Arrived at Cowes on Wednesday 23rd March completing the first leg. John had to leave us at Brighton as feeling unwell which ultimately turned out to be Covid. Met with Jason and enjoyed catching up about old work times, great to see him. Lovely picture below of a fort in the solent and the sun rising taken by Mads which we’ll put on the main website. We’ll leave the boat for a bit to catch up on weddings and family hols then onto Falmouth and Ireland.
After a very early start at 4am in order to get out of the Granville Dock at Dover before they shut the lock gates we motored most of the way to Brighton. There was very little wind but fabulous sunshine. Some boat jobs were done on the way and we were met at the Marina by Eve Henry, Pat’s daughter. A attempt to drink the students under the table ensued and we ended up in a Casino…. so much for the early night! Pat lost his phone and we set off after a relative lie in for Cowes. Some Dolphins escorted us for at least 40 mins, what an amazing sight of them swimming under the bow, there is a link below. Currently approaching Cowes to meet old work colleagues Jason Mealey and Dave Tugwell hopefully.
https://youtube.com/shorts/9vy_rSdonOc?feature=share
Automatic Identification System (AIS) allows vessels at sea to identify each other providing course, speed, destination etc. St Christopher has an AIS which allows us to view what other ships are doing and have we a collision problem looming. Not every vessel has AIS so a good lookout is still needed. We’re looking to leave Dover on Tues 22nd March with our first new crew member Paul Maddocks (mads). If you log on to www.marinetraffic.com you can view what vessels are doing all over the world. If you search for ‘st christopher’ a few vessels come up, we’re the ‘sailing vessel’ and you can follow us as we circumnavigate the UK and Ireland.
What a miserable day. Motored all the way from Ramsgate to Dover as no wind, in constant grey drizzle, and it’s cold! Visibility at times was down to 100m so the AIS (Automatic Identification System) was in constant use. Not all vessels have AIS so a constant lookout was needed.
Eventually reached the Granville Dock Marina and have left St Christopher for a few weeks while catch up on family events and a wedding.
Bit of a rough sail at times with wind over tide when crossing the Thames Estuary, and it was cold! Arrived safely in Ramsgate and had a lovely meal. John Snr’s Autofold elite travel scooter was invaluable for the long walk up to town. Next stop Dover, although the weather is sh#t, drizzle and cold all day.
Trying to start as early in the year as possible so we can spend some time enjoying the summer months in Ireland. We’ve cruised the South coast many times, so it’s a real dash to Falmouth, stopping off at Brighton to see Eve and Isle of Wight to see Jason Mealey. Weather forecasts differ slightly for Tuesday!
What a friendly harbour team! Coming out to help us in our first time entry and taking lines at the pontoon.
A quick cruise to Norfolk via Gt Yarmouth to see how John Snr fared.