What a grey day in Calais

After leaving Dover at 1100 we had a great sail at 7kn with 15kn of easterly on the beam. It was grey and miserable looking but it didn’t rain!

Unfortunately due to tanker dodging and me not allowing for tides being stronger in France we ended up a whole 4nm west and had to sail straight into the tide for what seemed ages.

When we got near the port I was monitoring ch12 as advised in the channel guide …

I was surprised how quiet the radio was and could get no reply from Port Control – but then I’ve been ignored for speaking English before, so thought little of it!!!
Then after five short blasts from a cross channel ferry (I still think there was loads of room!!!) we turned into the marina entrance where, painted on the harbour wall it said, call port control on ch17 !!

When I did there was a rather irate port control French chappie complaining that he had been calling me for some time…. on ch17

I was going to suggest he bought a copy of ‘the channel cruising companion’ but on checking 2018 Reed’s it seems he was quite right ! So good job I didn’t respond with that suggestion!

It must have changed at some time after the book was published, but until you’re actually inside the harbour there’s nothing to let you know.. (unless you check for up to date info of course)

Of course, because we had to leave at high water to get out of Granville dock in Dover we arrived in France at low water so had to sit on a waiting buoy for 3 hours before the bridge and sill opened. When it did open there was rather a scramble to get through. Bit of a preview of what it will be like in Holland I expect.

While we were on the waiting buoy I heard two separate lots of five short blasts…
Fellow purchasers of the channel cruising companion I imagine

Evening in Calais. All restaurants. No milk shops 😱