Dover to Calais - How Many Big Ships?

Gitane

Gitane

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I was hoping to do Dover to Calais in my 21 ft Vivacity this summer, but this never happened.

Now looking at next summer, probably in late July.

I am not too worried about getting to Dover, nor about the 22 or so miles to Calais as I have sailed longer trips then that.

However, I am worried about crossing the busiest shipping channel in the world.

For the fellow forumites who have done this trip before, how difficult is it to avoid shipping?

I imagine two solid walls of fast moving floating metal with minute gaps between them and captains, like fighter pilots, keeping stickers of honour on the side of their hulls for each small sailboat they manage to mow down and send to the bottom.

Over imagination I am sure, but how difficult is it, at 3 knots or so, to see ships coming down the channel and take avoiding actions and still get across in one piece.

Is it easy to do or a nail biting experience. Is AIS a must?

Gitane
 
Gitane said:
I was hoping to do Dover to Calais in my 21 ft Vivacity this summer, but this never happened.

Now looking at next summer, probably in late July.

I am not too worried about getting to Dover, nor about the 22 or so miles to Calais as I have sailed longer trips then that.

However, I am worried about crossing the busiest shipping channel in the world.

For the fellow forumites who have done this trip before, how difficult is it to avoid shipping?

I imagine two solid walls of fast moving floating metal with minute gaps between them and captains, like fighter pilots, keeping stickers of honour on the side of their hulls for each small sailboat they manage to mow down and send to the bottom.

Over imagination I am sure, but how difficult is it, at 3 knots or so, to see ships coming down the channel and take avoiding actions and still get across in one piece.

Is it easy to do or a nail biting experience. Is AIS a must?

Gitane
Click to expand...

tell Dover CG your intentions
keep a good lookout :rolleyes:
ais would help in poorer conditions but Mk 1 eyeball takes some beating
folk do swim over :D
 
I can't think of any case in the last 30 years of a saily boat being run down twix Dover and Calais! Could be wrong of course. I have never found it too difficult to go between ships and I think only on one occasion did I have to change course to go behind a ship. On a couple of crossings, nothing came even close. But obviously a good lookout and some judicial use of a hand bearing compass (or just line up the approaching ship on a stanchion - fixed bearing indicates collision!) are sensible.

I think the worst part was either end - off Dover with a breeze, the water can be decidedly lumpy off the western entrance as the tide sluices past - but it does ease off as you clear the entrance - and the other end I have always found you get let into Calais much quicker if you are the shore side (west) of the entrance channel rather than the offshore side (east of the entrance - which can be rolly anyway) as you can 'follow in a ferry' without having to cross the path of something that is preparing to leave. Now crossing the channel that runs parallel to the shore used by the Ferries can be like crossing a busy A road!
 
Right now, the ships in the Dover Strait TSS are all at least 3 miles apart in both directions.
They are doing no more than 15knots so the gaps between ships are over 10 minutes - plenty of time for a yacht to pass through.
Nevertheless, nervewracking if you have not done it before!
 
Agree with what's been said, although an AIS snapshot looks pretty daunting, in real life it's fairly straight forward.

I would tend to restrict my crossing to daylight and good vis, hang to the west of the informal ferry lanes, I don't cut the corner into Calais but hug the shore from CA2 bouy thus avoiding crossing the ferries, important to get the tide right though.

Personally I'm not a fan of Calais and much prefer Boulogne as a short crossing destination, with favourable tides its not much further or longer.
 
Agree that AIS is reassuring, but as long as you follow the maxim to always go behind a ship you can see coming you'll be fine. Gravelines if the tide is right is a much nicer destination than Calais.
 
The crossing is fine as stated above.
Do plan to arrive of Calais on a north going tide if you are not going to cut across the bank as the tide runs at over 2 knots at times.
 
Gitane said:
I imagine two solid walls of fast moving floating metal with minute gaps between them and captains, like fighter pilots, keeping stickers of honour on the side of their hulls for each small sailboat they manage to mow down and send to the bottom.
Click to expand...

Overly dramatic.

Most recent crossing: Boulogne-Ramsgate August 2012.
TSS West -> East: encountered 3 merchant vessels.
TSS East -> West: encountered 2 merchant vessels.
Off Dover, encountered 2 ferries (one leaving, one entering).

AIS not essential. Go in daylight & good vis - nothing beats eyeball Mk1 and common sense.
Whilst I'm not ecstatic about either, I would opt for Boulogne rather than Calais.
 
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It looks a lot more dangerous in the air today

f0187a393cd771ea4551dfa25a1e0a2c_zpsad6b35b5.jpg



Than in The Channel :)

54d7f1af47fd7edef5ad7c2c0a66fea2_zps77a90ad6.jpg
 
My experience is similar to many of the responders to your query - I have never found the traffic 'heavy' in the sense of a never-ending stream of ships, and I think I'm right in saying that only once in perhaps 16 crossings have I needed to alter course.
AIS is a comfort (I don't have radar) but I still won't choose to do the crossing in poor visibility.
 
Thanks all for the advice.

To summarize:-

1) Yes it's do-able in good viz and wx and the right tide.
2) AIS nice but not neccesary.
3) Boulogne and Gravelines nicer than Calais.
4) Stay on water do not fly.

Ok, it's off to France then this summer, assuming wx is better than last summer.

Gitane.
 
Gitane said:
Thanks all for the advice.

To summarize:-

1) Yes it's do-able in good viz and wx and the right tide.
2) AIS nice but not neccesary.
3) Boulogne and Gravelines nicer than Calais.
4) Stay on water do not fly.

Ok, it's off to France then this summer, assuming wx is better than last summer.

Gitane.
Click to expand...

from Gravelines its a short hop to Niewpoort & then even shorter to Oostende.
Go for it ;)
 
I've been doing one or other crossing most years since 1978 and I still get the jitters before I leave. That may be why I'm still here to tell the tale.

Statistically, you could cross Dover-Boulogne or whichever, a dozen times with your eyes shut with little chance of hitting anything, but somehow it doesn't always feel that way. My experience is that once I am out there I am too busy enjoying myself to worry excessively, so my advice is to take the sensible precautions mentioned above and enjoy the pleasures of planning, preparation, departure and arrival.
 
The shipping wiii be surprisingly sparse,you will wonder what the fuss was. Planning your tides is key,neaps is easier,and the wind against the tide can create a big, steep chop out of nothing when the tide turns.Don't cut over the Sandettie bank and get battered about as I did! In Gravelines they are building a 17th century square-rigger, worth a look.Plan and go,plenty of buoys,have a listen to VHF11 for tugs with long tows etc.cheers Jerry
 
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