ANWB (Dutch) Sailing App

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neil1967

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We will be moving our yacht to the Oosterschelde (Zeeland - Netherlands) in 2015. I only have a very limited understanding of dutch. I note that the ANWB sell an app containing cartography and information on bridge and lock opening times (important over here) and marinas. Has anyone any experience of the app (whether on a phone, tablet or laptop - I understand it has been available for a few years, but has additional features added over time, so if so it would be useful to know which version/when you used it.

Thanks

Neil
 
I purchased the ANWB app for my cruise around the Netherlands last summer. I installed it on a Nexus 7 and a Sony Xperia Z2 tablet, however, it appears to be restricted to use on one device at a time so I only used it in anger on the Nexus 7. It does not support route entry (that I could establish) but supports GPS tracking. The best combination I found was using Navionics for route entry and navigation with the ANWB app as detailed reference, but I did have the benefit of two tablets. The ANWB app contains a database of bridge and lock information but I found this a bit cumbersome to use. I would recommend obtaining Staande Mastroute book as your planning and reference source and the relevant ANWB paper charts. My blog (see signature) has some images from the app and booklet but I could post a couple of specific examples from the app if that helps. BTW, I speak no Dutch but had no issues other than with radio watch, no english spoken that I heard but bridge/lock operators ok with english if your pronunciation fails. My app and booklet seemed fully up to date.
 
AHoy2 said:
I purchased the ANWB app for my cruise around the Netherlands last summer. I installed it on a Nexus 7 and a Sony Xperia Z2 tablet, however, it appears to be restricted to use on one device at a time so I only used it in anger on the Nexus 7. It does not support route entry (that I could establish) but supports GPS tracking. The best combination I found was using Navionics for route entry and navigation with the ANWB app as detailed reference, but I did have the benefit of two tablets. The ANWB app contains a database of bridge and lock information but I found this a bit cumbersome to use. I would recommend obtaining Staande Mastroute book as your planning and reference source and the relevant ANWB paper charts. My blog (see signature) has some images from the app and booklet but I could post a couple of specific examples from the app if that helps. BTW, I speak no Dutch but had no issues other than with radio watch, no english spoken that I heard but bridge/lock operators ok with english if your pronunciation fails. My app and booklet seemed fully up to date.
Click to expand...

availabe as a free download via open cpn
 
Ahoy2 - thanks for your first hand update - I am less concerned by the charting aspects as I have a chartplotter and I would always carry the paper charts as well - I was more interested in the other information available, such as bridge opening etc. I'll take a look at your blog too - I'm interested in the best route across the channel. Looking at the charts at the moment, the coast from Calais up to Zeebrugge looks a little daunting - we have 2m draft.

Sailorman - thanks, I'll take a look at open CPN, if only for the info, not the navigation use.

Neil
 
neil1967 said:
I'm interested in the best route across the channel. Looking at the charts at the moment, the coast from Calais up to Zeebrugge looks a little daunting - we have 2m draft.

Neil
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Nothing to worry about along the coast with 2m draft, except just NE of Dunkirk, where you are well advised to follow the Zuydcoote Pass to the Trapegeer buoy. That leads you around the Broers Bank, the only place on the Belgian coast where you can't come to within 200m of the beach.
 
Johan, thank you for the reassurance - my Imray chart of the area has a lot of white (0-5m depth) off the coast which makes me nervous! I'm planning to go Dover - SW Goodwin then cross the TSS at 90 degrees and more-or-less follow Dyck up the coast until off Nieuwpoort Bank, and then decide whether to go into Nieuwpoort or Oostende depending on time and time. In reasonable weather I should make 5-6kts through the water. Any thoughts welcome!

Neil
 
neil1967 said:
Johan, thank you for the reassurance - my Imray chart of the area has a lot of white (0-5m depth) off the coast which makes me nervous! I'm planning to go Dover - SW Goodwin then cross the TSS at 90 degrees and more-or-less follow Dyck up the coast until off Nieuwpoort Bank, and then decide whether to go into Nieuwpoort or Oostende depending on time and time. In reasonable weather I should make 5-6kts through the water. Any thoughts welcome!

Neil
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Yes, that makes sense. It is a bit of a zig-zag between the banks and as you say, at the Nieuwpoort Bank you can decide where to head, Nieuwpoort or Oostende. If the weather is rough, there will be a nasty sea on the outer banks. In that case you will find more shelter by crossing closer to Cap Blanc Nez and following the approach Channel to Dunkirk West, from where you can follow the coast and sail behind most of the banks.
 
Forget the names of the banks but when passage planning be careful not to sail into a cul de sac in the banks between Dunkirk & Nieuwport
there is a place where you cross one of the banks & it is buoyed.
As for the apps, I suppose that is the modern way, but the book ( which you can buy at breskens) Standing mast route, gives all the times & makes it easier to decide on each leg because some bridges open at limited times. I also have the Imray pilot but tended not to use it once past Whilemstad

I would stop at Ostend it is easy sail from Dunkirke & you park near the town. Plus makes the leg to Breskens easier as the tide can be quite strong as you near Flushing
 
neil1967 said:
my Imray chart of the area has a lot of white (0-5m depth) off the coast which makes me nervous! Neil
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Hi Neil,

If 0-5m makes you nervous, the southern N Sea and Dutch inland waterways may not be for you. OTOH, if you go ahead with your planned cruise, you may loose your concerns about less than 10 cm under the keel and start to qualify as a proper ditch crawler.

Nieuwpoort, imho, has little to offer as a stopover. Oostende's OK but we tend to go for Dunkerque or Blankenberge. If your schedule permits a day's stopover in the latter, it's a short (and cheap) train ride to Bruges, a city not to be missed if you've not seen it before.
 
Daydream believer said:
Forget the names of the banks but when passage planning be careful not to sail into a cul de sac in the banks between Dunkirk & Nieuwport
there is a place where you cross one of the banks & it is buoyed.
Click to expand...
That is what I meant in post #8: the cul-de-sac leads you on to the Broers bank. You have to cross the banks via the Zuydcoote Pass, which is buoyed and shifts frequently, so in all probability the buoys will be in different positions from your chart. But there is no problem, quite sizeable coasters regularly use the pass.
 
westhinder said:
That is what I meant in post #8: the cul-de-sac leads you on to the Broers bank. You have to cross the banks via the Zuydcoote Pass, which is buoyed and shifts frequently, so in all probability the buoys will be in different positions from your chart. But there is no problem, quite sizeable coasters regularly use the pass.
Click to expand...

Apologies - Should have checked the names before replying
 
Not a cruise, a delivery trip as we moved to the Netherlands this year, so I'll have to get used to the (lack of) depth. Much of my sailing has been in Turkey where you can be in 20+ metres within a few metres of the shoreline! Thanks for the useful info all.

Neil
 
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