Ten days, four ports, one stubborn bow thruster — and we’re only halfway.

Dieppe Marina – 28 Aug – 6 Sept – By Ilse & Piet

Ten days ago we left Box 6A with a rough plan and a 1/3 full fuel tank, and not much more certainty than that. The wind had other ideas more than once, the tides had opinions of their own, and somewhere along the way a stubborn bow thruster and a small mystery in the bilge both had their say too. Adriana is sitting quietly in Dieppe now, ten days and four ports behind us — and this is only the halfway point. Tomorrow the wind turns in our favour and we start making our way back.

Breskens→Zeebrugge→Dunkerque→Boulogne-sur-Mer→Dieppe

The Logbook, Day by Day

Day 1 · Fri 28 Aug

Breskens Marina

Packing, Thunderstorms and Good Food

Bags stowed, lockers filled, and the first rumbles of thunder rolling in before we’d even left the dock. Not the send-off we’d ordered, but dinner made up for it.

Day 2 · Sat 29 Aug

Breskens Marina

Provisioning, Planning and Listening to the Rain Drops That Keep Falling on Our Head

A day of lists and route planning, with the rain settling in for a proper stay. Provisions in, plans sketched out, and not much to do but wait it out.

Day 3 · Sun 30 Aug

Breskens to Zeebrugge

Strong Winds, High Waves, Change Destination Zeebrugge Instead of Nieuwpoort

The forecast made the decision for us — strong winds and a confused sea meant Nieuwpoort was quietly dropped in favour of the closer, kinder option: Zeebrugge.

Day 4 · Mon 31 Aug

Zeebrugge to Dunkerque

Soaked, Salt and Satisfaction

A proper salty day on the water, everyone thoroughly soaked by the end of it — and thoroughly satisfied all the same.

Day 5 · Tue 1 Sept

Dunkerque

Stuck, Solved and Strolling

Today started with a very unimpressed bow thruster button — pressed, and… nothing. No bow thruster means no easy manoeuvring, so today we stayed put. The good news: a quick search turned up exactly the part we needed at Uship Marine Blue, sourced before we’d even finished being annoyed about it. The bad news: tides don’t care about our schedule, so instead of a sailing day it became a walking-into-town day, waiting for the water to catch up with our plans. Not every day is under sail. Some days are just Piet, a screwdriver, a mess and a small electrical mystery. Wouldn’t have it any other way.

Day 6 · Wed 2 Sept

Dunkerque to Boulogne-sur-Mer

Foggy, Frustrating and Finally Flying

An early 06:00 start from Dunkirk with Boulogne-sur-Mer in our sights. The forecast was uninspiring — grey skies, confused seas, a stubborn headwind — so we motored past Calais and Sangatte while the White Cliffs of Dover flickered in and out of the haze. At 12:50, after rounding Cap Gris-Nez, everything changed: the wind shifted, the sails filled, and Adriana came alive. A leaking cockpit window, a leaking hatch, and a cutlery drawer with opinions of its own tested us further, but we arrived dry and smiling.

Day 7 · Thu 3 Sept

Boulogne-sur-Mer

Gusty, Groggy and Grounded

Wind picked up around 03:00 and set the lines singing, sending Piet out on deck to sort them while the rest of the night’s sleep quietly disappeared. Come morning, the forecast made the decision easy: two more nights in Boulogne-sur-Mer. The day became one of town walks, groceries, books, games, and keeping an eye on the wind and the lines while we waited for a proper window to Dieppe.

Day 8 · Fri 4 Sept

Boulogne-sur-Mer

Harboured, Happy and Homely

Still in Boulogne-sur-Mer, and still not minding it. A visit to the aquarium, a proper meal cooked aboard, and finally finishing the book we’d been chipping away at all week. Fenders checked, wind watched, lines holding, and a loose plan sketched out for the days ahead once the weather turns — with maybe a bit of cleaning worked in for good measure.

A restless night rocking against the quay gave way to sunshine, a seal escort out of the harbour, and Adriana settling into 7.3 to 8.8 knots on a straight line to Dieppe.

Day 9 · Sat 5 Sept

Boulogne-sur-Mer to Dieppe

Interrupted, Invigorated and In Dieppe

A restless night rocking against the quay gave way to an early fuel dock manoeuvre and a large seal seeing us out of the harbour. Sailing under double reef without the engine, Adriana settled into 7.3 to 8.8 knots on a straight line to Dieppe, past a busy shipping lane, coffee and mini frangipane, a call ahead for a berth, and a stretch with no internet but a banana to compensate. Sunshine held the whole way, right into Dieppe in good time for a drink on the quai and a marmite dieppoise for dinner.

Day 10 · Sun 6 Sept

Dieppe

Jaunty, Juicy and Joyful

A properly lazy morning — croissants and pain au chocolat, sunshine with a cooler edge to it. Piet caught up with the owners of a neighbouring boat, after which we set off on a beautiful walk along the beach admiring the colour of the water, before tackling the essentials with a Carrefour City run. Lunch at New Haven was the highlight: fruits de mer to die for, a table won purely by someone else’s no-show, a bottle of Sancerre, a calvados mojito, and cake saved for later. Back on the boat, a brief spot of rain arrived right on cue for a well-earned nap.

One Thing We’re Keeping an Eye On

Not everything on this passage was croissants and calvados mojitos. During yesterday’s sail from Boulogne-sur-Mer to Dieppe, Piet spotted water sitting in the bottom compartment. The bilge pump did exactly what it’s meant to do — it kicked in and cleared it. What it didn’t do was tell us where the water was coming from.

Tomorrow — Monday the 7th of September — we start making our way back, and for once the elements seem to be on our side. Wind and tide are both expected to work with us rather than against us, so we’re hoping for something close to champagne sailing on the way home.

Dieppe→Boulogne-sur-Mer→Nieuwpoort→Breskens

That’s just the shape of it for now — the full story of the trip back, port by port, will get its own post next week.