Baltic (etc.) charts

[mollyoxford]

Just in case...

Heading for the Baltic this year - Does anybody have a set of recent (last coupla years) Baltic/Frisian/Netherlands/German Bight charts ?

Have found the NV. and Delius Klasing packs-but 70-80 Euros a pack is slightly eye-watering. Don't get me wrong, they seem good value, but the 2nd hand option would be better

Kirsty.

 

[AliM]

If you are going inside the Frisian islands, don't economise - buy this year's charts. The channels change quite frequently. Using 2-year old charts (plus up-to-date chartplotter charts) last year, we found 3 new islands had appeared and one channel (that we used) had shifted northwards by over a mile! One of the island lighthouse keepers said the charts were usually out of date by the time they were printed, each February.

Having said that, it's a lovely area to sail, and beautifully buoyed - just be well prepared!
Get the Dutch tidal flow atlas, too - it makes the calculations of where you can go very easy.

If you are going outside, then you can get away with the ones which cover a much larger area, including small chartlets (or even those in Reeds) for each of the harbours you may visit. Bear in mind, though, that even those channels move frequently. We failed to get into Wangerooge a few years ago because the buoys marking the channel had been moved by about a mile since Reeds and our chart had been printed.

 

[mollyoxford]

Sound advice!

Unfortunately Molly draws 5ft - bit much for inside the islands, so outside it will need to be. I will make sure to get the Dutch tidal flow atlas - sounds mighty handy.

 

[AliM]

You could do Den Helder - Oudeschilde - Oost Vlieland or West Terschelling with a draft of 5' if you want to have a taste of the area. Or go between the islands to the mainland - somewhere like Harlingen or Lawersoog.

The buoys are excellent - the problem tends to be to make sure you are following the right ones, and haven't missed a twist in the channel by heading for the next but one.

If you have got plenty of time, then you may as well wander a bit. The first time we went, we were going to Denmark so did it in a few long hops, but the area was so appealing we've been back to explore nearly every year since!

 

[mollyoxford]

ordered most of them new now...

We will just see what strikes our fancy when we are over there. And what the weather is doing of course! I have been Amsterdam(ish, I forget the exact spot)-Hoorn-Edam-Einkhuizen-Den Helder-Lowestoft before, back in 2005.

I have (perhaps foolishly) gone ahead and ordered most of the charts I think I will need new anyway. So if any suitable secondhand ones do turn up, and anyone else is also heading that way, please feel free to snap them up!

 

[AliM]

I was going to suggest not getting them till you get to IJmuiden or Den Helder (or wherever), but if you've already ordered them...

Enjoy your trip - where are you going in the Baltic?

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