After a gala dinner at the Hotel de Casino it was an early start and farewell to the MBM cruise for our passage along the coast to Boulogne. We took the first bridge of the morning at 6am to try and coincide our passage with the north going tide. With a north-north west wind at the upper end of force 4 it was a lumpy passage, and we heard later that some of our MBM colleagues had to turn back. The Quai Chanzy at Boulogne is rumoured to have a problem with smells from the upstream sewage outfall, but we were pleased to find that new equipment has recently been installed which overcomes the problem.

Our visit to Boulogne was planned to meet up with friends, Denbigh and Bon on Black Sugar and we met up with them later in the day after their crossing from Dover. A meal in Le Comptoir was followed by a sightseeing day in Boulogne.

Boulogne's fortified town stands on the site of the Roman settlement and the ramparts date from the 13th century. We enjoyed a historic walk around the haute ville, taking in the 19th century domed Basilica as well as the medieval chateau, home of the town's museum. Lunch in the Brasserie de la Mer on the Grande Rue completed the tour.

Cruising Statistics

Distance: 64 nm

Total to date: 813 nm

Avg Speed: 14 knots

Duration: 4:30 hours

Wind: NNW 4

Diesel: 400 litres

Mooring: €26

Electricity: Included

Charts

AC2451