The Voyage of The Rat

"Who fancies a cruise to Holland?" asked Hugh last Christmas. A number of us turned up at Gravesend Sailing Club to discuss plans and tides. Most were surprised to see a Bradwell 18 represented, and doubtless thought this was a flight of fancy on my part. One key decision was made - because of the speed difference, I wouldn't expect to cross the channel in company.

Months passed. Plans were made. Charts and courtesy flags were bought. One tricky question was how to fit a long cruise and a family holiday in my leave allowance. Then inspiration struck - "How about a cottage in the Netherlands, my dear?". A surprisingly useful tool was GoogleEarth for locating towns with marinas on the Veersemeer and Oosterschelde. Thanks to a question from Leon on the YBW forums, we spotted that the family could travel by train & ferry all the way from Liverpool Street to Goes for £29 per person each way. Strangely, no-one seemed inclined to sail with me.

At last the day of judgement. I had scrubbed bottom at Bawley Bay the previous weekend. Dee Gee, Sea Genista and River Rat convened at Gravesend on Thursday 26th July, Moonfleet having sailed earlier in the week. The plan had been for Harty Ferry, but a brisk SWly, forecast to increase to 6-8 dictated a dash to Holehaven. Although I started with reefed main & genoa, I dropped the main in Lower Hope & continued under genoa alone, giving a wave to the dolphin as I passed. I decided to run onto the mud of Horse Island rather than pick up a buoy - but this meant being exposed to the rattling wind.

Friday morning the wind had subsided a little. I moved to a buoy for breakfast. At 10.00, I slipped the mooring and sailed out to the Thames with the other boats, but quickly returned to sort out a tangle in the genoa furling gear. Seven hours exhilerating sail under genoa alone took me to North Foreland, then turned straight into a headwind and choppy seas. A good hours motoring (my outboard doesn't like waves) took me to Ramsgate. My tiredness, lack of calories, and being out of practice led to a less than impressive berthing in the marina (sorry Peter!). But good to see Moonfleet (stormbound for several days) as well as Sea Genista and Dee Gee. A good supper, and the tricky decision - to leave at 7am with the others, or wait for a day?

Saturday I decided to stay put. I needed rest, the boat needed attention, and I didn't feel I was yet "in the groove". A good decision, I got a lot done on the boat.

Sunday, with a forecast of N or NW 4 or 5 occasionally 6 looked good for passing inside the Goodwins. I left Ramsgate at 0730 under genoa alone, and was entering the traffic separation scheme about three hours later. With the wind dead abaft, and the need to hand steer all the way, I dare not raise the main. There was some swell in the channel, but I knew a good cure for seasickness, so I ate some crystallised ginger. I couldn't tell you if it works, but it comes up bright yellow. Shipping was quite light in the channel, I only needed to alter my course twice to let a vessel through. The wind got lighter, and progress slower - eventually, I felt constrained to excercise the motor for the final ten miles, lest I lose the tide. I eventually arrived in Dunkerque about 12 hours after leaving Ramsgate, tired but very proud.

Monday was a cracker of a day. The tide runs fast down the French coast, and with a fresh wind on my port quarter, I was making over 6 knots over the ground under reefed main & genoa - not bad for an 18 footer! There was a lovely long swell coming in from the North Sea, glorious sunshine with fluffy clouds, and a fantastic profusion of sailing yachts. Instead of Oostende, I sailed on to Zeebrugge, a distance of 40 miles in under 9 hours. Zeebrugge was crowded - but there's always room for a little'un, and I had a finger pontoon to myself while the bigger boats rafted up. There was some disbelief that I'd crossed over in such a small boat. But I did take some pleasure from helping a couple of blue-ensigned submariners with working out why they'd got the tides wrong.

Tuesday morning I undertook the essential task of buying beer before leaving at 1300. Mind you, it takes 20 minutes to motor out the harbour - the marina is a mile and a half from the sea! Light winds took me to the entrance to the Westerschelde before fading away, so on with the motor. My first experience of taking River Rat through a lock was made more interesting when I picked up a bin liner round the prop. A gentle motor through the Walcheren Canal brought me to Middelburg and a rousing welcome from the other boats. I had managed to arrive just as everyone was about to sit down to a fantastic buffet supper on Moonfleet. A great evening in great company.

Wednesday was a day for pottering round town before a gin-tasting session on Moonfleet.

Thursday morning was market day, then an afternoon departure to the Veersemeer - a fantastic inland sea, scattered with islands and crowded with sailing vessels of every description. One dark blue yacht was bearing down on me before I noticed waving from the cockpit - Sea Genista was returning to Middelburg having spent a couple of nights among the islands. I tucked myself onto a pontoon on one of the smaller islands, and was just enjoying a beer on a neighbouring Dutch motorboat, when Moonfleet hove into view. We shared a barbecue on an idyllic calm evening.

Friday at dawn I drifted away from the pontoon in very light winds, then motored to the lock to the Oosterschelde. A gentle motorsail took me to Wemeldinge, where we had rented a cottage. I did notice that I was the only boat wearing a red ensign in the marina. A quick breakfast in the local cafe (by now, I was quite good at ordering "Koffie met appelgebak, alstublieft"). In a stroke of inspiration, I hired a bike and cycled out on the coast path. Now I was able to lounge by a bicycle looking like a local when the family cycled past on their way to town.

A week of lounging, gentle cycling, more lounging, reading and lounging. Dee Gee came by for an hour or so. We went for a daysail, and met Sea Genista again! Also a dutch boat who's crew shouted across the water in disbelief "You sailed from England in that?".

Friday morning, time to go. The family left early for their train while I pottered around clearing up the cottage. I sailed at 1200, leaving through the Kanaal Door Zuid-Beveland into the Westerschelde. Very fresh NW winds meant a great sail down the estuary, reaching 7 knots over the ground. Passing Breskens at 1800 I decided to sail on to Zeebrugge, arriving at 2130. Zeebrugge was crowded now, and I had to raft up! But only against a very small unoccupied motor boat.

On Saturday, the wind deserted me, so I motored as far as Oostende. There was loads of space at the RYCO and good food, but it is a long walk from town (a short tram ride though).

Sunday gave light S winds - great sailing for an hour before a warm front veered the wind to SW; I carried on for a while, then motored the last few miles to Dunkerque, arriving in early afternoon.

The plan now was to spend Sunday afternoon lounging & getting my bearings. Then some serious shopping on Monday - River Rat doesn't have capacious stowage, but I wanted to fill what there is with wine and beer! However, Yacht Club Mer du Nord has wireless internet, so I was able to look beyond the 24 hour shipping forecast (W or SW 4 or 5, occasionally 6). The three day outlook painted a different story - Monday would be OK, Tuesday distinctly hairy, and Wednesday - severe gale force 9. Should I stay or should I go? It looked as though staying put would leave me in Dunkerque for the best part of a week. With regret, I abandoned the idea of shopping - Monday would be spent dashing across the channel before weather broke.

6:30 Monday morning found me motoring out of Dunkerque harbour. Winds started reasonably light (F3ish) and with enough south to give me a close-hauled course to the Dyck mark. The winds picked up and gained more Westerly. Given the wind and tidal set, I chose to go outside the Goodwins this time. I reefed the main and genoa. The wind picked up some more, and so did the sea. I dropped the main and continued under reduced genoa alone - really must get more reefing points in that main!

This meant that I really couldn't point very high, but at least the boat was only heeling by about 45 degrees. I was tied on in three places, braced against the leeward bench and clinging to the windward gunwhale. This was a brilliant sail - big waves, lots of white being blown around, really exciting. Not weather I'd choose to go out in, but exhilerating to deal with; however I was happy when eventually able to enter the relative calm of Ramsgate harbour. The marina was full of big burly men on big burly boats, boasting about the F7 they'd dealt with crossing from Boulogne that day. I think their pride took a little dent when they saw the scruffy little chap on the scruffy little boat that had single handed from Dunkerque in the same conditions.

Given the forecast, I took the train home from Ramsgate to return the following weekend for the boat. Light winds on the nose and an engine failure meant that my return to Gravesend actually took place at 4am after an unscheduled stop at Holehaven to wait the tide. And I shall be eternally grateful to the person who put Jemima on my mooring for me.

James Gray