Away for the summer.

 

Ti Gitu left the marina and anchored in the Thorney passage for the night before setting off East the following morning. We left early enough to get around Beachy Head and either anchor off Eastbourne or possibly go into the marina. Yuk. In the end, as the wind was NE we decided to go into Newhaven for the night and go have a look at the anchorage off Eastbourne the next day.

The following day we had a look at the Eastbourne anchorage which some of the guide books say is sheltered in a NE. They have got it wrong. We went across the bay and anchored off Rye harbour. A little rolley but ok and the next day it was on to Dover, needing to motor sail against the NE wind.

Spent a couple of nights there with our friend Mike joining us for a while before heading across to the French coast where as the customs in Dunkerque is a long taxi ride away we of course didn’t stop there but continued to Nieuwpoort where the customs office is next to the marina and the staff couldn’t have been more helpful. The more we have to do with European customs etc. the more we find that they all think that all these recent regulations are stupid. Stopped a couple of nights before carrying on to Blankenburg.

All these marinas are ‘Trans Europe’ which saves us quite a chunk of cash.

After Blankenburg it was on to Flushing and into the Dutch canal system. As we passed through the lock the keeper told us there was a problem with one of the bridges at Middleburg and we couldn’t pass through until after 7pm. Thought that as it was late by the time we got to Middleburg that we would stop but found the place jammed full of boats as there was some sort of regatta. We carried on to immediately before the Veere lock and at 21:30 finally tied up at a free mooring for the night. Good but tiring day. Next day went through the lock and stopped at the marina just before entering the lake of Veere. Mike left us there and headed to Schiphol airport to fly home which is considerably cheaper than the Eurostar.

After Mike left Ti Gitu motored the half mile out to one of the islands in Veer which have lots of little free boat marinas with no facilities but at this time of year are empty of other boats. Luvverly jubilee.

Will spend a while in the Veere area before heading North.