Journey's End (Skipper)

Journey ends or more accurately, Pilgrim’s progress is finished for now but journeys never end they continue in a different way.

We reach Chatham marina after almost 11 and a half hours. We left Dungeness after anchoring for the night as the sun was rising and entered Medway as the sun was beginning to set.  73.5 miles, the longest distance we have travelled in one day.

The day before we left Brighton and beforee that, Yarmouth on the Isle of White, and fought the tide for 3 hours until it changed in our favour. 

The tides have been Neaps so not too strong but any tide against us is energy spent and fuel used in our case as the wind was nonexistent at times.  We had a good day but passing Dungeness was a bumpy ride and light was fading so we anchored in the lee of lighthouse for protection against the South West swell.  Wind was light so the night was calm.  We had great luck to see the Clipper Yachts racing, these are yachts with amateur crews sailing around the world in identical boats.

The last week has been a race for us to get Pilgrim home and ourselves as we wanted to finish this trip cleanly rather than returning to move Pilgrim in a few weeks from a port on the South coast.

Tears have been flowing abundantly as we pass each headland, Beachy Head, Dungeness, North Foreland and so on.  We wanted to go into Ramsgate as this is where Pilgrim was stuck for 8 years on land.  She, Pilgrim is now once again a boat and we have a relationship with her.  On Wednesday evening we moved Pilgrim to her new moorings with Hoo Ness Yacht Club.  As I lowered the ensign Jeanette was very emotional.  Once you live on a boat or other vessel for 3 months you form a relationship and become connected. 

Jeanette is going to write very soon but for now thank you for reading and I hope you have enjoyed these blogs and following us around the coast.