June was one of our quieter months for ships during the summer period. Three visits in succession came from the Island Sky, a much talked about vessel on these pages at least. Her normally ninety odd passengers spent their days on sunny Tresco with exception of the last visit in which the wares of St Mary’s were sampled as well.

The last day of the month provided us with a visit from the Minerva.  At 12,500grt and 437ft in length, she could be seen as a medium sized vessel for the port. This ship, landing around 250 passengers here on St Mary’s was launched in 1996 and is becoming an annual visitor. Interestingly, and to the delight of her passengers I’m sure, she left via Broad Sound to see the Bishop Rock lighthouse, famed as the most Westerly point of the British Isles and the second tallest lighthouse in Britain. The Bishop Rock is also listed in the Guinness book of records as being the world’s smallest island with a building on it.