Dunkirk 19-21 May 2013

The weather pattern had been changing for the worse going grey and damp but it seemed to be quiet enough in Boulogne harbour - a light breeze albeit "on the nose" which meant we were going to fight it all the way to Dunkirk. After an early lunch we motored the mile or so towards the outer harbour - these French harbours are generally vast - putting one reef in the main with a rising wind. By the time we reached the outer breakwater the wind had stiffened to force 6 knocking up a lumpy sea into the bargain - no fun with a head wind so we turned tail and claimed another day back in the marina, reading, writing and playing computers.

Eventually on Monday the wind eased but a persistent fog and drizzle took its place which we decided to put up with having confidence in the radar and AIS so left Boulogne with full sail and fair tide which sped us to Cap Gris Nez and on to Calais. There outside the entrance, four cross channel ferries to converge on us, three arriving and one departing - or so we could see from the electronics. I radioed the nearest ferry four miles away who said he had "acquired" me and we agreed I would hold course. All four appeared out of the fog after fifteen minutes and passed safely on both sides. The rest of the trip was uneventful, the wet dried up and the visibility improved so that we could sail by eyeball. Dunkirk harbour is another long haul passing considerable industrial areas on the way to the town and our marina opposite some interesting newly built houses resembling tetrapack cardboard cartons which lit up spectacularly as dusk descended. A long trip with a welcome rest at the end.

There was no hope of getting away from Dunkirk the next day even had we felt like it which we did not - a full on high wind and heavy rain until lunch time when it seemed entertaining to walk the 20 minutes into town and search out provisions and fortune. A walk passing around a number of large inland ship basins and waterways featuring ancient light ships, three masters and heavy nauticalia to the shops and the cathedral which has a towering presence with an enormous separate bell tower on the other side of the road - it was all one building until the 18th century. The cathedral was all but destroyed in the war and has now been faithfully rebuilt to its former somewhat solid state yet with fine stained glass and a solemn atmosphere. After wrecking the coin mechanism on a line of supermarket trolleys we were rescued by the shop lady who seemed very understanding - or perhaps it happens all the time, or is it just the English, I don't know. We felt like treats and left with a good supply of high calorie food and dined that evening in great style, with the last dim blue of a clearing sky beyond the shining tetrapacks houses.