Southwold → Harwich → Ramsgate → Dover → Southwold

Poor weather scuppered the Belgium trip, but with the boat already loaded and the prep done, an East Coast adventure ensued. Four legs, four episodes.

We departed Southwold for Harwich and got smashed by strong headwinds and wind against tide. Next came a downwind blast across the Thames Estuary to Ramsgate, hitting 9.2 knots through the water, before sailing through the mighty Thames Array wind farm and getting caught up in shipping lanes on the other side. A tranquil sail from Ramsgate took us into Dover, the UK’s busiest port. Then came a windless overnight slog back to Southwold, caught in more shipping lanes at the Sunk and running low on fuel, with a stowaway picked up along the way. A gruelling 18.5-hour solo passage.