This was a very long day with an early delay whilst we waited for a tanker to be tugged into Dunkerque, Force 5 winds close to the nose and a foul tide running against us for 7 hours.
So we slipped at 0715 and then had to wait around for 45 mins for a tanker to be pulled into the harbour. Out at sea, we motor sailed, close hauled with 20 knots of wind and were lucky to make 4.5 knots over the ground. We had planned to overnight at the small new marina at Cadzand, some 42 miles from Dunkerque, however with a one meter swell from the north, we decided it was too dangerous to enter the narrow entrance to the marina , so we continued the 9 miles, with the tide now finally running with us, to the Michiel de Ruijterhaven marina at Vlissingen at 1830.
Our first taste of Holland! and what a great spot, lovely small marina with a friendly restaurant owner managing the swing bridge entry and berth allocation. We immediately decided that Vlissingen was well worth a couple of nights.
