Week 3 8th-14th June

Wind 4-6 ENE Sunny

After a leisurely morning on land and a tasty bacon and egg brunch we untied at 1:30. It was an interesting exit from Dover harbour, we had to wait 15 minutes for cross channel ferries to enter and leave, more like leaving an airport. With the wind once again on our nose we tacked very close to the wind. A challenging sail with bumpy seas, but enjoyable sailing alongside Chris, whom we met in Eastbourne, on his boat Guinevere. We arrived in Ramsgate in time for an evening meal on board.

In the morning we took a windswept stroll along the coast to Margate. The Isle of Thanet has many sandy, blue flag beaches. After an 8 mile trek we felt we deserved a coffee and cake in the cafe at the Turner Centre. I lived the first 16 years of my life in Margate, it is great to see it recovering after years of decline.

After walking past interesting shops and the Tudor cottage we visited the shell grotto. We returned to Ramsgate by bus.

We completed our walk fairly quickly because in the afternoon we had to take Maisie to a vet in Broadstairs for her monthly blood test. She had her first ever ride on a bus. She was very good, didn’t scratch the vet or make a fuss. She sat calmly, intrigued by her new surroundings.

For me, Sue, a day of reunions.

After completing our boat chores in the morning we met up with two of my school friends and their partners. I hadn’t seen Jo and Carina for 44 years as I left school at 16 and moved with my Mum and brother to Northampton.

In the evening, another reunion. We met up with Dawn and her husband Paul for a curry in Ramsgate. I had met Dawn more recently when they visited Cornwall this spring (again after a break of 44 years). It was a lovely evening, we are enjoying catching up with people on our journey around Britain.

After stocking up for Mondays journey we walked along the coast to Broadstairs. The winds have at last dropped and the beaches were busy with people enjoying the warm sunshine.

We had lunch in The Charles Dickens pub with my cousins Margaret, Mark and Theresa and her husband Dave. A leisurely lunch, really great to catch up with family members living in Thanet.

We returned to Ramsgate by bus to meet with Becky and Nick. They joined us in the sunny cockpit for a cool drink.

A very busy and enjoyable few days, lots of memories. Was great to see everyone, thanks so much for meeting with us.

Winds 1-2 ENE Cloudy then sunny

We headed North from Ramsgate in very calm conditions. We saw very little marine traffic or wind. We gently motored towards Harwich, reaching Shotley marina late afternoon. We were too late to take the ferry over to Harwich, so we never set foot in Essex. We went for a walk along the riverbank at Shotley. It was a quiet little marina but you can hear sirens and clattering from the container port in Felixstowe, 3 miles away, day and night. We found an interesting link to Falmouth, the marina is home to an HMS Ganges museum. She was transferred as a boys training ship from Falmouth to Harwich harbour in 1899.

Winds 2-3 ENE Sunny

A little more wind enabled some sailing as we made our way further up the East coast. After sighting Sellafield nuclear power station in the distance, we turned into Southwold harbour. It seems strange to call it a harbour, it is like a river with a series of wooden platforms and pontoons scattered along its length. Many are private moorings, so we had to look carefully when trying to find the visitors pontoon. It was interesting turning the boat with the wind and tide but it is better to be facing the harbour entrance for an easier exit.

We took an afternoon stroll into Southwold across the flat East Anglian landscape. It is the first time we have visited this pretty seaside town. We enjoyed a massive blueberry gelato ice cream before strolling along the seafront. There were many good shops and we found a lovely delli selling interesting pies. They made a delicious evening meal on the boat.

Walking to Southwold

Southwold seafront

We wandered over the bridge to the other side of the river and enjoyed a walk to the lovely village of Walberswick. The shingle beach was bordered by sand dunes. The footpath turned inland, across heath and meadows following a river then into a mixed woodland. The path then looped back into the village where we had a coffee stop.

After lunch on board the boat we returned to Southwold via the river path towards the sea. After an afternoon snooze in the sand dunes we made our way back to the boat via the lovely town and green footpaths.