Crossing the Thames Estuary - advice please...

[Otter]

The journey is Southwold to Ramsgate. We'd pretty much got the timings about right going from Harwich and on the way back would often have 80-90 percent favourable tides but now we're in Southwold it seems to be much more difficult. We set off on July 9th and Dover HW is 12.20 BST. We're flexible about waiting a day or two though but have a rule of no nighttime passages. We maintain a through the water speed of 5-6 knots.

No matter what I do I can't seem to avoid either a fierce tide bash down the Suffolk coast or almost as bad against the North Foreland stream.

Any suggestions for a departure time?

 

[LittleSister]

Break the trip with a nice night at anchor in Walton Backwaters, or somewhere, perhaps?

 

[Hadenough]

You need an overnight in Harwich.

 

[Bru]

Going outside the Goodwins and using PC Planner as I do I'd depart Southwold at 04:00UT with an eta at 5 knots of 18:33UT

You get a foul tide on the leg past the Thanet wind farm but overall you gain about an hour from the tides

Over that distance you're gonna get a foul tide somewhere anyway, it's just a question of picking your poison you could leave an hour or two later and it won't make a huge difference to your overall passage time, between 04:00UT and 06:00UT is the optimum window

Be aware, if you're not already, that you need to ring Dover Marina in advance to make sure there's no entry restrictions due to the redevelopment works (also, there is apparently no anchoring in the outer harbour during the works)

 

[Bru]

You need an overnight in Harwich.

Or only go as far as Ramsgit

Or both!

 

[Biggles Wader]

Going outside the Goodwins and using PC Planner as I do I'd depart Southwold at 04:00UT with an eta at 5 knots of 18:33UT

You get a foul tide on the leg past the Thanet wind farm but overall you gain about an hour from the tides

Over that distance you're gonna get a foul tide somewhere anyway, it's just a question of picking your poison you could leave an hour or two later and it won't make a huge difference to your overall passage time, between 04:00UT and 06:00UT is the optimum window

Be aware, if you're not already, that you need to ring Dover Marina in advance to make sure there's no entry restrictions due to the redevelopment works (also, there is apparently no anchoring in the outer harbour during the works)

I wouldn't bother ringing Dover marina if I was going to Ramsgate though.:encouragement:

 

[Bru]

I wouldn't bother ringing Dover marina if I was going to Ramsgate though.:encouragement:

OK, good point, good point. My bad! I've got Dover on the brain it seems probably because I've had three conversations about going to Dover today!

I shall go and give myself a smack upside the head and start again ...

 

[Bru]

OK, so going from Southwold to RAMSGATE <thud> I'd leave at 04:00UT (as before!) with an eta at 5kts of 15:18UT

You could leave an hour later but the passage would take 20mins longer

 

[Bru]

That is bang on LW at Southwold though, not sure if that would be a problem (it would be iffy for us with our draught I suspect)

 

[Major_Clanger]

You'll have a foul tide somewhere along the route, no escaping it. I'd base the plan on the forecast; I'd rather go round the corner with wind and tide together, so if the wind's up channel then I'd rather have a fair tide and fight against it at the beginning of the journey on the Suffolk coast.

Either that or anchor off Harwich old town for the night and go for a curry!

 

[Otter]

That is bang on LW at Southwold though, not sure if that would be a problem (it would be iffy for us with our draught I suspect)

Yes a good call, the tides are pretty springy then as well, so better to leave it an hour after LW - should be fine for us with 1.4m draft. What does the departure time go to if the speed through the water is 5.5k rather than 5k?

 

[Bru]

Leaving at 05:00UT and at 5.5kts the passage time is 10:34 with an eta of 15:34UT

 

[Otter]

Thanks, that's an hour after LW and a decent passage time. What program are you using to do the calculations?

 

[Bru]

Thanks, that's an hour after LW and a decent passage time. What program are you using to do the calculations?

PC Plotter and Navionics charts and tide data

I've hand checked it on a number of occasions and it's in the ball park (neither is ever going to be entirely accurate after all)

 

[Spuddy]

Ah but the prompt about Dover was good for me. I'm going round the corner on Friday heading for Dover. Forgot about all the remodelling going on. Thanks Bru

 

[Bru]

Ah but the prompt about Dover was good for me. I'm going round the corner on Friday heading for Dover. Forgot about all the remodelling going on. Thanks Bru

My senior moment had its uses then!

 

[Otter]

Silly o'clock start is what makes a passage feel like a passage

 

[LittleSister]

Silly o'clock start is what makes a passage feel like a passage

Aye, 'tis true!