FFF:
"The Islander is an absolute joy to fly - even with the main tanks full of fuel and 12 POB"
12 POB in an Islander?? How did you manage that? The one I fly has seats for 10 including the pilot, and with them and 60 USG on board (out of a max of 130USG) is pretty close to MTOW!!
Having said that, it can be quite sprightly, especially when it's light (2000fpm+ at 65 kts). Very noisy, though!