Friday, 06 May 2016 Departing a warm Boulogne at 10:40 this morning we passed the dredger coming in and joined a new current sweeping northwards faster than expected. With little breeze we headed out and then northwards to our turning point off Cap Gris-Nez. Buzzed by a Maritime Affairs helicopter and then by an official looking grey cutter without AIS it was apparent the French were taking security seriously, theirs and ours! The wind rose on the nose and ...

We left Sovereign at 0910 and motored till past Dungeness into varying seas and winds on the nose but after crossing the westbound shipping lane the wind changed and we had a glorious sail to Boulogne. Arrived in the "French" marina with lots of kind people helping us into a tad difficult berth without mishap. Much Gallic grunting and myttering got us in tidily, lots of "Messy" and many handshakes seemed to do the trick of cementing cordial relations with our Cha...

Having loaded the last bits and bobs including the fresh food we cast off from Gosport at 11:40 and motored through the Looe Channel off Selsey and across the bay to Beachy Head before slipping into the marina at Eastbourne. We passed inside the Rampian wind farm and a guard boat got upset with me because my course looked as if I was going to go the wrong side of a bouy, which it did, but we were miles from the stumps they had put in. Nice easy trip in a cool wi...

The dry stores have been loaded and a trial weekend taken to check everything worked, it did I am pleased to say, and the waterline is still visible. We have completed our innoculations today, Jasper too, and are virtually ready to depart. We are both keen to get off but want the weather to be kind so will the transition from comfy home to waterborne life will be gentle and enjoyable. We met with a lively group of HR owners over the last weekend and learned from...