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.
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| Our route from the marina to The North Sea through the Noordzeekanaal |
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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!
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An easy passage just about done with the white cliffs plainly in sight.
Hooray for arriving in the daylight! |
We briefly thought about keeping on to Eastbourne, another 40 nm (nautical miles) on but the wind, although favourable was freezing and the tide turned. Our speed over ground went from 10kn to 2kns and our enthusiasm for continuing quickly subsided! So into the snug marina we pulled.
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| The new (as of 2023) marina. The tide can rise and fall 7 meters here. |
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| The inner harbour is behind a lock which is only open for three hours on either side of high tide. |
Border Force cleared us immediately, so down came the yellow flag and up went the Union Jack. The marina office gave a us a recommendation of a good pub so we enjoyed that quintessential British lunch of fish 'n chips and a beer. We had a walk around town before tumbling into bed listening to the wind rage and the rain patter.
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| A path? Well, let's go have a look! |
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| A yoga mat rather than a beach towel is needed to sunbake in comfort on Dover Beach! |
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| Very much a working-class feel to the neighbourhood at the foot of the cliffs |
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| This port is set up to handle VOLUME. It was very quiet before Easter. |
Storm Dave went north of us, and although we didn't get the 100km/h winds they experienced in Scotland and Wales, we did get enough wind and rain to make us rather pleased we were safely tied up in the marina.
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| Dover Castle on the hill |
We had a quiet Good Friday, exploring the town and stocking up on a few groceries. Escaping from the rain, we landed in Morrison's (a supermarket) cafe only to discover it's free coffee refills for seniors! After our solid caffeine fix, we popped into the White Horse pub. Once you have swum the English Channel, you get to write your name on the ceiling!
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Wendy's friend Jeannie, has swum the channel and has her name on the ceiling.
What an achievement! Made even more so as we looked across the grey sea to the very distant France - it's a bloody long way. |
Braving the mist, wind and light rain, we hiked along the cliff tops (yes, they are very white!) to the South Foreland Lighthouse. The views were stunning and the weather wild. The trail forms part of the King Charles III England Coast Path which, when complete, will stretch right along England's coast - about 5000km in total. The really cool part of this trail is it provides the public with the right of open access to the whole of England's shoreline to the water's edge.
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| The acorn on the centre marker denotes the England Coast Path |
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| It's easy to guess the default wind direction |
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| Looking back over Dover Harbour - a busy ferry port! The marina is on the far side of the bay. |
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View from the South Foreland Lighthouse. Yes, you can see France, even if it's not a clear day!
(Fancy a swim?)
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| Looking back towards the ferry terminal |
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| The chalky cliffs are very prone to erosion making for some stunning features |
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| There is open access to the waterline ... but we may choose just to look in this case! |
One of the joys of being in the UK is everyone speaking English. Yes, we love the challenge of language and yes, many Europeans speak flawless English. We have enough French and German to get by but there is the comfort of having English spoken around you. It's like slipping on your comfy, old slippers. Everything is just that little bit easier. And it make going to the movies just that much simpler! So, after today's big hike, we took ourselves off to see Project Hail Mary. It did not disappoint!
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| England Coast Trail in the other direction towards Folkstone |
Under much more pleasant weather conditions, we hiked the England Coast Trail in the opposite direction the next day (to the west). We covered the 12km to Folkstone along the clifftops topping along the way to read interpretive signs and admire the view.
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| A lovely walk |
We didn't walk down to it but Samphire Hoe was pretty impressive. It is a nature reserve built from the 4.9 cubic metres of chalk they excavated when building the Chunnel. That's reuse on a major scale! It is named after the samphire which is a salt-tolerant succulent that grows in the area. It is edible, its ashes were used to make soap and glass and Shakespeare gives it a mention in King Lear!* Quite the handy plant.
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| Samphire Hoe |
The Abbot's Cliff Sound Mirror was rather cool. These were used to as an early warning system for aircraft coming across the Channel. Their shape allowed the sound of the engines to be picked up by microphones from up to 24km away. They effectiveness was reduced as planes became faster and were completely superceded by radar.
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| Abbot's Cliff Sound Mirror |
We checked out the replicas of the Spitfire MK1 and the Hurricane at the Battle of Britain Memorial. It is a stark reminder of just how close Germany was to defeating Britain - and so early in the war. And just how close occupied France was! Exploring this coastline is vastly improving our knowledge of WWII history.
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| Sculpture of a downed German Junkers dive bomber at the Battle of Britain Memorial |
We arrived in Folkstone and headed to the Folkstone Harbour Arm. What a wonderful place! The original harbour was built to provide anchorages for warships fighting the Napoleonic wars. It was extended in 1847 by building a viaduct and swing bridge and in 1849 the London to Paris service commenced. Passengers were brought from London by rail to the ferry across to Boulogne-sur-Mer then train onto Paris. What a marvel! The new pier, The Harbour Arm was completed in 1904.
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| The train line went all the way onto the pier itself. The tracks have been since been removed but the old platform and station have remained and become a tourist promenade. |
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| The Goods Yard - filled with food vendors, the big screen plays sports games and movies - free to watch. |
With its fabulous infrastructure, Folkstone played a major role in troop movements during the First World War. Along with Red Cross personnel and refugees, some 8.6 million people passed through Folkstone during the 5 years of the war. And, of course, it played a role in the evacuation of Dunkirk.
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| A champagne bar in a lighthouse.... |
With competition from Dover and the Chunnel, Folkstone was no longer the main crossing point to continental Europe. It is so impressive how they have reinvented themselves. The Harbour Arm is amazing. Markets, eateries, entertainment, buskers, champagne bars in lighthouses, beach (as pebbly as Dover but a beach nonetheless) and even mini golf now occupies the space in the harbour and along the pier. There is something for everyone.
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| Even on a relatively calm day, the sea manages to leap the breakwater and splash the tourists |
It was a busy, sunny Easter Sunday. People everywhere enjoying the weather, the entertainment and the food. We had a lovely time wandering around - watching the dance school perform on the old train platform, seeing the delight of kids as they sink a putt in mini-golf and the joy of eating the vast variety of foods available.
We munched our sandwiches while we watched the rip and the short, choppy waves along the shore. The currents here are really quite nasty and being an observer from on land was far more pleasurable than experiencing them by boat. Knowing we had an early start next morning, we opted for the bus rather than the 12km hike back to Dover.
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| The viaduct and swing bridge - now a walkway along the old rail tracks. |
We were back at the boat within half-an-hour and spent the rest of the afternoon doing a few household chores and preparing for the short 45nm hop to Eastbourne next morning.
* Half-way down Hangs one that gathers samphire; dreadful trade!
- King Lear - Act IV, Scene VI, lines 14–15
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