Sailing West in the English Channel Isn’t Easy Ep 49
April 5, 2026 · 19 min · 9K views · Dover Marina
Fireworks burst over Poole Harbor from a sailboat at night
What this video covers
Erin and Marie push west along England's south coast from Breskins, Netherlands, toward the Mediterranean, covering roughly 86 miles to Dover on the first leg before continuing through Brighton, Gosport, the Solent, Poole, and Portland. The English Channel's tidal current runs east as the tide rises, giving westbound sailors only about four hours of favorable flow against eight hours of foul — a ratio that grinds progress to a crawl.5:02 Near Beachy Head, a squall delivers 30 knots and forces a single reef; the crew holds it briefly then shakes it out.5:44 Off Brighton, a small fishing boat takes on water and two people end up in the water; the RNLI lifeboat recovers both.6:54 Shortly after, the dredging vessel City of Chichester, making 11 knots against their 6, fails to respond to radio calls or an air horn before finally answering — after Northern Brees has already altered course to avoid a collision.10:11 The crew reports the incident to the Coast Guard.10:37 Stops include Royal Clarence Marina in Gosport, a transit through the Solent past the Needles, and Poole.10:44 At Portland Bill, watching the tidal race, they abandon the original plan to reach the Isles of Scilly and turn south toward France instead, trading speed for the ability to explore the coast properly.17:13
Boats in this video
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