We did a 30-hour sail south from Wales, across the Bristol Channel and all the way to the Isles of Scilly. It was a great sail, all went well. But the best part were the groups of dolphins that would come by to play. They would ride our bow wave, do jumps as a group and then try to see how close they could get to the bow of the boat as they passed across it. It seems as if they are testing their skill. One poor dolphin misjudged and we heard a thump. He drifted back from the boat, moving, but very slowly. Ouch! One dolphin would surface and then did a series of splashes with his powerful tail fin, almost got us wet. Another dolphin would surface, do a belly roll and come down with a big splash on his back. Wow, what a show. Scilly is 28 miles off the very southwest corner of England and is an archipelago of 48 islands and many reefs that are exposed only during low tides. It is the resting place of many ships that came to grief, the most notable being the Royal Navy battle fleet under the command of Sir Cloudesley Shovell, with a large loss of life. What a horrible event to have your name be remembered in history. The picture shows just a small number of the reefs, easy to see how during storms boats would founder and wash up on the reefs.
For us, though, this is a taste of paradise. It is sunny and warm, light wind and wonderful anchoring, if you are sensible, among the reefs. I have packed away all the long underwear and brought out the shorts and summer tops. Our last three summers have been chilly and damp, so our body will have to acclimate to warmth!