Dungeness

Dungeness is a huge shingle spit, deposited for 400 years, and reaching four miles deep. The spit encompasses exotic landscapes, with abundances of flora and fauna.

Perched at the end of the spit are two nuclear power stations, at a glance in an impossibly precarious position, but in reality protected by the continuous formation of the spit.

The challenge for PicoMicroYacht was to voyage round Dungeness, from Littlestone-on-Sea to Rye. 

I had to consider the somewhat strange tides in this area due to the fact that the watershed for the North Sea and English Channel pivots around this region.

I had also been warned that it can be quite rough off the Dungeness headland, so I chose to go in light winds and with a neap tide.

It was necessary to launch at around high tide at Littlestone-on-Sea which covers a large expanse of sand and mud, stretching out to sea for about half a mile.

Launching at this time meant stemming the tide for the first three hours of the voyage, in which PicoMicroYacht was rowed leisurely down to the Dungeness headland.

On launching I saw a very large black seal.

I passed a crowded beach.

Further down, people were riding horses and bathing them in the sea.

Fishing boats were pulled up on the shore.

The most recent Dungeness lighthouse, built in 1960, looks rather thin.

Rounding the tip of Dungeness, I could now see clearly the power stations..

I then spotted a commotion in the sea, which turned out to be the outfall from one of the power stations. My chart states as follow: 'Water from these outfalls causes turbulence which may be hazardous to small craft. Give the area a wide berth.' But it was very calm and I went inside, hugging close to the beach.

I dug in for a nine-mile row to Rye, taking about three hours, the houses at Camber Sands appearing just before.

When I arrived at Rye it was low tide and a further challenge was to get in the harbour, the subject of my next post.