Suddenly the winter was at an end, high pressure built up to the north and the wind settled in the north-east. Mind you, those slack looking isobars on the weather charts can be deceptive in these conditions, especially at this time of the year.

Chris Tibbs, a meteorologist from the Isle of Wight who is after visiting us, explained to me the fact that the cold but warming rising air is encountering an inversion of air that is warmer still, which acts as a lid, thus generating these fair-weather blasts that are liable to get up especially in the day-time.

Anna M encountered such a breeze whistling down the Channel from the NNE, as we emerged from the shelter of the Chaussée de Sein and Ushant, on her way home from a very satisfactory winter berth on the Odet river. No harm, however, and when we got north of the Scillies, the wind veered more easterly and settled, to give us a lovely reach to Baltimore. Here is a photo of the crew, Nigel and Míchael, slaving away as Anna M did the business; no better place to enjoy some traditional music!

So now she is moored once again in Horseshoe Harbour, after a pleasant spin over to Schull with three lovely ladies and three small children. No dolphins yet, but our James, the fisherman, says there are plenty further east. There’s some fine weather coming up, and I would be delighted to go looking for them if anyone out there is interested; and by the way, I could sometimes pick folks up in Kinsale if that is what they want....