Still in Ramsgate

Photo is Ramsgate western marina, with Sirena IV stern on in the middle, name obscured by our defensive ball fender. We left her here for a week and boats, mainly Dutch & German, come and go all the time.

Came back to the boat yesterday (Tue 22nd) on the train, having got back to Greenwich from Lytham cottage the day before, with the intention of leaving for Boulogne at 6am today.

We rushed about buying vittles and doing prep tasks ... while the wind howled and the yachts bounced ... until we read all the forecasts, British and French, and decided we didn't want F5/6 in the channel chops, possibly on the nose.

So instead we've had a gentle day, done some tasks so far down the list they don't normally see the light of day, the wind is howling in the rigging on and off though still yachts come and go through all states of the tide.

Last night we had lengthy chat (mostly listening) to our Dutch neighbour who was thinking about his plan to go across the Thames Estuary to Burnham - they seemed very casual about it, compared to our very detailed passage planning approach. We wished them fair winds though I suspect they got foul with a lot of foul tide and the Thames short chop as well - no doubt they will be tired in Burnham tonight.

So early to bed and up with the lark, the forecast looks better for tomorrow.