Day 99 Wed 22 Aug Ramsgate to Dover - we're Home!
0900 departure from Ramsgate Marina, on a brilliant sunny day, with a 2+ knot following tide and 14+ knots of S/SE wind just far enough off our heading to allow sailing right from the start, close hauled on starboard tack under full main and 2/3 genoa, making 7-8k over the ground. Real sailing for our last day of the cruise! We had hoisted the Saltire and the SA flag on our starboard spreader, to add to the picture we hoped Leigh would be able to get as we passed Deal, though in the event we could not sail high enough upwind to get close into the area of the pier to allow good shots. We sailed on past Deal, Kingsdown and St Margaret's, with great views of the White Cliffs, and were making such speed that at 1045 we had our first view of Dover Harbour since our departure 99 days before. In fact by 1100 the wind had freshened (as forecast) to 22k and we were oversailed, so we took in the genoa and motorsailed on toward the Eastern Entrance. We called Port Control when we were a mile off, with ferries entering and leaving and even beginning to stack inside the outer harbour waiting for their berth. We were told to hang about to the north of the entrance, and while Cate kept us holding station head to wind, I dropped and stowed the main. As soon as we got the word to enter we headed for the inside of the breakwater and I hoisted our 'dressing overall' signal flags fore-and-aft to celebrate our Circumnavigation and we slowly rounded the Prince of Wales Pier, where Lucy, Rob, Grace and Leigh were waiting to record our arrival. We passed Karibia Breezes, with Bernard Sealy and crew aboard, and tied up on the Crosswall in front of the lifeboat to await the rising tide for the swing of the bridge to enter Wellington Dock. The family joined us aboard for drinks and nibbles as we waited, and it was nice also be be joined by Nick Cavell, who had cycled down to the marina on the chance we could meet up, prompted by our blog and Cate's Facebook messages. After half an hour or so the marina control informed us they were about to swing the bridge, Lucy and Rob left, and Grace helped me steer Vega through the gate and onto our own berth - back at last after 99 days and 2148 Nautical Miles. This of course averages only about 21miles a day, so in essence we could have walked round Britain as fast, but it wouldn't have been nearly as much fun! Home now for our first home cooked meal for a while - Leigh's spag bol - amidst a scene of mild domestic chaos with the Furnesses deep in preparation for their departure for Oz in one week from now, and Leigh and pregnant Alessandra ready to move to their own rented house close to us in Deal about the same time. Cate cried when she first saw Grace, and as I write I have just tucked her up, recounting my experience of watching Venus and Jupiter on a clear night at sea. We are looking forward now to a night in our own comfy bed and eventually losing the feeling of perpetual motion on land! Back to reality some time soon no doubt, after our Great Big Adventure, and wondering what we can do next year..............