A lovely brisk walk around the fort of de la Hougue & back through the town to be ready for a midday departure when the lock opened. No wind at first so motor then a pattern of sail, motor, sail, motor, until around tea time we had a consistent wind for sailing. Late evening (10pm) we had to make a substantial course alteration for a ship, although we were not the give way vessel.
Around midnight the wind increased & we went to 2 reefs in the main & a small genoa.
Soon after midnight we had crossed the ‘run ups’ to the shipping lanes & had altered course several times to avoid other vessels.
At 00.45 we crossed the Greenwich Meridien.
& just before 5am we locked in to Eastbourne Marina. (101nm).
Blowing somewhat. Walked the ‘Prom’ into
Lock out & early departure from
Saw masthead VHF aerial was loose & waving around. While we debated if someone should go up the mast & who that someone should be (not nice in the left over sea from yesterday & hardwork for the one winding) it came completely adrift & solved that problem for us! We rigged our emergency aerial – useful as we hadn’t done that in anger & it is never as straightforward as one expects.
By Hasting we were using the main with a poled out genny. Then just
before passing Dungeness power station we saw a porpoise inshore. Then it was
Prompt start from Ramsgate to catch tide. Full main & genoa, & into Levington by lunchtime. (42.6nm).
Full Circle!
Total Miles Logged 2301.5nm [Engine Hours 216.6]
Did some tidying & sorting then headed home to sort mail!
Back to boat with cars for major sorting, tidying & lots of unloading.
The September section has taken a while in the writing as it is a regular route for us in both Sugar ‘n’ Spice, & Doug’s previous boat, so we lingered less & there seemed less to say!