Karen’s Travel Blog

At last we have completed the journey across the channel to France. Yes it has been a long time coming but all the better for the wait.

After spending a few days in Chatham, visiting the maritime museum, which were the naval docks yards established over 400 years ago and the gin distillery, established 4 years ago, we left on Friday for Queenborough to wait for an early morning get away across the channel. Our day started a 4am and we cast off our lines in perfect weather at 4,45.

The benefit of doing a tour of a gin distillery is sampling the product!

Making rope the old way in the mile long rope shed in Chatham.

It’s dawn in Queensborough and we are on our way to France.

We had spent time the previous night plotting our course on the iPad and the charts, just to double check. It was an ease journey from waypoint to waypoint. Luckily not much traffic but the great joy was not much wind and a slight sea.

With an average speed of 6 knots we completed the trip in just over 12 hours. A long day but we did it, no pilot just yachties in a barge. What more could you want!

Tomorrow we are heading inland to discover the seemingly endless European canals and rivers.

The wreck of the Montgomery apparently still full of bombs. We steered clear!

In the distance I thought we were being invaded by Star Wars drones! But no, these are old ww2 anti aircraft guns.

The Margate channel marker, farewell to the UK

That’s a BIG ship. Luckily it was travelling slowly so there was not much wash.

In the distance are the white cliffs of Dover

With our French courtesy flag hoisted we are ready to enter France.

This tug threw up a huge wash that we took bow on.

At last the port of Dunkerque and our bed for the night.