No, that's the wrong story, but there is an awful lot of it about! Topiary, that is! It's all very much like a model village with clean, ordered, well tended houses and gardens - huge open spaces (not the place for an agoraphobics convention) and lots of cyclists of course. Kind of like the Stepford … Continue reading Topiary topiary everywhere, and not a drop….

A day off to wander round Nieuwpoort. Sunny today as it was on the last rest day, in Dover. Just grey and horrible when we're sailing it seems. But back tomorrow on the grim and seemingly relentless quest to get to Holland. Feels like the voyage of the Pequod . I'll consider renaming the boat … Continue reading Call me Ishmael

Home of topiary by the looks of the entrance. There was a bit of indecision this morning over the 20kn predicted winds - but are we men or mice? Men when we set off (not including Lynn) but mice when it turned out to be really quite rough and the wind was 27kn. On the … Continue reading Nieuwpoort

A day in dunkerque. Lovely. Saw the little ships beaches. All walkways and nice restaurants now so big improvement on 1940. Last time I was here was with MVS escorting the Little Ships commemorative crossing but we didn't visit the actual beach. There is a nice large park of sculptures. Probably spending up the UK's … Continue reading Dunkerque. Well it’s better than Calais

Yesterday was more of the same. Grey cold windy with a late arrival at dunkerque and of course no shops open on Sunday so I'm having to develop a liking for black coffee. However on waiting to leave Calais we gave listening to ch17 a go. I suspect that Monsieur le Port Control recognised the … Continue reading Dunkerque !

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 … Continue reading What a grey day in Calais

Thursday 8 June 2018 I've never know an east wind last so long! But we couldn't wait any longer so left eastbourne at midday. The tide was with us but the wind was right on the nose all the way so we had to motor into wind against tide .. a short and uncomfortably lumpy … Continue reading Dover!

Tuesday night! Boat ready to go and passage planned from Eastbourne to Dover! But NE force 4/5 forecast.. Pretty well any other wind direction would be ok - but we don't want NE. Though the sea state should be slight and we're on neaps, it will be wind against tide and once we get past … Continue reading Should we stay or should we go!