Our toughest voyage yet!

22.07.2023

53 nm to Boulogne sur Mer in challenging conditions.

We stop by the market in Dieppe in the morning, and it doesn't disappoint! There is everything you can imagine from fresh goodies, from vegetables, fruit, hams, cheeses and various freshly cooked dishes. We give in to temptation, and bring several bags back to the boat.

As we head out, the first challenge of the day comes. We have to back out with 1/2 meter of clearance on both sides, and one side consists of motorboats with trailers sticking out! But we have become a trim crew, and it goes like a dream.

When we get out, we are surprised by the conditions. There is much more wind (up to 14 m/s in gusts), and not least much bigger waves than what the weather forecast said. We quickly take a reef, and launch north.

It's going to be a real test of concentration to avoid getting a broach or a strong jib. A couple of times we actually pass 15 knots in the worst surf.

After 6 hours we approach Boulogne sur Mer. The skipper is relatively tired after being at the helm for so long, so we decide to go into port. But when we go in we get a new challenge - the tide is going out, at the same time the waves are hitting the shore.

This creates relatively challenging conditions to sail through, and it's a relief when we're finally inside the breakwater.

Get a nice longside seat again, and a tired group quickly finds peace in the boat.