{"id":22164,"date":"2025-07-24T15:42:36","date_gmt":"2025-07-24T19:42:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aleta.life\/?p=22164"},"modified":"2025-07-28T12:17:25","modified_gmt":"2025-07-28T16:17:25","slug":"norman-leer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aleta.life\/index.php\/2025\/07\/24\/norman-leer\/","title":{"rendered":"Norman Leer"},"content":{"rendered":"
Position: 49\u00b055’40.7″N 1\u00b004’57.8″E<\/a><\/h6>\n

\u201cBefore you get out of the slings, turn on your engine and make sure the propeller spins in the right direction,\u201d our mechanic told us, \u201c\u2026it shouldn\u2019t be a problem, but just in case.\u201d Minutes later, Aleta splashed down and her new propeller spun forwards and backwards as the creator intended. Twenty-four hours later, we caught the tide and headed south.<\/p>\n

Where did Napoleon keep his armies?<\/h6>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

For the British it is the \u2018English Channel\u2019. For the French it is \u2018La Manche\u2019<\/em> (the sleeve). (You see, nations can live with two versions of the geographical truth. \u2013 ed.)<\/em> Once out of the main shipping channels, the intrepid yachtsman only has to contend with raging currents and huge tides. Oh, and weather blasting directly out of the Atlantic and into the Pas-de-Calais <\/em>(aka. the Straits of Dover) like a wind tunnel. Tidal streams make for an easy ride west or east for six hours out of twelve. If you\u2019re heading west be prepared for headwinds directly on your bow, because that\u2019s where the wind comes from at least 50% of the time. If you get really unlucky, the wind conjures up waves over your favouring current negating any of its benefits. When the weather stacks up against you, head into the nearest port, tie up and head to the pub for a week.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, if you\u2019re heading north or south across La Manche<\/em>, things are a bit easier. Time it right and the winds will be on your beam and the currents will force you east and then west and you can land almost directly above or below your starting point. The Saxons and the Normans knew this over 1,000 years ago, and the Romans 1,000 years before that. It\u2019s the kind of empirical knowledge that built empires and made invasions so much fun.<\/p>\n

Safe Harbour<\/h6>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

High chalk cliffs run almost the length of Normandy, along with strong tidal currents. Many natural harbours in the region dry out a low tide. That\u2019s fine if you\u2019re into careening<\/a> and cleaning your vessel by hand. For the rest of us a deep enough mooring is preferable, while good old locks have been a solid solution for a few hundred years. With tides running up to eight metres (24\u2019), lock gates can trap enough water in a harbour for most any sailboat with a two-metre draft. Early on, investing in locks was for the benefit of fishing and naval boats. These days, yachties and landlubbers can both take advantage of picturesque harbours surrounded by bars and restaurants.<\/p>\n

The general layout is a polygon that contains boats. They sit in a deep well and rise and fall serenely with the tide. A street wide enough for two cars surrounds the harbour with four and five storey buildings a step back from that. Cast iron bollards and mooring rings set three metres apart remind you of the days when ferries came alongside and dropped passengers directly at their hotel\u2019s doorstep. Restaurants have big red awnings that stretch out halfway into the street shading the tables from sun and rain. A mossy green patina clings to the awnings, a reminder of how wet it gets here in the off season. But if you live in the Pacific Northwest or Downeast in Maine, you already appreciate the joys of cold rain and dank mists in the darker days of winter. Such weather makes sunny days all the brighter.<\/p>\n

Dieppe<\/h6>\n

Rather like America\u2019s west coast, there aren\u2019t many anchorages along France\u2019s northern coast, so we opted for a couple of nights in Dieppe. The fishing ports of Dieppe<\/a> and Honfleur<\/a> fit the standard harbour mould neatly. Both draw in tourists and sailors. Dieppe is more French. More of a working harbour with a fleet of fishing boats and a big ferry which runs back and forth to the UK on a schedule. Harbour buildings are sandstone blocks with gambrel slate roofs. On Saturdays, the market comes to town and fills up every street in the city centre. From our quarterdeck, we sat within earshot of Thursday\u2019s jazz band entertaining the crowds.<\/p>\n

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