Giles and Paula's Great Retirement Adventure

[Tago Mago]

@Giles fair winds

[Giles]

Thank you, but there is no wind

[Giles]

6 hours and 43 mins to next way point…

[goosehd]

@Giles @Madame-Buttonfly Enjoy you two ️

[Giles]

[Karol]

@Giles Godspeed and stay hydrated!

[Giles]

Got some big boys to plot a route through......

[louisbosco]

have fun!

[will6er]

@Giles Mind the tree at your 1 o'clock

[goosehd]

I’ve been following along using marine traffic AIS to see how they are doing. It looks like they are past the halfway point and through all of the commercial traffic. Should be quieter and smooth sailing to port.

[Chap]

@Giles said in Giles and Paula's Great Retirement Adventure:

Got some big boys to plot a route through......

Take care of Russian Warships!

[Giles]

Mill pond - 25nm from the French coast....

[Giles]

Getting prepped for our glorious arrival....Though no Cidre onboard, so not sure what I will do....

[Tago Mago]

@Giles how could this happen?

[Giles]

I drank it.....

[Giles]

@goosehd asked above how long we would basically be out of sight of land. I used a readily available scientific formula, and guessed at 6 hours.

Todays passage took us on a route that had the longest distance between England and France at 52nm. I could see both coastlines.......So, I was only 6 hours wrong.

[Giles]

[goosehd]

@Giles how long do you quarantine for?

[goosehd]

…or how long before you can go ashore to replenish your stores?

[Giles]

Technically, we should be flying a Q flag*, and not leave the boat until we have had permission to do so by the French immigration guys. At St Vaast, the process is performed by the marina staff who then email all the info needed to the immigration office in Cherbourg. But the marina staff will have knocked off for the night (except the lock keeper) when we arrive. So they have told us where to berth and to pop up to see them sometime tomorrow.

The Marina restaurant closes at 21:00, I will be eating there tonight

• The "Q" flag (also known as the Quebec flag or Yellow Jack) is a plain yellow maritime signal flag. In international sailing and shipping, it means: "My vessel is healthy and I request free pratique [free entry] into port." It signals authorities that a boat has arrived from abroad and is requesting an official inspection.