ECF events in 2015

The diary is getting a bit crowded but I'm on for a trip to Bologne if I can squeeze it in and the pennies haven't run out. It'd have to be heading towards September though cos it's about the only month when there isn't an ECF do of some sort twixt April and October!
 
I was thinking June July too, Brightlingsea to Boulogne is about 80-90 miles IIRC, Leave late evening arrive for dinner.

Well, we'll be getting back from Ostend early June and then off again to Queenborough and Limehouse early July so I don't think we'd be able to squeeze a third majorly trip into that two month spell.

Not that that stops others going of course!
 
I'd also be interested in Boulogne.
We are thinking of doing our two weeks cruise at end of june - finishing up at Queenborough for the gathering on the way home to Limehouse. If we don't make it north to Holland, we will go south so Bologne in June might suit very well!
 
I'm sure it'll get squeezed in somewhere!.... I hope so anyway, as its one of our favourite destinations in the eastern end of the Channel.
I am very fond of Boulogne too, it was my first ever foreign landfall in about 1985 aboard our Hurley 22 "Spindrift" which we sailed from Pinmill to Ramsgate ( got lost on the way and had to sail up to a navigation bouy to read it's name Drill Stone, in order to confirm our position after DR plot was not maintained over night in strong winds) then Ramsgate to Boulogne. I seem to recall celebrating the arrival with a tin of Sharwoods Lentil Curry. Navigation kit was compass, log, echo sounder, paper chart and a couple of 2B pencils, battery was charged by taking it home each weekend or with Halfords battery charger and shore power cable that the charger was plugged into, engine was 4hp Mariner two stroke that had to be filled from a stock of five litre petrol cans. No vhf, moblle phone or gps on board and you had to wake up whoever was sleeping in the forepeak to use the toilet. No internet forums then either, wisdom was culled by reading books and Yachting Monthly.
 
I am very fond of Boulogne too, it was my first ever foreign landfall in about 1985 aboard our Hurley 22 "Spindrift" which we sailed from Pinmill to Ramsgate ( got lost on the way and had to sail up to a navigation bouy to read it's name Drill Stone, in order to confirm our position after DR plot was not maintained over night in strong winds) then Ramsgate to Boulogne. I seem to recall celebrating the arrival with a tin of Sharwoods Lentil Curry. Navigation kit was compass, log, echo sounder, paper chart and a couple of 2B pencils, battery was charged by taking it home each weekend or with Halfords battery charger and shore power cable that the charger was plugged into, engine was 4hp Mariner two stroke that had to be filled from a stock of five litre petrol cans. No vhf, moblle phone or gps on board and you had to wake up whoever was sleeping in the forepeak to use the toilet. No internet forums then either, wisdom was culled by reading books and Yachting Monthly.
It has history for us too.... while I'd done a lot of foreign stuff over the years, using mostly a limited set of nav tools like yourself, it was the first foreign trip, back in the early 2000's, we'd done since having kids. We arrived in near perfect weather, in our Carter 3/4 tonner, and after tying up in the marina, sat in the evening sun and ate in the cockpit in mid to high 20 degrees..... firmly completed the kids addiction to sailing!.... so also have fond memories!
 
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Be reminded of Boulogne's distinct fishy diesel aroma if you are close to the fishing boats.....

Our first time there - :(
The crew still refer to Boulogne as 'stinkhole'.
Whenever we're there, we seem to end up in 6-7 deep rafts.
Again, on our very first visit there they opened the weir at silly o'clock and all the rafts started moving/breaking up.
Decided to bugger off early rather than go back in the raft. Misjudged the state of tide (still half asleep) and ran aground on the way out.

So, you will understand why I'm not about to wax lyrical about the place. :o
Now only stop there for as short a time as possible on the way to somewhere else. Last two times, I didn't even leave the boat.
 
Be reminded of Boulogne's distinct fishy diesel aroma if you are close to the fishing boats.....
Tis a thing of beauty, I have a small bottle of Eau d'Boulogne and on a Saturday evening when my good lady wife has had a couple of small dry sherrys I tend to dab a little behind each ear in the hope of encouraging nautical behaviour.
 
Tis a thing of beauty, I have a small bottle of Eau d'Boulogne and on a Saturday evening when my good lady wife has had a couple of small dry sherrys I tend to dab a little behind each ear in the hope of encouraging nautical behaviour.

Excellent, I also use Castrol hair oil.
 
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