Eastbourne to Dover - Day 87

Eastbourne to Dover - Saturday 6th August 2011 - Day 87

We left Eastbourne Sovereign Harbour pontoon at 09.15 and locked in for half an hour and were out at sea by 10.00 with full main and genoa we were motor sailing with boom preventer fitted.  By 12.00 we were off Hastings 1 3/4 miles away and crossing Rye Bay with its wind farm at the southern end.

Dungeness Power Station

This nuclear power plant is the real end of how to generate electricity as we passed within a 1/4 mile of the lighthouse which stands on the beach.  There were many people strolling along the beach and parked up in their campervans.  Here I also saw a couple of harbour porpoises which do not come to close nor play in the bows of the boat.
This is another headland and corner which had to be passed.

Poled out genoa

With the wind astern we ran goosed-winged though the genoa kept on collapsing.  Not having a pole on board, the expandable boat hook was rigged as shown which had the desired affect and we merrily sailed along until the wind veered for a another sail plan to be used.  The grey skies eventually produced showers and reduced the visibility.

Patricia

We were passed by the Trinity House light vessel Patricia which works with the navigation buoys around the UK and you can see a west cardinal mark on her deck. Out of the water these are large structures.  This ship is over twenty years old and her fine lines are a testimony to her designers which is in sharp contrast to the ugly looking vessels being built today.
By 18.00 we were approaching Dover and a call to the Harbour control confirmed we could entry by the western entrance which with a fast going tide became a bit of a handful, as we were being pushed to the east.  Once inside the marina is in the west end corner and we were on our pontoon in the tidal basin at 18.30.

Ashore to the Royal Cinque Ports yacht club was a joy with its richly decorated and friendly bar and to finish off a long day went to the Dover Marina hotel.  We had done 45 miles in nine hours motor sailing and were very happy to be in this big ferry port.