SALTWATER spraying our faces, everyone cheers in excitement as we roar out of the harbour.
This hour-long excursion in an ex-Special-Forces inflatable boat (which, skipper Stuart assures us, is virtually unsinkable) is guaranteed to blow away the cobwebs.
And it’s the best way to spy the local seals, too.
A few miles up the Kent coast, we slow right down to approach a colony – seals are lolling on mudflats and bobbing lazily in the water.
I don’t know who’s more excited to see them — our 11-year-old son Jude or Dixie, our Jack Russell.
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Trips cost £35 per adult, £30 per child (Go2sea.co.uk).
Home sweet home
It’s the perfect introduction to the seaside town of Ramsgate, home to the UK’s only Royal Harbour.
Our base for the weekend is Homeplace Ramsgate — a stunning apartment in the basement of a grand Victorian house, just minutes from the sandy beach.
It has three double bedrooms, two bathrooms and — our favourite — a cosy vaulted cinema room.
Super-stylishly decorated with mid-century treasures, as well as all the mod-cons, it’s like staying in your very cool friend’s place.
The Royal Harbour Brasserie, perched on the edge of the pier, is just the spot for a first-night feast.
With rustic decor, gorgeous 360-degree views and a buzzing atmosphere, it offers delicious MasterChef-worthy seafood — top marks for the hake fillet with chive mash, bisque sauce and wild garlic, £25 (Royalharbourbrasserie.co.uk).
Come morning, grab breakfast at the cute Little Ships cafe, and chow down on eggs benedict with prosciutto, £14.50, while gazing over the marina and discussing which boat you’d buy if your lottery numbers came up (Littleshipsramsgate.co.uk).
Then, have a mooch around the shops and stop by McGillan & Woodell for locally made jewellery and art prints (Mcgillanandwoodell.co.uk), and perfumery The Saltworks Company for hand-made soaps, candles and reed diffusers (Thesaltworkscompany.com).
Cool culture
To learn more about WW2 life, head to Ramsgate Tunnels — the UK’s largest network of wartime tunnels.
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Originally built as a railway, it sheltered people during the Blitz, becoming an underground town complete with shops, barbers and a hospital.
A 11/2-hour tour costs £9 for adults, £6 for children (Ramsgatetunnels.org).
Got a gaming-mad kid? Don’t miss The Micro Museum, home to hundreds of vintage computers and games consoles dating back to the ’70s, which — much to Jude’s excitement — you can actually play on. Entry costs £5 (Themicromuseum.org).
Next door, you’ll find the wonderful This Museum Is (Not) Obsolete, with its collection of experimental scientific and musical tech.
The raucous din of kids gleefully bashing electronic instruments is not for the faint-hearted (or mildly hungover), but we loved it nonetheless.
Entry costs £6 for adults, £4 for under-13s (This-museum-is-not-obsolete.com).
If you fancy stretching your legs, embark on the scenic 45-minute walk along the beach to Broadstairs — on a clear day, you can see France!
On the way, refuel with a cream tea, £9 for two, in the tea garden at The Italianate Glasshouse, a gorgeous 19th-century curved greenhouse (Italianateglasshouse.com).
Of course, no trip to the seaside is complete without trying out the local fish and chips — and you’ll discover Ramsgate’s finest at Peter’s Fish Factory (Facebook.com/petersfish factoryramsgate).
Sitting on the beach devouring our cod and chips as the sun was setting made for the perfect finale to the perfect weekend getaway.
