Finally a sailable day, or so we thought from the forecasts and we were very keen now to move from Boulogne. Up at 6 and off the pontoon by 0730 with a passage plan to have foul tide for 4 hours and fair tide for 6, arriving Dieppe 1800 just before the tide turned against us again. We expected to motor sail into the wind for the first leg out to sea to avoid sand banks (alluvial deposits from the Somme and other rivers), and then sail close hauled down the deeper channel (shades of Thames Estuary).
As with all good plans it was a framework within which to manage variations. The seas outside Boulogne for 2 miles were very confused with waves traveling in both directions - almost like being in a race. Luckily we were smart about getting the main up with 1 reef in whilst still in the outer harbour. The wind was the top end of the forecast F5 and continued to build through the day to F7. The direction was not the promised Westerly either, but WSW backing SW as the day went on, so we spent the whole day with the wind too close to the nose to sail free and too strong to set the genoa. Yes, we need that No 1 jib we promised ourselves, but who thought we'd need it in July.
10 hours motor sailing into 3m waves was mitigated by the boat which literally rose gracefully to every occasion, and the autopilot which did most of the helming for us. We arrived in Dieppe bang on schedule, very wet from the sheets of spray and not a little tired. Hosed down the boat and all our clothing to shift the salt and fell into the nearest restaurant.
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