Tuesday 21st July 2020 – Rushy Bay (Bryher) to Great Granilly – 9 nm

Today’s track

At 0630 we left Rushy Bay and headed over the St Mary’s to fill up the fresh water tanks. The only tap worked off a meter which ate £1 coins like they’re going out of fashion. Luckily the harbour toilet attendant started work early and had a pocket full of coins so changed up a note for us. It took over an hour to fill up our tanks and 7 quid…

We nipped round to Porth Cressa and dropped the hook then made a dash to the petrol station to fill the can for the outboard motor. On the way back through the town we stocked up with meat, fish, veg and milk from the butcher, which was the only shop open. We needed to get going quickly in order to make best use of the tides, as we planned to head to the eastern islands which dry out in places.

We are the boat next to the yellow buoy

By 1030 Talavera was safely anchored at Great Granilly with seals swimming around us. There are several colonies here and they make a racket calling to each other. We keep seeing heads bobbing up and down in the water but as soon as the camera is to hand they disappear. We’ll get some pictures before we leave, it’s now become a mission.

The water is very clear here

We took the dinghy over to what looked like a good place to land. However, what appeared to be grass, wasn’t. It was green reeds hiding gaps between rocks, lethal to walk on. From the chart we can see this is called ‘Ragged Island’, now we know why.

Where’s Artie?

The idea was to try and get some video, but this proved more of a challenge than first thought with 3 GoPros a dinghy and the Ship’s Cat on Ragged Island was an impossible mission.

Just getting ready to have a run ashore with the video cameras

Row also made fresh bread rolls today.

They turned out alright

Published by Sailing with the Ship’s Cat

Tim & Rowena Heale sail on Talavera a Hallberg Rassy 36 mk2 and this summer 2018 they plan to sail from Gosport to the Baltic, follow their journey as they travel north.

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