Brampton to Scawfell Island

An early start from Brampton to Scawfell Island to take advantage of the SW wind, this was our first really dull, grey day, with grey clouds, little daylight and no sun at all.  The few drops of rain overnight had spread the dust over the deck and the solar panels.  After clearing the top of Carlisle Island the wind picked up and we did an easy 7 knots on main and screecher.  Then whizzzzzz… off went the lure with a nice spotted mackerel on the line, about 75 cm, yum!

On passing St Bees and Keswick Islands, dolphins were cruising all around.  As we watched they began doing circle work, rounding up fish.  We’d seen this behaviour on documentaries but never before a live show!  Amazing!   A few leaping whales in the distance added to the morning’s entertainment.  Then as we dropped the sails to come into Scawfell anchorage, hundreds and thousands of Tiger Blue butterflies swarmed around and across the water.  The first Scawfell anchorage is just beautiful and the water even clearer than Brampton Island.

Just when we thought we had seen everything marine, bait fish began dancing across the water and a school of tuna exploded out of the water chasing them.  It went on for half an hour or more all around the bay, but the tuna kept jumping, the bait fish by now were walking on the water and seemed doomed as they were driven towards the coral reefs, and then the sea-eagles joined the action to snatch a fish supper.  Anyway, whatever the tuna and sea-eagles are having for dinner, we had tandoori mackerel.  Yum!