Crossing the North Sea

[paul salliss]

You hear a lot of stories of Solent based owners heading west, but I never seem to hear of people doing extended cruises going east, has anyone done any cruising and gone across the North Sea, I would be really interested to know what routes or itineraries you undertook, many thanks

 

[Solitaire]

Yup, several times. A chart, almanac and tide atlas help. Don't rely on the chart plotter to do the planning. Good old fashioned pencil and ruler is much better. Because when it all goes tits up, you have your passage plan on paper.

 

[oGaryo]

Yup, several times. A chart, almanac and tide atlas help. Don't rely on the chart plotter to do the planning. Good old fashioned pencil and ruler is much better. Because when it all goes tits up, you have your passage plan on paper.

mmmmm, sorry for the thread drift but in an electronic age where electronic systems back up electronic systems within all manner of critical applications, do we really need to keep pushing the 'good old paper' chart as a must do thing?. What's wrong with having a handheld, IPAD, PC etc as a back up to the primary nav system?

 

[Whitelighter]

mmmmm, sorry for the thread drift but in an electronic age where electronic systems back up electronic systems within all manner of critical applications, do we really need to keep pushing the 'good old paper' chart as a must do thing?. What's wrong with having a handheld, IPAD, PC etc as a back up to the primary nav system?

You haven't read the lightning strike thread then...

 

[symondo]

Im by no means putting this out as a primary solution, but any recommended app for android?

 

[oGaryo]

You haven't read the lightning strike thread then...

nope

 

[sailorman]

travelling from the solent to say Holland you do not cross the North Sea

 

[Whitelighter]

nope

Perhaps you should

 

[rafiki_]

nope

On here a day or so ago, Spannerman, our Nordic friend.

 

[oGaryo]

Perhaps you should

you're going to have to elaborate, why?

 

[Whitelighter]

Short story, lightning strike on/near a nimbus knocked out just about every electrical device on board. Nav, radar, even the stereo.

Doesn't even need to be a direct hit. We had a close tower strike recently that knocked out most of our equipment for about 20 minutes

 

[oGaryo]

On here a day or so ago, Spannerman, our Nordic friend.

was that the one about all onboard systems being fried by a lightening strike? if so, I still don't get it Paul.

a) the chances of a strike wouldn't convince me to write my passage plan on a paper chart every time I went out. 1 in a million chance etc etc

b) Ipads, PC's, handhelds would likely be unaffected.

c) In Spannerman's scenario, how to navigate along a passage would have been the last thing on my mind at the time, how to summon help to get me off a dead boat would have been my first concern

 

[paul salliss]

I never mentioned Holland, or posted anything about navigation or apps?????????????? So was just interested in long range east bound cruises / let's start again

 

[sailorman]

I never mentioned Holland, or posted anything about navigation or apps?????????????? So was just interested in long range east bound cruises / let's start again

Harwich>Belgium steer 130 deg for 72 miles job done

 

[rafiki_]

was that the one about all onboard systems being fried by a lightening strike? if so, I still don't get it Paul.

a) the chances of a strike wouldn't convince me to write my passage plan on a paper chart every time I went out. 1 in a million chance etc etc

b) Ipads, PC's, handhelds would likely be unaffected.

c) In Spannerman's scenario, how to navigate along a passage would have been the last thing on my mind at the time, how to summon help to get me off a dead boat would have been my first concern

I agree with you Gary, if cruising in local well known waters, but this thread is about crossing the North Sea, and I think it quite good practice to have a passage plan written down, and shared with someone, just in case of that 1 millionth chance.

 

[oGaryo]

Short story, lightning strike on/near a nimbus knocked out just about every electrical device on board. Nav, radar, even the stereo.

Doesn't even need to be a direct hit. We had a close tower strike recently that knocked out most of our equipment for about 20 minutes

see my reply to Paul on this one... I'm not saying don't have paper charts on board (I do) but using them every time you go on a passage worth plotting? I guess I'm questioning that thinking when there are so many other alternatives these days. I'm not saying I'm right but a lightening strike isn't a convincing argument for doing so in my humble opinion

 

[Whitelighter]

I never mentioned Holland, or posted anything about navigation or apps?????????????? So was just interested in long range east bound cruises / let's start again

The holland/German Coast to the Kiel canal is nice, then the canal itself throughout I the Kattegat and Scandinavia beyond is a brilliant cruising ground. You can be in Northern Sweden in a long weekend

 

[oGaryo]

I agree with you Gary, if cruising in local well known waters, but this thread is about crossing the North Sea, and I think it quite good practice to have a passage plan written down, and shared with someone, just in case of that 1 millionth chance.

completely agree but that doesn't mean it has to be on paper, in fact, the sharing aspect makes putting in electronically on a PC, website, Ipad and the like even more compelling don't you think?

 

[Whitelighter]

see my reply to Paul on this one... I'm not saying don't have paper charts on board (I do) but using them every time you go on a passage worth plotting? I guess I'm questioning that thinking when there are so many other alternatives these days. I'm not saying I'm write but a lightening strike isn't a convincing argument for doing so in my humble opinion

Depends where your going.

Round the Solent or anywhere else familiar I don't do a passage plan.

If I'm going a long way or somewhere I've never been before I certainly look up all the details in the almanac before I go , work out what time I want to get there and get frequencies or details for mooring plus the pilotage on how to get in. Plotter or not, once you have done that it doesn't take much to just note it down.

 

[rafiki_]

completely agree but that doesn't mean it has to be on paper, in fact, the sharing aspect makes putting in electronically on a PC, website, Ipad and the like even more compelling don't you think?

I'm a bit more Luddite than you Gary. While the electronic stuff is great, I think plotting a new course on a chart then transferring it gives me a bit more confidence, as I can then visualise it. Not saying you are wrong though, as there is personal choice and experience involved.