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Chasing some deeper water we opted for the Gull Stream between Cross Ledge / S Brake and the Goodwin Sands rather than the inshore Ramsgate Channel. We planned to leave Ramsgate at HW Dover -4hrs (0700) to catch the last of the fair tide on the short hop to Dover.
It was a straightforward passage and we found that although we were midway between neaps and springs the tidal rates corresponded more closely to those shown on the tidal stream atlas for springs so it was a quick trip. Although the sea was pretty calm we kept a mile off South Foreland just to be prudent. On contacting Dover Harbour at the recommended 2M out we were instructed to proceed to a point 200m N of the Eastern entrance, from there we were given clearance to continue to the marina. Although there was quite a bit of ferry traffic the port was quieter than we expected.
Dover Marina initially offered us a berth in the Wellington Dock and although we had read both The Shell Channel Pilot and Reeds we hadn't picked up on the tidal restrictions at Dover. They have three areas; 1) Wellington - which is locked in for 9 out of 12 hours, 2) Granville - locked for 4 out of 12 hours and 3) a 24hr section. The marina's strategy seems to be to use Wellington (if possible), then Granville, then the 24hr section rather than operate on a first come first served basis. To increase our flexibility we moved to the Granville Dock which is open roughly from HW -3½hrs to HW +4½hrs and for which we were charged £19.50 per night. As it was we remained in Dover for several days to avoid the big seas and high winds that built up from the SW. Facilities at the marina were good.
Dover was a good place to get stuck. The castle and war tunnels are particularly good and worthy of a full day. Our stay coincided with the Dover Regatta weekend which provided great entertainment for all the family.