Farewell to the Isles of Scilly July 2015

West Country Tour 2015
Leaving the Isles of Scilly - July

Our month long camp on the lovely St.Martins Island has come to an end and we took the island ferry back to St.Mary's Harbour for the last time.
We know we won't be back here for quite a while now!

The harbour was busy as ever with boats - though our Passenger Ferry back to Penzance was already in and loading.

Scillonian III docked ready for the 16.30 sailing to Penzance

 

Motor Tug Polmear from Jenkins Marine, Poole is on charter during the new quay extension works. She appears to be 'on stand-by' to assist craft in maneuvering in the close quarters around the works. MT Polmear is a 48', 880hp twin screw tug of 10 knots

The Cargo Freight Lyonesse sets off with more supplies for the 'off-islands' 

This photo is taken from the stern deck of the Scillonian - down to the new quay extension.

Here the concrete base blocks are beginning to show - precast in Falmouth and brought over by barge, they apparently interlock and are pegged together and to the sea bed

A last farewell to the beach at St.Martins where we camped for the month - our 3rd time now

Last view of the Eastern Isles

Passing the Isles Freight Ship - Gry Maritha

This is the THV Galatea at anchor outside Penzance Harbour. She is a Trinity House multi-function support vessel, named by the Queen in October 2007. At 2569 gross tonnes, 277ft long with diesel-electric powered twin screws and 2 bow thrusters -  she can make 12.5 knots. Her role is wrecking marking, dealing with buoys, towing and survey work under contract. There is a foredeck helipad.

She was later seen off St.Ives working on sea trials of electronic and cabling systems

St.Mary's Harbour - Isles of Scilly July 2015

West Country Tour 2015
Visit to St.Mary's Harbour

[We've struggled with both charging and 3-dongle signal on the islands - so the blog is running behind!]

Being camped on the 'off-island' of St.Martins, we had several trips over on the island ferry to the main Isles of Scilly Island of St.Mary's.
There were many boats to see in and around the harbour - here are some pictures.

Passing the freight Isles of Scilly supply vessel - the Gry Maritha was built in Norway in 1981 and came into service here in 1989. At around 40m (127ft) and 590 gross tons, she provides the islands with all their bulk cargo needs using fuel containers and pallets of cargo

 Lyonesse Lady, built 1991, is the inter-island freight vessel.

It has an hydraulic hoist which off-loads pallets and the camping trailers.

It can come stern-end to shore for a roll off ramp for tractors/cars etc

On our way across we sighted the large cruise ship, the Cruise and Maritime Voyagers Magellan, recently commissioned this year at 49000grtons.

It has 1250 passengers - many came ashore to St.Mary's

RNLB Severn Class 17-11 The Whiteheads anchored in the harbour

A view of the Kier Construction platform and diving pontoon.

They are extending the quay for larger vessels

The RMV Scillonian III docked at St.Mary's Quay. Purpose built in 1977 to replace the earlier Isles of Scilly passenger ferry, she has been re-fitted on at least two occasions, the last being in 2012/13 to extend it's 'life' to 2018.

At 233ft and 1255tons, she can carry 600 passengers with 18 crew - uniquely she is designed with a shallow depth at 9.5ft to allow passage at all tides and with a flat bottom can sit on the sand bottom if needed. This makes her unstable in heavy sea conditions and she has fitted a 'Flume' antiroll stabiliser system!

 

Oh dear!

A fine 2-masted boat - beached for maintenance?

This is one of the half a dozen trip boats that operate from St.Mary's harbour.

We took this out to the Western Isles of Annet to see the puffins and seals.

I think they might be old lifeboats from ocean liners?

A local crabbing/lobster boat comes in to re-fuel and land it's day's catch

There are boats of all shapes and sizes!

Passing a large yacht under mainsail as it heads for Tresco sound

Work done, this fine yacht is back on it's mooring buoy

The two tugs operating the working barge for the new pier.

 

 

Here working as evening comes

This coaster vessel came in to dock - there was much activity with loading going on from lorries arriving with heavy haulage bags

 

Through the night it loaded! It turned out to be the waste from the Isles rubbish tip and recycling. Remember that everything has to come in by sea and then be taken out again.

Here the pair of tugs are moving the working barge - on it's way back to Plymouth to get more pre-cast concrete blocks for the new pier

Visit to Tresco 3 - Isles of Scilly July 2015

West Country Tour 2015
Visit to Tresco - Isles of Scilly   
Part 3

After a rest out of the sun (and a beer), I headed around the south part of Tresco Island.
Here are some of the photos I took.

A beautiful Barbara Hepworth sculpture on the lawn by the shop complex

A view west to the uninhabited island of Samson

 

Sitting at the foot of the impressive monument to Tresco's premier family - the Dorrian-Smith's who took the lease of Tresco from the Duchy of Cornwall in the 19th century

 

A nostalgic photo of the old helicopter pad - now disused.

Visitors have to fly in the small 12 seaters or come on the Scillonian III passengers ferry

'children playing' - a modern sculpture in the Abbey Gardens

Attractive gardens outside the Tresco Abbey

These are bracken beaters! Rather than cutting the extensive bracken which only stimulates more growth - the beater breaks and bashes it, to slow and diminish growth

A view across Old Grimsby harbour - there appear to be more boats at anchor this year.

The small island behind is called Northwethel

Looking across to Lawrence Bay on St.Martin's Island.

Our campsite beach is directly ahead

The island boat Voyager arrives to take us back to St.Martin's

 

Visit to Tresco 2 - Isles of Scilly 2015

West Country Tour 2015
Visit to Tresco - Isles of Scilly   
Part 2

Continuing my walk around the north end of Tresco, the dominant man-made features are the three castles controlling the harbours.

Looking east towards Round Island and Northwethel

 

A view up to the King Charles' Castle guarding the sea channel of New Grimsby.

Despite it's name this was an artillery fort built in the reign of King Edward VI (1547-53) to guard against foreign warships and privateers.

It was finally blown up by the defending Royalist forces in 1651 when attacked by the overwhelming Parliamentary soldiers under Admiral Blake in the Third English Civil War 1949 - 1951

 

Looking through the guard room entrance towards the gun floor

 

A view down at Tresco Sound and the New Grimsby harbour

 

And the newer(?) Cromwell 1951 Tower 

The Tower was built by Cromwell's forces in 1651 with 6 guns on the top gun platform.

Later in around 1740 it was extended with the ground gun platform for a number of heavier guns

 

Inside the top floor of the tower - with the gun ports

 

Looking north - out to sea on the Tresco-Bryher Channel

 

 

 

 Later on in the day, I walked around the southern half of Tresco and approached the Old Grimsby Harbour and the Old Blockhouse, built 1548-50. This time from the landward side.
Again, this artillery fort featured in the Civil War of 1951 - succumbing to Admiral Blake's Parliamentary Forces

 

 

 

The Old Blockhouse on Tresco

Visit to Tresco - Isles of Scilly 2015

West Country Tour 2015
Visit to Tresco - Isles of Scilly   
Part 1

On a lovely sunny day, I took the island ferry over to Tresco to walk the coastal path.

Approaching the Old Blockhouse fort guarding the original harbour called 'Old Grimsby'. Built around 1548  to protect the harbour from foreign warships and privateers.

  

Yachts at anchor in the Old Grimsby harbour

Tresco has a range of beautiful flowers

Climbing the North Down gives wonderful views - here of Round Island

This is the archaeology of a chambered tomb from the Neolithic era around 2500 BC !

Intriguing wall base - from ancient habitation?

One of the many trip boats heads past the northern rocks

Looking down into Piper's Hole

The sea washing in on the north coast of Tresco

These are the northern tip of Bryher Island

A view south to the New Grimsby sound and Cromwell's Tower

Part 2 to follow

For more photos of this lovely island - look up my visit in 2012 on this link