Channel visibility

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misterjenkins

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We've just crossed to Cherbourg for the first time and are now planning our trip back. Visibility in the channel has been poor to patchy over the last few days. We were planning to go tomorrow, but the forecast for visibility is moderate, occasionally very poor. Can anyone recommend more detailed or more than 24hr visibility forecasts?
 
Passageweather is not giving anything much, perhaps a little rain later in the day. It depends somewhat on how confident you are and what equipment you have. With radar and AIS, I don't think I would have any concerns. With AIS alone, this would depend on the experience of those on board. I have crossed without either many times, but only once with fog forecast. I was much younger then and it wasn't much fun. I think that you perhaps need to check several sources. It is sometimes easy to get scared off unnecessarily, but it also depends on the outlook later. Thursday and Friday are looking OK, but not Saturday.
 
Thanks for the reply. We have an AIS receiver, but no transmitter or radar. I wouldn't say we're totally inexperienced but it is our first crossing and the thought of crossing the shipping in fog makes us cautious / nervous
 
I came across on Sunday, and in the middle we were down to about 50m vis at some times.

All the ships transmit on AIS, so if one looks as if it's coming for you, call him up on VHF, give him your distance and bearing from him, and ask if he can see you on radar. If he hasn't give him your lat/long, or ask him nicely if he would be so good as to alter course slightly for you. They are generally very helpful.

I had one that was going nicely behind me, then he changed course to aim right at me. I called him up and asked if he had me on radar, which he did not. So I told him that I saw him change course, and would he mind changing back, to which he told me that he had altered course for another boat that had asked, but said that he would go half way back, which was fine.
 
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Thanks for all the replies. We'd got quite used to chatting with the shipping on the way over, which made the whole thing much more relaxed. Thankfully the met came through with a better forecast this evening, which now agrees with all other sources. And thanks too, I hadn't realised both windy and passage weather give fog forecasts for the channel
 
Good lick ..

My most terrifying cross channel crossing was from Calais to Dover.
We could hear five fog horns in our immediate area as we crossed the TSS

Three ahead and two behind. In the days before AIS, First Officer was on the VHF twlking to Dover CG getting targets, bearings and speeds ... I saw something in the fog and had a near heart attack then realised it was the funnel ahead... that meant the thing was passing ahead....

Then I saw the bow to my starboard......
 
misterjenkins said:
I wouldn't say we're totally inexperienced but it is our first crossing and the thought of crossing the shipping in fog makes us cautious / nervous
Click to expand...

Quite rightly so. I've had a crossing experience similar to Tomahawk's that I certainly would not wish to repeat. If you can delay your return it is much more likely to be a pleasant (and safe) experience.
 
Bobc said:
I came across on Sunday, and in the middle we were down to about 50m vis at some times.
Click to expand...

We crossed back Monday, I'd say it averaged 100m that day but was down to a boat length or two some of the time. It was grey but clear as we left Cherbourg, but clamped down shortly after and didn't lift until ten miles south of the Needles. The site I'd been looking at for wind forecasts didn't mention it, the Shipping Forecast only said "fog patches".

Our AIS receiver seems to have been getting increasingly intermittent - must admit I hadn't got round to doing much about it since we've only been pottering around the Solent recently. But on the way across to France it was dropping in and out completely, and on the return trip it mostly showed nothing, with occasional flashes of activity. So we were almost entirely dependent on the radar. Very glad of our recent upgrade to a modern unit with actual working MARPA plotting believable CPAs. Not quite as solid as you get from AIS, but a damn sight easier than doing it manually.

Pete
 
Most ships transmit AIS (except when they forget - see my post re "fast moving AIS")

Not sure if we are allowed to make recommendations on here but last year I was sat in Cherbourg waiting to come home in very dense fog and I gave the helpful guys at SWIS/Weatherweb a call and chatted it through. They could tell me real time exactly where the fog was (in this case a bank enveloping Cherbourg itself, but clear a couple of miles E/W and N of the harbour!) Impressively precise and accurate and based on their input I delayed my crossing to night time and had probably my most memorable return, with Dolphins, shooting stars and all manner of fun!

Couldn't recommend talking with a forecaster enough in your situation
 
LittleSister said:
Quite rightly so. I've had a crossing experience similar to Tomahawk's that I certainly would not wish to repeat. If you can delay your return it is much more likely to be a pleasant (and safe) experience.
Click to expand...

+1, if at all poss wait a bit, it's meant to be fun not so terrifying your crew never goes again - and that isn't the worst possible outcome...
 
LittleSister said:
Quite rightly so. I've had a crossing experience similar to Tomahawk's that I certainly would not wish to repeat. If you can delay your return it is much more likely to be a pleasant (and safe) experience.
Click to expand...

+1 we still remember our aborted in the end attempt with fog mid channel when we were in our mid/late 20's . horrible and stays with you!
 
misterjenkins said:
We've just crossed to Cherbourg for the first time and are now planning our trip back. Visibility in the channel has been poor to patchy over the last few days. We were planning to go tomorrow, but the forecast for visibility is moderate, occasionally very poor. Can anyone recommend more detailed or more than 24hr visibility forecasts?
Click to expand...

Its the season for fog/mist & mellow fruitfulness, so suggest you leave the boat there & catch a ferry.
Why risk your nerves/life/enjoyment just to rush back for the 9-5 grind, you are only indispensible to your family.
 
Thanks for all the advice. The crossing back was perfect. We could see the Isle of White from about 25 miles out, so visibility was not a problem in the end.
 
A little encouragement. Captain Tony Starling Lark is or was a channel pilot. He said he had been on the bridge of a ship at fifteen knots, with ships either side in the Dover Calais TSS, and he couldn't see half way to the bow. He said to the master "we really should slow down", the master replied "We should, but if we do we'll miss our slot in Rotterdam, I'll never work for this company again and neither will you".
 
fisherman said:
A little encouragement. Captain Tony Starling Lark is or was a channel pilot. He said he had been on the bridge of a ship at fifteen knots, with ships either side in the Dover Calais TSS, and he couldn't see half way to the bow. He said to the master "we really should slow down", the master replied "We should, but if we do we'll miss our slot in Rotterdam, I'll never work for this company again and neither will you".
Click to expand...

It must have been thick fog then, cos the track from Dover to Rotterdam would take them east ofthe TSS.
 
johnalison said:
Passageweather is not giving anything much, perhaps a little rain later in the day. It depends somewhat on how confident you are and what equipment you have. With radar and AIS, I don't think I would have any concerns. With AIS alone, this would depend on the experience of those on board. I have crossed without either many times, but only once with fog forecast. I was much younger then and it wasn't much fun. I think that you perhaps need to check several sources. It is sometimes easy to get scared off unnecessarily, but it also depends on the outlook later. Thursday and Friday are looking OK, but not Saturday.
Click to expand...

A minor and more general point.... I would guard against seeking out other sources of weather forecast to satisfy yourself it is OK to go. Your first source gave you cause for concern. It is likely you went somewhere you trust for your first forecast. If every other source said there was no risk of fog what would your assessment be? Mine would be that was still a chance of fog.
 
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