Closing the loop - 49° 38' 43" N 01° 37' 13" W
And here we are, back where it all began in Cherbourg! We have closed the loop - does this count as a circumnavigation of Great Britain??
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Eastbourne - 50° 47' 28" N 00° 19' 34" E
Sovereign Harbour, Eastbourne After a gloriously sunny downwind sail from Dover, we nipped through the lock and into the marina at Sovereign Harbour, Eastbourne. It was even warm enough for sundowners in the cockpit. Just magic. With the forecast for warm weather over the next few days, we abandoned our plans to continue onto Portsmouth, content to explore around Eastbourne. Some wild weather hits this coast. We rode into Eastbourne proper and explored the seafront and the town. Quite the fancy resort back in the day, Victorian hotels line the seafront and, like any good resort town, boasts a pier and a bandstand. The pebbly beach stretches for over six kilometres and the erosion protection gives a hint of the type of weather that is experienced at times. Very typical English seaside resort At the marina office, we saw a notice advertising a talk by the RNLI on 'How to be towed by the RNLI'. This is something we hope never to require ...
Dover - 51° 07' 10" N 01° 18' 52" E
Leaving Amsterdam, we had a two hour motor along the North Sea Canal before arriving at the sea lock and out into the North Sea we went. Our route from the marina to The North Sea through the Noordzeekanaal Chinook has a maximum hull speed of 8.6 knots but look at that SOG (Speed Over Ground)! Having 1.5 knots of current pushing you along helps ... along with two top-notch sail trimmers! You can see the pink markings on the chart plotter showing the TSS (Traffic Separation Scheme) which dictates some order to the many, many ships that squeeze through this 21-mile-wide pinch point between Dover and Calais. Wind farms, ships from EVERY imaginable direction, Traffic Separation Schemes (there is an actual ship round-about off the Thames Estuary!!) and shallow bits all needed to be avoided. We managed to sail a lot of the way and, after eighteen hours and aided by the current, the White Cliffs finally loomed into view! An easy passage just about done w...
Amsterdam - 52° 24' 07" N 04° 53' 13" E
In Amsterdam, near our marina, there is an old river cruise ship that is more than just a hotel or a boat . It's both! (side note: each letter of the sign is a rentable room !) But before we get to the Botel, let's go back a few days to where we had just left Elburg ... Holland is known for its old-fashioned windmills, but the new type are popping up EVERYWHERE. We are allowed to sail surprisingly close to them. After an uneventful but tiring eight hours of sailing and motoring, we arrived in Lelystad. While we waited for the wind to ease, we dusted off the Bromptons to explore the town. The bike paths are quite extensive in Holland. Not surprising, I guess ... If you hold your chin while looking at art, people may think you are cultured. (Public art discovery during our bike ride in Lelystad) After a two night stay an a day of cycling the bike paths in early-spring conditions in Lelystad, we set off on a beautiful sunny morning bound for Amste...