Calais Pier is based upon an actual event. On 15 July 1802， Joseph Mallord William Turner， aged 27， began his first trip abroad， travelling from Dover to Calais in a cross-channel ferry. The weather was stormy， and Turner noted in his sketchbook： ‘Our landing at Calais. Nearly swampt.’

油画《加来码头》是基于真实事件创作的。1802年7月15日，27岁的约瑟夫·马洛德·威廉·透纳踏上旅程，这是他第一次出国旅行，乘坐一艘跨海峡渡轮从英国多佛到法国加来。那天有暴风雨，透纳在写生簿上记道：“我们在加来登陆。差点儿淹死。”

In the painting， a ferry （centre left）， fully laden with passengers and flying a British flag， is approaching the port of Calais on the northern French coast. Around it， small French fishing boats head out to the open sea. The sea is rough and dark storm clouds gather， although a shaft of sunlight breaks through to illuminate the white sail in the centre of the picture. The entire scene looks chaotic and there is a risk of a collision. In the lower right foreground， a small fishing boat is trying to get away to avoid being battered against the pier.

画中，一艘满载乘客、挂着英国国旗的渡轮（画面中左）正驶近法国北部海岸的加来港。