Deben to Ostende

Otter

Otter

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We set sail on Saturday/Sunday for Belgium and then on to Holland. We had planned to go via Ramsgate to keep the individual legs short for the youngest (3yo). But looking at my Navionics plotter the trip to Ostende is only 70 miles from the Deben SWM. The course looks very simple - straight line to Ostende cuts the shipping lanes at right angles, and it looks relatively easily to manage the XTE. The journey via Ramsgate gives a leaving time of 4.30am so we thought, why not leave then and go straight to Belgium???

What do you think, have we over simplyfied things?
 
Just make sure you're not fighting the tide when you're off Ostend - don't know how that would work out as you also need to take the Deben bar into account.
 
I went to Ostende for the first time 2 years ago and went straight across. I can't see the benefit of hopping via Ramsgate as it's much easier to go direct. Even from Bradwell via Long Sand Head only takes 15 - 16 hours so from the Deben it should be less than that. I like to leave very early morning so as to only have a couple of hours of dark and to get there in daylight and in time for a beer before dindins.

Good luck.
 
We went straight to Ostende direct from The Deben at the end of May.
We go round the top of the shipping lane off Ostend through the West Hidder anchorage.
This give a straight line route from the Woodbridge Safe Water Buoy.
We crossed the bar about mid tide and made about 5 knots over the ground.
When we arrived off Ostende we found a strong SW tide flow to the point that we had to head up about 25 degrees to hold our course.
 
You do have to do a slight dogleg to cross the DWR near to Oostende.I usually go to Zeebrugge.This is more or less a straight line and you are nearer the Westeschelde for entry to Vliss or further.This year we went from Zeebrugge past Breskens and Terneuzen and into the canal at Hansweet and on to Goes in one leg.Tide timing is critical though to take advantage of flood.
 
The leading lights on the entrance to Ostend are now on a bearing closer to 140 than the charted 128. This is due to the major works being undertaken on the breakwaters.
 
If the tide has a strong SW or NW set a few miles out of Oostende, would it make sense then to change course for Nieuwpoort (our favourite Belgian port) or Zeebrugge depending on tide direction, and I know about the shoals off Nieuwpoort - or should we just plug on? There's no harm I think going to Nieuwpoort as the run up the coast to Flushing has a 7 knot tide which will easily take us there in one hop. The departure time is pretty fixed since I agree we need to arrive in daylight to avoid a tired nigt time landall if possible. 4.30am depart, 20.30 arrival at 5k. But I suspect 4.5k VMG is more likely - we are packed to the brim with summer holiday gear! So maybe 02.30 is a better time to set off :(

We've sailed hundreds of miles in our fantastic Muddy Paws but they've all been day or night sails along the coast so we are very nervous about such a long trip out of sight of land. I know that's stupidly subjective and I've sailed many times out of sight of land before, but with my two yougest children on board it just feels different.
 
Wunja said:
The leading lights on the entrance to Ostend are now on a bearing closer to 140 than the charted 128. This is due to the major works being undertaken on the breakwaters.
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Thanks for that tip, we arrived there from Zeebrugge one night 4 years ago when we misjudged the weather then got pounded by the waves - is it true they've put in a wave break?
 
Muddy Paws said:
If the tide has a strong SW or NW set a few miles out of Oostende, would it make sense then to change course for Nieuwpoort (our favourite Belgian port) or Zeebrugge depending on tide direction, and I know about the shoals off Nieuwpoort - or should we just plug on? There's no harm I think going to Nieuwpoort as the run up the coast to Flushing has a 7 knot tide which will easily take us there in one hop. The departure time is pretty fixed since I agree we need to arrive in daylight to avoid a tired nigt time landall if possible. 4.30am depart, 20.30 arrival at 5k. But I suspect 4.5k VMG is more likely - we are packed to the brim with summer holiday gear! So maybe 02.30 is a better time to set off :(

We've sailed hundreds of miles in our fantastic Muddy Paws but they've all been day or night sails along the coast so we are very nervous about such a long trip out of sight of land. I know that's stupidly subjective and I've sailed many times out of sight of land before, but with my two yougest children on board it just feels different.
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I know exactly how you feel as i have 3 young ones myself.
There is not a problem with the trip which is extremely straightforward, provided you are confident in crossing the bar at night (cats dont draw much i know) I would leave as early as the tide allows.
Just be careful with the weather, if it is a bit rough it can be very stressful as you are worrying about making there life a misery.
It is easier to go straight across and with a GPS absolutely straight forward. Add a couple of hours and you could go to Vlisingen direct, I got into the middlesburg canal and parked up alongside a bridge for the night on one occasion, so you dont have to worry about marinas etc.
With young kids the veersmere is brilliant, just down the bottom are a number of small islands which you can anchor off and they are just great for the kids.
Go for it, there is nothing to fear except fear itself.
 
Our first trip some years ago with the kids was nervously anticipated - we had a 28 footer at the time. Pick your weather window carefully and you'll be fine. Totally agree with DavidFox - once over and you've enjoyed the delights of Oostende, head for vlissingen and into the canals - middleburg is a great stop and the veersemeer is fab too. Goes (pronounced hoose) has a fabulous swimming complex complete with flume rides that our kids still love
 
We're headed for the Versemeer, last time we just passed through but this time we plan to stay for ten days or so and explore.

New problem now - all the forecast sites have naff all wind for Sunday after about midday. I know it's six days away, so come on Guapa, give me a forecast!
 
Muddy Paws said:
Thanks for that tip, we arrived there from Zeebrugge one night 4 years ago when we misjudged the weather then got pounded by the waves - is it true they've put in a wave break?
Click to expand...

Its a work in progress. You need to be aware of heavy plant (shore and water based) dropping big bits of rock into the water.
 
Its absolutely true that a young crew makes your passage planning more cautious.... and rightly so.

The Oostende run is very straightforward... lots of sound advice above..

I'd not get too hung up on the set off Oostende.... just take a look half way across the north sea at the VMG you are achieving, and at the tide predictions, and alter your course the few degrees neccessary either way to make sure you arrive in the right place!

As has been already pointed out.. the Veersermeer is fantastic for kids... both mine have loved it on every occasion we've visited, and still do!
 
Muddy Paws said:
We're headed for the Versemeer, last time we just passed through but this time we plan to stay for ten days or so and explore.

New problem now - all the forecast sites have naff all wind for Sunday after about midday. I know it's six days away, so come on Guapa, give me a forecast!
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to be honest with young kids, naff all winds is second best to 3-4's in the right direction, as long as the engine is ok.
I get accused of wanting to sail too much!!!!! (strange but true, i know, but she keeps looking at mobo's!) but better driving there than making everyone ill.
 
Can only second what has already been saids. The navigation is pretty straightforward and I have never found the tides too difficult to deal with. Next Ostend trip we will have all 4 aboard :S.
 
& from Southwold......

Sorry to res this thread but it appears I need to post a few times before I'm trusted to create.

With Southwold SC AGM due in a few days I wanted to announce that we intend to cancel dinghy sailing for a weekend and use these people to crew up our small fleet of cruisers for a run over to Oostende.

Thankful for the advice gleaned above I was wondering if any other local-ish clubs run a similar event that we could tag along with.

A couple of our Cruiser skippers are well experienced with this and further journeys but four or five are somewhat nervous of the prospect and so selling this event would be a lot easier if I could tell them that a number of other boats would be going as well.

Although this is well in advance I need to get this in the club Calendar for next year but was thinking of a May or June crossing but obviously will change to fit with an established event.

Cheers
 
Javelin said:
Sorry to res this thread but it appears I need to post a few times before I'm trusted to create.

With Southwold SC AGM due in a few days I wanted to announce that we intend to cancel dinghy sailing for a weekend and use these people to crew up our small fleet of cruisers for a run over to Oostende.

Thankful for the advice gleaned above I was wondering if any other local-ish clubs run a similar event that we could tag along with.

A couple of our Cruiser skippers are well experienced with this and further journeys but four or five are somewhat nervous of the prospect and so selling this event would be a lot easier if I could tell them that a number of other boats would be going as well.

Although this is well in advance I need to get this in the club Calendar for next year but was thinking of a May or June crossing but obviously will change to fit with an established event.

Cheers
Click to expand...

Welcome to ECF.
It is quite well documented that we have a end of May Bank Hioliday weekend run to Oostende, which happily coincides with their Voor Anker Festival.
I escorted a first timer this year, and it has been done on several occasions over the past 5 or 6 years.
As you will realise, this is not a club, and we have no 'organisation' as such, but we are a self help group of likeminded individuals.
 
Thanks I'll get this down in the Club Diary.
Voor Anker Festival looks like great fun.
As I said earlier we have a number of yachts at Southwold but apart from a couple of intrepid explorers the majority have largely got out of the habit of going anywhere other than short little trips up or down the coast so this event may well spark a bit more enthusiasm.

I'm a dinghy racer and have only just purchased my first little yacht (Pandora 700) so currently my enthusiasm is on a high.
 
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