We hear from the first few East Coast Gaffers making passage across the North Sea to join the Dutch OGA for their 20th Anniversary celebrations. Boats intending to depart from the East Coast this week are ‘Transcur’, ‘East Breeze’, ‘Onward of Ito’ and ‘Plum’. Several OGA members are also setting out from the Solent and English south coast soon including ‘Indian Runner’, ‘Moon River’, ‘Puffin Bach’ and ‘Molly of Mylor’. Participating trailer sailors will be taking their boats across on the ferry later this month.
There will be a warm welcome from the Dutch Gaffers who are organising a tour through the Netherlands 3 – 17 August. Boats from the UK already in the Netherlands include ‘Clytie’, ‘Teasel’, ‘Bonita’ and ‘Pearl of Beaulieu’.
“Allan and I set sail from the Swale yesterday lunchtime and this evening locked into the Roompot in the southern Netherlands. Although we had hopes of a reasonable breeze mostly we had light winds. We had clear weather for crossing the shipping lanes, which is definitely welcome. The night was enlivened by a number of rain squalls with plenty of wind and spectacular lightning. We had thought of going to Flushing, but were late for the tide in the River Schelde, so we came a few miles north and locked into the Ostershelde at Roompot. We tied up at the marina to find two friendly Dutch immigration officers waiting to stamp our passports. I was impressed that they had come to meet us to avoid causing us any inconvenience or delay. They didn’t ask to see any of Bonita’s ships papers or want to know if VAT had been paid on her, for which I was grateful.”
Blog for the yawl ‘Bonita’
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