Last year, our plan was to sail our two boats to France from Folkestone the weekend before our main holiday was actually planned to begin — Dad, as usual, in his Drascombe Nedab, with myself in my Dolphin 1 design Mystic.

We launched the boats at Folkestone (or rather I did, with my sister Sue and her husband Jonathan — Dad claimed he had to work!). The launching went well and we quietly set the boats up. Before putting the tents up for the night we decided to go out for dinner… coming back 1½ hours later, we found that the harbour had totally dried out! We therefore ended up having a restless night sleeping in cars. It was my fault for not checking the tide tables, etc.

The next morning was fine, but because of reduced visibility we decided to go to Calais rather than Dunkirk. However, as I was ferrying the others out to the Drascombe my outboard (a Chrysler 6) started slipping cogs. We did set off, but my engine steadily worsened until I had to turn it off. Our plans were immediately changed and we settled on Dover. I borrowed Jonathan from Sue once again and we sailed the last four miles into a force 2-3 headwind.

The boats were left at Dover for the week while we returned to work, and the following Saturday (with a new Mercury 2.2 hp) we again got things shipshape. We spent the night in the outer harbour of Dover, but due to a confused swell did not sleep very well. We set off at 10.00 the next morning. The crossing was uneventful, mainly under engine except when I had to wait for a tanker to cross my bows rather than sink it — I was very pleased to note that they were watching me through binoculars!

From Calais we went up the coast into Holland. The wind always seemed to be lighter in the mornings, and got up to f5 in the afternoons. One amusing story… just off Dunkirk I stopped to fill my engine and heard an eerie sound like a man groaning, as if in great pain. I scanned the sea surface and called out, but could see or hear nothing but the groaning. I spoke to Dad on the VHF and told him to keep his eyes peeled. The whole incident appeared to be a great mystery… until we later discovered that in certain sea conditions when the engine stopped, it came right out of the water, and the strange noise was caused when it went back in! Needless to say, it gave everyone great amusement.

Off Zeebrugge it was, as usual, quite rough with a confused sea. However, it gave us no particular problems. Just past Zeebrugge the wind came up off the land to a f6 and gave us a beautiful broad reach to Breskens (where they have the best mussels I have found anywhere).

Our time in Holland was spent mostly motoring, with the locks like a Grand Prix start. You need all your wits about you to prevent being hit from all angles.

We got as far as Brunnesse before we had to start our return journey which, due to high winds, was mainly spent in canals. From Dunkirk, Dad managed to get his Drascombe back to Ramsgate, mostly under engine in a f4-5 headwind. By that time, I was back at work.

The following weekend I got car and trailer to Dunkirk and returned on the ferry, in the process winning the jackpot of £100 on one of the fruit machines!

We now have to plan where to go this year — maybe do a longer cruise. Who knows…?