm machinery just lying forlornly around. Presumably, there are fewer young people staying to work, and small fields are just too labour intensive. It’s such a shame as the climate is amazing.

The little boat stops by the Scillonian first, and all the luggage of people staying on St. Martins is loaded. Then we all troop on and head out into some roughish water.

At the little landing stage near Higher Town, there are a couple of cars a quad bike and a tractor or two to take people and/ or luggage to their cottages or the hotel.  Completely incongruously, there is also a Porsche Cayenne….what is a fast car like that doing here?

We  stop at the delightful Little Arthur Cafe for lunch, where the crab quiche is amazing, but we hang about too long and find that the vineyard is shut. Oh well, a tasting flight  for lunch would have rendered us useless for the rest of the day.

We meander through Higher Town past flowery cottages and into Lower Town….a little lack of imagination we feel….

Some of the nicest ice cream we’ve had in a long time finishes off the afternoon. Troytown Ice Cream from St Agnes is brilliant.

Back on St Mary’s, we freshen up and have a light(!!!) supper of pasties before heading back into town to Jack’s Bar and have a brilliant acoustic evening performed by folk just turning up. .. really eclectic, from traditional Irish (Cornish?)  fiddle and whistle, to blues, to Blue Oyster Cult and even a Tom Waits soundalike….great atmosphere, even for a couple of electric rock and electronica fans…

Our decision to hang about on a mooring amongst taller masts is vindicated when a thunderstorm and some spectacular lightning flashes and crashes through at midnight.