22nd August – Sunday – Eastbourne to Ramsgate
Another 06:00 start to make the passage to Ramsgate, past Dungeness Power Station in choppy sea. We pushed the tide for 4 hours, the sea state was rough, and we got a drenching with a sharp quick shower of rain. After Dungeness we caught the tide and surfed past Dover at 8.8 knots. Dover was an option but the tide was with us so we pressed on to Ramsgate. Arriving with yacht Enixus, who we shared a lock with early in the morning. 9 and a half hours to make the 62.5 miles. We prefer to set off early and arrive in the afternoon.
We then spent 12 nights in Ramsgate waiting for a weather window. We wanted a good day for the last big sail of the year. The Northerly winds have been relentless around the South-East this summer and so it proved to be.
23rd August – Monday
After a relaxing day, our friends Mark and Dawn came to Ramsgate for a meal and a catch-up. We realised it had been 5 years since our last meet up in Ramsgate, so lots to talk about. We went to an old fashioned Italian Restaurant on the promenade. The other two Italians were fully booked, as was the Thai. The food and company were great. The waiting staff was a little ‘Two Soups’ but made for a leisurely meal. Thanks for taking the time to visit, it is appreciated.
24th to 26th August
Ian and June from ‘Enixus’ came for drinks and then they reciprocated 2 days later, when they recommended the Hornby Museum. We had lots of sailing stories to swap.
Coastal walk and Fish and Chips at Sunrise, on Queen St, much better than the one on the promenade.
27th August – Friday – Hornby and Margate
We caught the ‘Loop’ bus (£9 for 2 all day) to the Hornby Visitor Centre, the stop after the Westwood Shopping Centre.
The next few paragraphs will appeal to some, more than others. It you have any interest in model railways, Triang, Scalextric, Pocher Models, etc., this is the place for you. As an only daughter I was the proud owner of a trainset or two. So the nostalgia button was pressed.
Well lit display cases of classics like The Flying Scotsman and Sir Nigel Gresley.
Scalextric display with large track to play with, of course we did.
Bond Cars
Several large layouts.
And the ultimate Pocher Model Cars, with a Yellow Lamborghini.
We spent a couple of hours at Hornby, at only £5 for adults and £2.50 for concessions it is good value, with a huge shop, if that is your thing.
We then hopped back on the bus to Margate for lunch.
From the bus we went for a quick look around the Turner Contemporary Gallery, which is not weathering well, currently displaying truly bizarre exhibits, saved by the Turners and a very interesting set of dozens of paintings of ‘Things you can no longer see’ eg. Hanging Gardens of Babylon, very clever and moving.
The Old Town is thriving with food outlets and quirky shops.
Lunch at a promenade café. Then walked the length of the beach to Dreamland.
How we missed this on previous trips I have no idea.
An old fashioned pleasure garden with rides and stalls, the rides are currently limited due to Covid, it is now being used for open air concerts. It was nice to just walk around, I used to love walking round Blackpool Pleasure Beach before the new ticketing came in, and we always bought a drink and something to eat.
A Grand Day out.
28th Aug to 1st Sept
29th August - We walked the coast the other way (left from the marina) to Pegwell Bay.
This replica Viking ship ‘Hugin’ was sailed here in 1949 by 53 Danes to commemorate the 1500th anniversary of the arrival of Hengist and his brother Horsa, two Saxon Chieftains who landed in nearby Ebbsfleet. Hengist became the first Saxon King of Kent.
The cliffs at Pegwell Bay, two nice pubs greet the weary walker.
More seaside humour on the walk back.
31st September – We walked to Broadstairs, two miles from Ramsgate.
Broadstairs from the cliff path.
On the Timeout website it says, ‘If you only do one thing in Broadstairs….’ Morrellis is a must. Serving Ice Creams since 1932.
Knickerbocker Glory for him, Black Forest for her…..lunch.
Thank goodness it was 15k steps round trip today, to walk some off.
2nd September 2021 – Ramsgate to Ipswich
We had originally intended to go to Brightlingsea from Ramsgate, but as the days passed and the wind stayed strong Northerly the option disappeared.
After 12 days on a windy, rocky mooring we departed at 06:00 to make our 62 mile trip to Ipswich. 14 hours in total, the first 11 were the worst. Despite waiting for the best day we still had North Easterly winds, cross tides across the Thames Estuary, cold wind, and several wettings as the sea spray came over the bow. The wind had been relentless and the sea was very churned up. We rocked, rolled, bucked and were tossed around for several hours. We then got a good tide into Harwich, but still rocky.
We passed Felixstowe docks and thought we saw a famous ship.
But no, it was the Sister ship to the famous Ever Given, the Ever Goods. Still massive and impressive.
We finally had a peaceful, calm and uneventful trip up the River Orwell and under the Orwell bridge into the lock at Ipswich. We were issued with a temporary berth and moved the day after.
This marks the official end of our circumnavigation of the UK, through the Caledonian Canal, that we started in 2019. With two enforced stops in Troon, Scotland and then Conwy, N. Wales due to Covid. After 35 Ports, 1,830 nautical miles, we congratulated ourselves.
We have visited 15 Ports, and completed 702 nautical miles this year.
It has been a different year to normal. Due to the vast increase in staycations, everywhere has been busy. Marinas have been full and have needed more forward planning to make sure we had a mooring to go to. Restaurants have been full and have also needed booking. The spontaneity of life at sea has been restricted. The increase in camping has led to shortages in Gas supplies. We have also witnessed some shocking sailing and maneuvering from novice sailors, who have decided to buy a boat.
But despite that we appreciate how lucky we are to spend the summer afloat. Lots of blue sky days and smooth seas, along with the choppy ones. So many Dolphins. Great catch-ups with friends old and new. 3 months of doing what we love doing.
Thank you for reading. Until next time….wherever that might be.