A quick update to say that we have reached Dover at last on Sunday. The crossing was easy and all went well in a quick 6-7 hour trip.
But it was a sunny day, with good visibility and calm weather. The only downside was the wind which was against us and not very strong which meant we had to motor most of the way.
Crossing the channel has its bits and bobs too; the first is that it requires loads of VHF communication; you have to contact Calais Port in order to ask permission to leave the harbour, you then have to contact Dover Coast Guard to ask permission to cross the channel, on arrival you have to contact Dover Port Control to ask permission to enter the harbour and finally you have to contact the Marina to ask for a berth. So a lot of VHF chatting and a lot of learning, much like contacting Air Traffic Control while flying.
The second thing to have in mind is that there is something called the Traffic Separation Scheme which comprises two lanes where big ships cross the channel NE and SW bound. By law you need to cross these lanes at a 90 degree heading angle from the lanes regardless of leeway and other factors, which we of course did.
So welcome to the UK! More adventures to follow soon …
