Deals on wheels
Two years ago we took a permanent berth for my wife Maura’s lovely Colvic Watson 15-ton ketch Le Daneka. Calais Marina Capitaine Pascale and his successor Amelie could not have been more kind or helpful.
Living only a half hour drive from Dover, it was our pleasure to hop across Le Manche on the ferry and spend a few days or more aboard our snug ketch, absorbing la vie Française and enjoying conviviality with our new friends.
Then, in March – disaster; for COVID-19 struck and we were faced with ‘SuperCalais-fragilistic-expeditionhopeless’! As the months passed, it became increasingly obvious that with Le Daneka effectively out-of-bounds plus up and coming Brexit uncertainty, we would have to bring her back to the UK.
Eight months later, come November, the COVID situation had worsened. The ferries no longer accepted foot-passengers, and anyway we would have to quarantine in France for two weeks and then quarantine in the UK for two weeks. If we took the car over, how would we retrieve it?
At this point, Maura contacted the Halcyon Yacht Delivery Company – in no time they sent the cavalry in the form of Glen and his son Aaron who came galloping to our rescue (Trumpet Fanfare). COVID travel restrictions did not apply to professional delivery crews, but how could they get to France? The ferries still were not accepting foot-passengers
However, ‘Where there’s a Will, there’s a Way’, Glen and Aaron bundled our folding bicycles into their car, parked their car in Dover and pedalled to the Ferry Terminal, and were accepted as non-foot passengers! (Applause)
The only hitch occurred in France, where, under suspicion of being lawbreaking holidaymakers, they were initially prevented from disembarking.
However, Glen soon impressed the officials that despite the bicycles and backpacks, they were in fact a professional yacht delivery crew. Navigating the large port of Calais wasn’t easy and this part of the adventure culminated in some kind officials providing a security car to escort them off the premises!
It was a couple of miles bike ride to the marina past the ancient Calais lighthouse and down through the old fishing port.
And so, thanks to Messrs Halcyon Yachts, Glen and Aaron, a favourable weatherwindow and two folding bikes, Le Daneka was successfully delivered to Dover Marina where she was warmly welcomed.
We wonder now, had Glen and Aaron been wearing roller skates, would they also have been accepted as non-foot passengers?
Dr Rodney and Mrs Maura Pell, by email
Rodney is the author of Little Ship Big Story published 2019 about the exploits of his Little Ship Sheemaun from the 1930s until the present day. sheemaun.com