Armada passage plan

kingfisher

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As I have mentioned a while a go, to celebrate the centenary of scouting and to get participants from all over Europe to the Jamboree in London, the sea-scouts are planning an Armada from Ostende to India dock, London.

armadalogo.jpg


So far we have 30 boats participating. I am one of the passage planning team, so we have to prepare a skippers'guide for the whole route.

Here's the draft version (1Mb). Any comments from the forumites would well appreciated.

We plan to spend the night at anchor in Stangate creek. I could use some pictures to get a feel for the area. What's the ground ? Sand? Clay? Mud? (NO ANCHOR DISCUSSIONS PLS)

Armada Skippers Guide

Stuff learned so far:
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PLA, rescue services and other authorities very helpfull. Ramsgate YC is going to receive us with open arms and fanfare. Queensborough couldn't give a t0ss. I understand QB's position, given the fact that its a prime tourist destination and a very sought after marina ( All too true review of life on the Isle of Sheppey )

Red Bull decided to have the London bit of the air races on the same Sunday we plan our return (28/7). Thames closed down for shipping untill 1600h.

It would be difficult to chose a weekend with worse tides.
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alldownwind

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Stangate Creek has soft mud and excellent holding.
It would be getting a little crowded there with an extra 30 boats on a weekend, but no problem on a weekday.
PM me your email address and I will send you a few photos I took last weekend.
 

MoodySabre

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Wow - congratulations on putting all that together.

My only experience of that route is the entrance to the Medway. This is very narrow when a huge container ship is entering or leaving from the Grain terminal or the dockside at Sheerness. There are also strong currents and some eddies that can make sailing out of the way a difficult manouvre, particularly with wind over tide. So be prepared to start engines and get out of the way.

This is a marvellous thing to be doing and I wish everybody all the best - I shall watch from my house on the north bank of the river at Leigh-on-Sea to see you all go by.
 

keelbolt

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Hi. You asked for comments, so I hope you don't mind if I make two.

1. Superb planning document. Wish every 'sail in company' was as thorough.
2. Not sure about the policy of holding all the yachts outside Ramsgate before entering as an 'Armada'. The following reasons:

Some may be tired after the crossing (and maybe a bit green) so getting in would be looked forward to.

If everyone arrives in Ramsgate at the same time, it could make for interesting parking!!

A 'standing group' of yachts in that part of the channel may be more of a risk (to each other) than moving on in to Ramsgate in the order they arrive. It would only take one yacht with a problem to cause all the others to hold for an hour or so, by which time you could have some very green sea scouts if the sea is at all lumpy!

I would tend to have a 'warden' yacht at that point, and 'count them all in', only going in once all of them had passed me.

I may be wrong. It has been known!

KB
 

kingfisher

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We have divided the yachts into squadrons, based on their estimated boat speed. So the arrivals will be in groups of 10-15 yachts. Also, Ramsgate has granted us berths in the non-tidal part of the harbour, so we will have to go through the lock. We hope to do that in group as well.

The passage plan needs to be vetted by the whole organisational team tonight, with a further planning meeting next week. Also, the final version will be sent to the authorities.

So depending on the respons of the Ramsgate port authorities, we'll change the plan.

But crew fatigue is a good argument, so hopefully we'll be able to change the plan that all boats go into the harbour and wait in the basin. But then I will have to write a piece on the entry into ramsgate (harbour lights and the fact that there is a sand bank between the yacht harbour heads.

Again: we are dealing with portugese, german, danish and swedish scouts who have never sailed our area. So it has to be idiot-proof and provide a bit of literature during the 14h trip

PM with e-mail sent
 
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