After many months in the planning, the trip to Dunkirk with the Little Ships arrived all too quickly for Massey Shaw and her volunteers. “Time and tide wait for no man”, but in our case it was restoration and fundraising that let us down and we had to make to decision not to take part.
However, every cloud has a silver lining, and it came in the form of one of our Trust members, Peter Cox, who was booked to sail in the reserve flotilla going to Dunkirk, and who offered places on his boat, Hertford, for the trip.
From Ramsgate to Dunkirk: Our Voyage Across the Channel
Disappointment was soon set aside and Bill Scott (our Hon Treasurer) and I changed plans and arranged to meet Peter and his boat at Ramsgate on Tuesday 20th May, the day before the Little Ships were due to sail. My wife Gill provided the transport to Ramsgate, whilst Bill was due to join us in Dunkirk on Saturday 24th after his business commitments were completed.
On arrival in Ramsgate, we found the town was full and had to park a distance from the marina. Gill and I managed to meet up with Peter just as the Royal Marines led various dignitaries, including the Association of Dunkirk Little Ships Hon Admiral HRH Prince Micheal of Kent, down to the harbour to unveil the Dunkirk Memorial. The event was very well attended by locals and many visitors and was followed by a fly past of vintage aircraft and modern helicopters. As the crowds dispersed, we found our way to Peters boat and stowed all my kit and enjoyed a well-earned drink. Shortly, after Gill and I said our goodbyes, I returned to help prepare “Hertford” for an early start and an expected long haul across the Channel the following day.
Once preparations were completed, Peter and I decided to celebrate our trip with a pint of the Little Ships beer which had been brewed especially for the event. The beer hit the spot, and we enjoyed a good evening in the Royal Temple Yacht Club before retiring to bed.
Wednesday 21st May came all too soon (5:00 am) as the area around the harbour entrance soon became full of crowds in their thousands waiting to see the Little Ships sail out across the Channel. Peter and I had a brief breakfast and made ready to leave once the Little Ships departed the harbour. We had been told by the organisers that the Reserve Fleet of some 40 craft, would be released from their moorings in an orderly manner. We waited on the radio for our call, but none came. Peter called up the Harbour Master and was told that we were the last vessel to leave, the other craft had departed! Very soon we were on our way out of the harbour, and received good applause from the remaining crowds as made our way to join our fellow vessels. The sea was calm with a light breeze, which helped us regain our position in the fleet as we made our way past the Little Ships to Dunkirk.
The passage across the channel had been agreed by all the skippers, however, this did not include the appearance of a group of migrants who were headed for the Little Ships. A radio message was sent out to all the participants to change course and provide a nautical mile distance from the craft. This caused quite an issue in the press the following day, but did not upset the Dunkirk Spirit. Our trip across the channel went well, with only a few bumpy moments as we changed course to enter the Dunkirk main channel. The Secondary fleet was instructed to overtake the Little Ships so that their entrance into the Bassin du Commence was not impeded. We found our mooring, and Peter did a great job manoeuvring Hertford into position close to the facilities and harbour office. We arrived in Dunkirk in good form, after a six-hour crossing.
Community Spirit: The Warm Welcome in Ramsgate and Dunkirk
Later that day, we discovered we were close to the vessel used by HRH Prince Michael of Kent GVVO. The Royal Standard was seen flying from the stern mast.Peter and I decided to make our way over to the Bassin du Commerce, to await the Little Ships arrival. Unfortunately, due to problems in one of the locks the flotilla was some two hours late and the wind had increased in strength making their mooring plan difficult to execute. It was pleasing to see several military vehicles had made their way over and arrived on the quay to greet the boats as they came together with several locals. Once the boats were safely moored, Peter and I made our way back to Hertford and had a meal before having an early night.
Honoring the Fallen: A Visit to the Commonwealth War Grave
Thursday 22nd May – An early start, as we were supposed to get our passports stamped by the Gendarmes at the Harbour Office. We had a good breakfast, after which we began to prepare ourselves for the ceremony at the Commonwealth War Grave just outside the town. Unfortunately, we were informed by the harbour master that the gendarmes would be arriving to stamp our passports at 2pm in the Club House. This meant that our plans to visit and take pictures of the Little Ships before lunch was going to be shortened. Fortunately, I managed to get to the Bassin and back in time to have my passport stamped and leave for the ceremony at 3.00 pm. Peter and I elected to walk to the Cemetery as both of us had been there in previous years. Our walk didn’t go to plan as we took a wrong turning, but thankfully, a French lady understood our basic French and pointed us in the right direction. We arrived at the ceremony just as the service started and joined with the many hundreds of people and children to thank those soldiers who had made the ultimate sacrifice.
At the end of the service Peter met with a fellow member of the Waterman & Lightermen who was skippering one of the little ships. During their conversation I realised that the man he was talking to had come to the rescue of Massey Shaw some years ago, when she was set adrift at Woolwich by a group of youths. At the end of their discussions, Peter had arranged a trip back for both of us on one of the Little Ship coaches, which was gratefully received.
The Final Leg: Ramsgate to Shotley
Saturday 24th May – Another early breakfast (7:30) am and listening to the shipping forecasts. We decided after several discussions with other boat owners that we should be ok to make the sail up the east coast. This seemed reasonable, so we filled up with fuel at Ramsgate and made sure that everything was tied down. Coffee, biscuits and anything else chocolate were arranged in reach as things would get rough. It was disconcerting that several other boats we saw leaving the harbour reappeared a while later saying that things had got too rough. Not a good sign. However, we decided to leave and managed to get though the first rough patch without too many issues. Slowly, we made our way up the coast trying to keep the boat on the plotted chart and avoiding larger vessels who were unaffected by the increasing wind and seas. We finally got back to Shotley – Felixstowe at 18:30 after a long and eventful cruise. We were both very tired but pleased that the boat had behaved herself in some challenging circumstances. Peter had proved to be a good skipper who understood his boat and kept us on a good course throughout. Thank you. I certainly would not have enjoyed being on Massey for the journey back as she would have taken a beating in some of the weather.
Looking Ahead: Preserving the Spirit of Service
I am pleased we could attend the event and look forward to joining the Little Ships at future events.
