Backdated post 29/7/24
45nm – 11hrs

I spent 2 days in Eastbourne before setting sail again. Eastbourne Marina was really friendly, there were beautiful beaches and gardens but it was a bit of a walk to town. I got a call from BBC Radio Kent in the morning which felt kinda surreal, then I slipped lines at 9 and motored through the lock. It was beautiful sunshine and flat waters but very little wind, so I motored for a while before getting my sails up.

After a couple of hours my phone’s GPS went haywire and was convinced I was travelling at 85knts across the land… not quite. My chart plotter and radio had a far more accurate speed and position so it was odd but not really a problem.

I’d originally planned to go all the way to Ramsgate but my speed had been pretty slow and I was approaching Dover as it was getting dark. Dover has A LOT of shipping and on the chart and in my almanac it looks a bit intimidating. I decided to give it a go and as I approached I called up on VHF and gave me directions to enter, and requested I call in at each point to avoid getting in the way of shipping. It was way easier than expected and once through the port, I entered the marina and easily for a spot.

They were super friendly in the marina and I even did some filming with a film crew that had visited the port. It was all really exciting and I took them for a spin around the port and out to sea for a couple of hours. I visited Marine Electronics for a small part of the connector I needed. I stayed for 2 nights before moving on to Ramsgate