Can you really only visit Scilly in light winds?

Sigma 33, Odette, is cruising the West Country in August and hoping to get to the Scillies. Skippered by Michelle, with her two teenage sons on board, the boat is well set up for cruising, with a decent anchor, 60m of chain, heavy-duty tender and reliable outboard. They're in Penzance, waiting for a break in the southwesterlies before heading across. All are keen to see the Scillies, but just when it looks like the weather will turn in their favour, with an easterly air flow establishing, it threatens to fill in too strongly – the Inshore Waters outlook is E, F6-7, occasionally 8. After that, though, it should ease off. While they're weighing up the options, a local boat ties alongside them and the skipper warns that everyone's leaving the Scillies in advance of the blow. Odette's crew have a week before they need to be back in Falmouth, so if they wait for the strong winds to pass, they probably won't make it over. Should they heed the local skipper's advice, or make a break for it now and just sit out the weather so that they're ready to explore once it passes?

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The Isles of Scilly are a highlight of any summer cruise and the holy grail of south coast cruising, but getting a good weather window for them is always a challenge. The islands are notoriously exposed to Atlantic swell, with no all-weather anchorages, and pilot guides warn against being there in heavy weather.

However, weather from Atlantic low-pressure systems differs from that generated by high pressure. The westerly weather associated with the passage of a depression is much more turbulent, bringing high seas, poor visibility and major wind shifts.