Day 48 and the return to our home port of Ramsgate.

Lunar Sea and her crew back in Ramsgate

 Dear Readers, we finally arrived back in Ramsgate five years after setting off on 1 May 2017. The weather then had been atrocious, but it couldn't have been more different for our return. It was promised to be the hottest day of the year, so we had plenty of sunshine and not very much wind. lt did pick up to about 12 knots as we approached Ramsgate, so we managed to get the sails up and the flags flying for our entrance to Ramsgate. 

Leaving Dover, heading for the Eastern entrance,  on our way home now.

It had been an uneventful 4 hour trip from Dover to Ramsgate, but for some reason the unusually hot weather had created an optical illusion and we had a really clear view of France as we passed Deal. Perhaps it is the high pressure, not sure why? 


France, shall we go there instead?

We had Josh's daughter Jo on board and Owen and Jordan, two of Josh's grandchildren, joined us in Dover for the day sail.

When we got to the approach to Ramsgate our friends Roy and Mary came out to meet us on their yacht Fair Westering, with Ali and Sharon on board, cheering us on and loudly ringing their ship's bell!


A video of us coming into Ramsgate.

We replied with a few blasts on our fog horn and some frantic waving and blowing of kisses! As we passed through the pier heads our friends Mike and Jan together with Ali's brother were waving and taking photos as we sailed through. Celia was on the clifftop taking photos too.

Ramsgate week was in full swing as we entered the outer harbour, so there were lots of boats from home and away colourfully dressed in flags, and quite a few crews had jumped in the water to cool off! A couple swam up and wished us well and waved, I think they knew Josh anyway!

We had a lovely welcome when we docked from friends and family, and a surprise visit form my son Joe and his wife Anita. We opened a bottle of Bollinger champagne which we had been keeping on board since day one, so it had also been on the whole trip with us. We were given a bottle of champagne from my son and daughter in law with a special personalised label for Lunar Sea's sail around the UK. 

Josh, Joe, me and Anita with grandson to be. Hope he turns out to be a sailor!

We spent one more night on Lunar Sea, just to extend the trip one more day, and woke up to the full throes of Ramsgate Week racers getting ready to go out. We knew a lot of the sailors there and it was great to greet everyone. Roy and Mary had also stayed on Fair Westering that night so they greeted us with a cheery good morning too. 



However. all good things must come to an end, so we went back home and were greeted by some balloons, banners and bunting, thank you Jordan, Jo and Joe and Anita. It turned out we were supposed to come home last night and have a party at our house, oops! Sorry!!




So what next? We don't have any plans yet, we are letting it all sink in for the moment. 

 All I can say is, it has been a great adventure and a huge achievement, for me anyway. There were moments when I wanted to give up, specially the first year's trip, but I didn't and so I have achieved the whole trip, every single nautical mile. A huge thank you to everyone who came and shared the experience with us, I think we have also made a couple of converts to sailing, Celia and Dee you know who you are! 

Also a big thank you to all our friends and family who made the effort to come and visit us, even if they couldn't sail with us, it meant a lot to us to have you on board.

My sister gave us this card before we left and it says it all.

Goodbye for now from Lunar Sea and all who sailed in her. May we have many more adventures together.


 


Comments

  1. Anonymous20 July 2022 at 05:38

    What a lovely blog and great achievement !!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous20 July 2022 at 06:21

    Your blog has been very entertaining and what a terrific achievement! What’s the next adventure?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous21 July 2022 at 00:45

    So sad it’s over it’s been such an adventure and for all of us following the blog! Hip, hip, hooray! Dee 🍾☕️

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Day one and two of the Caledonian Canal - the adventure continues

Image
The Lunatic crew for the Caledonian Canal   We entered the  Clachnaharry sea lock at Inverness for the 1.30 lock and were met by a very helpful, calm lock keeper who talked us through. There was a large sign saying Ireland this way! Clachnaharry Sea Lock, the entrance to the Caledonian Canal, The Great Glen, Loch Ness and Ireland! The lock was timed so that you could then sail through the railway swing bridge, then on to the Muirhead flight of four locks. We had relaxed once we got on to the canal, thinking things could only get better and there is much less to worry about in a canal as opposed to being out at sea, no tides to think about for example. How wrong we were, we were forgetting this is the Lunacy cruise. At the second lock Mick fell in! We heard a plop and a splash and Mick had fallen into the lock between the lock wall and the boat. Josh's quick thinking saved the day as he put the long swim ladder over the edge and Mick managed to climb up before he
Read more
Image
  Hello again from Lunar Sea in Portishead. The boat has been here for two years now and we are continuing our adventure from tomorrow, the 31st May, by locking out of Portishead Marina (near Bristol in case you wondered) and we will be heading for Penarth Marina (near Cardiff) for our first stop. Then on to Padstow via Watchet for a night's stay and then probably an anchorage for one night off Clovelly, to break up the 18 hour trip from Watchet to Padstow.  We have been so lucky to have found this charming marina which has been Lunar Sea's home for two years, we will be sad to leave, but excited to be on the homeward stretch of our marathon around the UK sailing trip. It was supposed to take 2 years, but due to bad weather in year 1 and a mutinous crew, plus the pandemic in the third and fourth year, it will have taken 5 years (assuming we get back to Ramsgate this year, watch this space!) Wish us luck, calm seas and a good wind. I will try and do a daily blog, sailing conditi
Read more