To Ramsgate

This is a catch-up entry in this new blog intended to cover our modest cruising in Summer 2015.  The plan is to do a bit of channel hopping.

From Gillingham on the River Medway, all sorties east or south start with a down-tide passage to Ramsgate.

We dropped the hook in Sharfleet Creek on Fri 10 Jul - that place beloved of weekenders, and we have been one such, more than a few times.

Bright & early on 11 Jul, HW-2 saw us up anchor and motor sail against the tide past Garrison Point and out into the Thames Estuary.  We had 18kn of wind briefly through the narrows, then it quickly dropped away and away to nothing.  So we furled the foresail, centred the main and motor-sailed in warm sunshine.  

Due to the clement conditions we took the 'overland' route which goes inside Margate Sands and with only a couple of metres of water under the keel.  Always an interesting exercise during a falling tide as an mistake would leave us stranded for 5 hours at an odd angle.  We had 5 other yachts following us, a rally we think from Thurrock Yacht Club.

Of course the wind got up as soon as we rounded North Foreland, and of course it was on the nose, and of course we didn't have time to waste before the tide turned against us. With the benefit of experience we had already dropped our mainsail when the only wind was of our own making as we motored at 5kn with 2kn of tide.

For once relatively calm conditions as we motored into Ramsgate with a deluge of other yachts and a 58ft motor cruiser up our bum - the marina easily accommodated us, though heard on the VHF from the marina was "you did say fifty eight?".

Sunday was terrible weather, wind & rain - European cousins complaining - had a lazy day and did a few jobs.  Monday was back home to Greenwich via train to Gillingham to pick up the car.  Work & family calls.