Cuxhaven then East past Friesans - planning

[PaulReds]

Hi

We're sailing back to the UK via Kiel canal and will have overnight stop in Cuxhaven in late June. We plan to go East from there to North of Friesans ideally sailing only in the day. We have draft of 1.7m and most of the ports along the Friesans are not readily accessible or safe. Our current plan is to go to Lauerswoog but this looks too far as at effective 5 knots it will take about 25 hours.

We'd plan to leave Cuxhaven at about 0430 on soon after high water.

Any suggestions? Thanks

Paul

 

[joha]

Hi

We're sailing back to the UK via Kiel canal and will have overnight stop in Cuxhaven in late June. We plan to go East from there to North of Friesans ideally sailing only in the day. We have draft of 1.7m and most of the ports along the Friesans are not readily accessible or safe. Our current plan is to go to Lauerswoog but this looks too far as at effective 5 knots it will take about 25 hours.

We'd plan to leave Cuxhaven at about 0430 on soon after high water.

Any suggestions? Thanks

Paul

Last time I did thgat it was Brunsbuttel - Den Helder but that involves an overnight passage you could stop in at Borkum though.

J

 

[garvellachs]

Shallow but manageable

We sailed that way in 2007 and went from Cuxhaven to Norderney. Out on the ebb and in on the flood. No trouble in a day. We came out on the ebb though (too lazy to get up earlier and we wanted the flood to take us up the Eems R) and got a bit lost in the shallow channels going west - you need the latest local chart and a good plan. We went on to Delfzijl and through the canals to Iujmuiden.

 

[johnalison]

Assuming you mean West, there are a few options. One is Heligoland. Although it can get crowded and a bit chaotic. It is a fascinating place, with the attraction of close views of nesting sea-birds and the cheapest duty-free you are likely to find. There is a ship rotary system south west of the island and you mustn't contravene the regs.

Our usual stop is Norderney. Both channels had over 2m at datum last year. Although lit, I wouldn't recommend entering the Dovetief in the dark as the lights won't keep you in the deepest water. The harbour is well-appointed and the harbourmasters friendly and helpful. the island is also worth exploring a bit and is a good place to wait out bad weather.

Borkum is a bit out of the way. The marina is shallow and a bit grotty, so you should go to the main harbour. I don't know the place well but the harbourmaster's wife showed me her etchings.

Lauersoog is OK and has a newish outer harbour. It is best in low season as the runners on the posts for mooring lines are too short and liable to jam. They have a tally card system that won't accept our cards. The lock stops working about 7pm but the marina inside is quite pleasant. Note the the tide runs strongly in and out and the old eastern gat is no longer marked and shallow, though I did see one small boat going that way.

There are several ways on from there, according to the weather. Vlieland is nice but a bit pricy as it is a favourite weekend spot. Harlingen is worth visiting anyway. There is a yacht club with moorings behind the town but you are probably too deep.

Den Helder is a handy stop. The club cafe serves good cheap nosh.

 

[AliM]

Like Johnalison said...

In Cuxhaven, consider the marina in Amerikahaven, rather than the usual one - very cheap, a bit quirky, closer to the town.

Cuxhaven - Nordeney is a long day, so we stopped at Wangeroog, but that could be a bit shallow for you and the devious buoyed channel is a bit worrying. After that, Borkum is easy - but use the main harbour after the marina. The marina restaurant is good, but the marina is run down and silting up - avoid. The sailing club in the main harbour there has a very friendly harbourmaster, with a cheerful Glaswegian wife (and some good beer). Borkum to Lauersoog is a good day's sail. I'd advise doing that rather than the canals from Delfzijl (although we have used them a few times) because it takes ages to get through all the bridges in Groningen. You can get into the canals at Lawersoog - a bit slow but very easy in bad weather, and Leuwarden is a bit slow. Have lots of change for bruggeld (collected in a clog on a string by a few of the towns' bridges). If the weather is good, though, try Nes on Ameland (a long way in, but a nice island), then Harlingen (lovely town) and Den Helder (the marina in the Navy dock, which as John says has good cheap nosh). Or nip into the IJselmeer either after Ameland or Harlingen and head down to Amsterdam and Ijmuiden, maybe via some of the towns like Lemmer, Hoorn, Marken etc - loads of choices!

Enjoy it, it's a lovely trip.

 

[ctelfer38]

To UK from Kiel

Hi

We're sailing back to the UK via Kiel canal and will have overnight stop in Cuxhaven in late June. We plan to go East from there to North of Friesans ideally sailing only in the day. We have draft of 1.7m and most of the ports along the Friesans are not readily accessible or safe. Our current plan is to go to Lauerswoog but this looks too far as at effective 5 knots it will take about 25 hours.

We'd plan to leave Cuxhaven at about 0430 on soon after high water.

Any suggestions? Thanks

Paul

Hi there, If you are planning to make passage to the West outside the Frisians, I would suggest you reconsider your plan to day sail only. This will have you looking for a harbour at the end of a potentilly long and tiring day sail on a coastline with few options. If you choose a good weather window covering 36 hours and kick into a good watchkeeping routine throughout the day as well as night you can have a rewarding day/night sail from Cuxhaven to Den Helder along an easy coastal route. This way you will encounter the worst of the shipping by day as they entr/leave the Ems etc. Also make sure that there will be no likelihood of bad weather from the Northern quadrant as the whole coastline is untenable in strong Northerlies.
Hope it goes well for you.
CBT

 

[PaulReds]

We sailed that way in 2007 and went from Cuxhaven to Norderney. Out on the ebb and in on the flood. No trouble in a day. We came out on the ebb though (too lazy to get up earlier and we wanted the flood to take us up the Eems R) and got a bit lost in the shallow channels going west - you need the latest local chart and a good plan. We went on to Delfzijl and through the canals to Iujmuiden.

Thanks for this - very helpful. We thought Norderney looked a little tricky which you found. After that we plan to do route you took.
Paul

 

[johnalison]

This way you will encounter the worst of the shipping by day as they entr/leave the Ems etc.

Horses for courses, but we hardly ever see any shipping at the Ems. There can be quite a lot at the Jade/Weser though, which can sometimes go in odd directions, as well as a busy anchorage.

We have never had any trouble doing the 60 miles Cux-Norderney, though we often seem to start at 4 in the morning.

 

[Seven Spades]

Can't you go to Helgoland then thence inside to Amsterdam follow the canalls back out and then cross the North Sea?

 

[ctelfer38]

Cux to Den Helder

Horses for courses, but we hardly ever see any shipping at the Ems. There can be quite a lot at the Jade/Weser though, which can sometimes go in odd directions, as well as a busy anchorage.

We have never had any trouble doing the 60 miles Cux-Norderney, though we often seem to start at 4 in the morning.

Hi, No argument with any of that. You are right - the Jade/Weser can be the busiest. Done that bit many times and always glad to get through that area in good conditions. I merely wished to air the view that if the OP wants to make distance ,then a non-stop Cux to Den Helder should not be dismissed out of any fear of night passages along this coastline. If the aim is to take in the scenery en route that's another matter.
Are you currently sailing in this area? I am thinking of making another trip this summer from the South Coast up to the Baltic and always glad to hear of others doing the same.
CBT

 

[johnalison]

Are you currently sailing in this area? I am thinking of making another trip this summer from the South Coast up to the Baltic and always glad to hear of others doing the same.
CBT

Probably not this year. We've been there two years in a row and have vaguely arranged to go west for a change. Things could change if the weather looks silly though as we have always had much better in the Baltic.

 

[AliM]

We will be going to the Baltic this year. We leave next week, but we'll wait for good weather (probably in Lowestoft) before crossing to IJmuiden. Then we'll hop along the islands (or possibly through the IJsselmeer) in day sails. It's a pity to hurry past some of the lovely places en route. However, we have twin keels, so we have the option of the Waddensea routes as well. Maybe we'll see some of you along the way!

 

[micha571]

We did the trip in april 2011, when we bought our boat in the UK and sailed her to her new home in Germany. We sailed from Levington to Vlieland, and from there to Brunsbüttel/Kiel Canal. To Vlieland took about 30hrs, to Brunsbüttel about 24hrs. Was a bit cold in April, but a great trip.

www.teamswashbuckler.com

 

[johnalison]

We did the trip in april 2011, when we bought our boat in the UK and sailed her to her new home in Germany. We sailed from Levington to Vlieland, and from there to Brunsbüttel/Kiel Canal. To Vlieland took about 30hrs, to Brunsbüttel about 24hrs

That sounds about right. I've done it from Walton-Brunsbuttel a couple of times in 50/51 hours. If you leave before HW here you get to the Elbe at change of tide if you're lucky. Nothing like so easy the other way.

 

[WindyOut]

Great advice so far. I'd agree with it all, except that the shipping in the Jade and Weser approaches will probably not be anything of a problem in the outer reaches which you'll be crossing.

I'm a daysailing man too. Drawing 1.70 puts Wangerooge off-limits to all intents and purposes, so - ignoring Helgoland - your best first-stop is Norderney (don't go slogging all the way to Borkum or Lauwersoog, you're here to have fun), and you'd better enter on a rising tide, just to be sure.

The problem with Norderney from Cuxhaven is that arriving at, say, local HW -2 hrs means fighting a foul tide in the Elbe, and that's ridiculous, even in the outer reaches.

My recommendation is to avoid Cuxhaven by diverting to starboard off the Kiel Canal at Rendsburg onto the Eider. This will take you, via lifting bridges and pretty countryside, to the Eider estuary at 54° 15.9N 8° 50.5E . From there, it's a straight 70 nm passage to the Norderney approach buoy (about 14 hours if you manage an average of 5 kn through the water (you'll experience both fair and foul tides but, being outside the Elbe, they're unlikely to be more than 1 to 1.5 kn. By my reckoning, to arrive at the Norderney approach buoy at local HW -2 (HW Cux -3) you'd have to leave the Eider around HW Cux -4 hrs and push a foul tide for the first 15 miles.

But I think this is a worthwhile option for you. Fair winds,

WindyOut

 

[johnalison]

But I think this is a worthwhile option for you. Fair winds,

WindyOut

I've not done the Eider route (but I know a man who has). You need settled weather for this as you go through some exposed water with no chance of turning back. I have heard that it is very attractive though.

 

[ctelfer38]

Baltic to Uk and reverse.

I've not done the Eider route (but I know a man who has). You need settled weather for this as you go through some exposed water with no chance of turning back. I have heard that it is very attractive though.

At the risk of Fred Drift, seems like more of us are doing this route to and from the UK than in earlier days. Good to hear about others and perhaps we could hear more - short of establishing a Baltic forum!!
CBT

 

[Cíaróg Eile]

Thanks for sharing folks. I'm planning to make this passage next week en route from Helsingborg to Galway on a boat with a 2.5m draft. Options to shelter en route from Cuxhaven to Den Elder in ablow look very limited with a boatwith a deep keel

 

[johnalison]

Thanks for sharing folks. I'm planning to make this passage next week en route from Helsingborg to Galway on a boat with a 2.5m draft. Options to shelter en route from Cuxhaven to Den Elder in ablow look very limited with a boatwith a deep keel

The Dovetief to Norderney is usually about 2.5m though I once found 5 at datum. It is usually a safe entrance, though you will need to take more care with the tide than me at 1.6m draft. Although lit, it is not easy to negotiate in the dark. The Sluchter or western channel is 2m and usually easy because it is invariably high water when one passes through, to or from the west. Helgoland, of course is safe, but a bit out of the way, though worth visiting for its own sake and the duty-free, but the route needs planning to avoid the shipping roundabout.

Borkum is not really a good option and if necessary it would be better to go up to Delfzij. I don't think you would have any trouble going in to Lauewsoog, though it is a bit out of the way and you are too deep to transit the canals. The outer harbour is tidal and I can't remember how deep it is but there is mud around, though you wouldn't come to harm. It's ages since I went to Vlieland but it is probably accessible at mid-tide. The tidal range in the area is usually around 2.5m.