We left Ramsgate for the third and final time this morning, motoring to our start point approximately 8miles into the Thames Estuary. Our friend Julia who has waved us on each time we’ve passed was excited to finally see us leave. (Although sad at the same time, as it was great catching up).
After a quick Sandwich at Sandwich for lunch (an unintended coincidence that still makes we smile when I think about it back at my desk eating lunch at work), we continued on towards Dover. Dover is the second largest passenger port in the world, behind only Helsinki, with 11.4million people passing through it in 2017. And approaching it you could tell. The giant ferrys kept appearing either from our right out of the harbour mouth or left from the grey of the horizon, making me think of the swinging gilotenes in Raiders of the Last Ark, with Harison Ford having to dodge each one, only narrowly escaping the otherside. Except I felt far less heroic.
About 5 miles out we called in to alert the Dover Port Authority we were coming. They were extremely helpful, indicating when to expect any new ferries to be leaving the harbor walls, even before we could see them. Almost exactly on queue for when we were ready to make the final crossing, they called Joe giving us a 20 minute window. There was a lot of concentration, and of course Islay crashed her kite out of sheer nerves but we were all excited and relieved when finally we were safe on the beach at the other side.
Joe was hoping to stop at the Pier in Deal, but sadly no deal. (His puns are getting worse, but add to the amusement of the day).
South Foreland Lighthouse was the first to use an electric light anywhere in the world. The first ever ship-to-shore radio transmission and distress signals were also received by this lighthouse.
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