LN896 02/06/2016  SHORE LEAVE.

All staff, crew and ship’s cat (the name of our racing pigeon) had been waiting for a few days to make sense of the grey seas and skies that greeted us since our ‘U-turn’ away from the North Sea towards the Isles of Scilly. It was with some relief therefore that our Captain navigated the ship to St Mary’s island, IOS.

There were no sleepy-heads to rouse today as an organised scrum developed for the ship’s DOTI-boats. Several runs ashore ensured that all that wished to take their sea-legs to shore were accommodated. Strict instructions to return on board sober and happy – the born again land-lubbers went on an island rampage. We drove ‘Silly-Carts’ around the Island to take in the amazing views and visited many a hostilery and the fish and chip van.

Most points of interest were visited and photographs taken of the usual suspects – those special sights that only the IOS can provide…with a rumour that one of the ship’s crew had taken to spying on the day trip covering the movements of the island’s only airfield. We expect the USA to intervene and stick him in a ‘red-suit’ and cart him off to ‘somewhere in Cuba’ after his ‘hostile-recognisance’ he is still swearing his innocence and pleading he was taking a macro-photo of the world’s rarest butterfly;  or some other such excuse, when the inevitable happens, we will miss you Phil – but NOT your jokes!

It was then a trouble free day spent on a very sunny island and it was with heavy heart, rather than gay abandon, that we began our return to ‘Nellie’ to be greeted by the most glorious sunset.  Showing off sun burn and full tummies it was an eraly night all round.

London to Greenock it may be – usually – via the North Sea but this new itinerary of including the Isle of Scilly and Dublin (?) could be well worth a look.