Final stupid post on this trip, honest

[NUTMEG]

So we are all set for the trip to Ramsgate.

Moving Rose from Maldon to Bradwell tomorrow (Sat) to be ready for the off on Sunday morning.

Studied CTTE book and come up with passage plans for both directions (back Monday)

Forecast look OK



I apologise for pestering you salty sea dog types but this will be the longest trip we have ever undertaken. I am just trying to avoid silly mistakes.

We have
Compass
DSC/VHF/AIS
Chart plotter
Charts
Pilot books
Ipad with Navionics to back up CP
H/H VHF
DINGHY AND OB
Coastal flare pack
LJ's for everyone
Full tanks of fuel
Spare filters and tool kit
NAV LIGHTS
anchor with 100' of 8mm chain plus warp
Kedge with 5m chain and warp
Etc etc

Boat is a 28' Colvic Watson ketch with a 50hp Volvo Penta,with 600 hours. Fully serviced at end of last season, 27 hours since then.

My son and I have both done shore based Dayskippet and VHF courses

Plan is to overnight in Ramsgate and escort Jamie in his Cirrus back to Bradwell, now cleaned, tank removed and new filters etc. depth sounder and compass fitted etc

Estimate entering the Blackwater around 7pm Monday eve

Should I inform coastguard of our passage plan or will they think me a muppet?

Anything I have forgotten?

I know, I know, stop worrying and enjoy it!

 

[ChattingLil]

I think that even I (worryguts) would be happy to go with that level of prep!

 

[Santana379]

Should I inform coastguard of our passage plan or will they think me a muppet?!

Inform Thames Coastguard by all means - it will probaby make you more confident. Assuming you do it over the VHF write it out first, including the spelling of your boat name, so you don't get caught out. The coastguard will do nothing if you don't arrive though, so tell a shore contact your basic passage plan, an ETA, the phone number for the coastguard, and the time after your ETA you'd like them to alert the coastguard to your non arrival. Don't forget to call the shore contact when you get in. Thames will certainly not think you're a muppet. Hope you've got good waterproofs this weekend.

I always give them a passage plan if I'm crossing the North Sea, the Channel, or the Estuary.

As somebody once said, stop worrying and enjoy it!

 

[LittleSister]

I wish to complain about the thread title. I was mislead - there is no stupid post!

Seriously, you sound well prepared.

Maybe even too well prepared, planning wise: Don't allow yourself to be dictated to by your planned schedule. Leave (both ends) only if it feels right, and expect to arrive when you get there. Your anticipated arrival in the Blackwater 'around 7pm' sounds suspiciously precise to me! As Tillergirl nicely put it on another thread recently 'it's a passage plan, not a train timetable'. Me, I'd count it as a win if I got back the day I was planning, let alone the hour!

Have a great trip.

 

[MoodySabre]

You have forgotten the sandwiches and tea! Stop now before its too late.

You'll be fine. It's these trip that make us progress. Fair winds and we look forward to the video.

 

[johnalison]

When we did this trip in our Cirrus in 1972 we had a compass and er, nothing much else, oh yes, we had charts and a Walker log. We managed to get there and back.

 

[stevebrassett]

Apologies if you already know this, but you should get permission from Ramsgate Port Control on Ch 14 before entering the harbour, and you can then contact the marina on Ch 80 for a berth. You also need to contact Port Control on the way out.

I only know this because I went into Ramsgate for the first time a few weeks ago. A nice place.

 

[ianfr]

Go for it. Actually its a rather boring trip IMHO!
But then what do I know?

Enjoy

Ian

 

[NUTMEG]

Ah, boredom I can deal with. Extreme excitement, panic and so on I like to avoid!

Will certainly film the passage.

Thanks all.

Steve

 

[NUTMEG]

Well just to finish things off.

Moved boat to Bradwell (isn't the fuel expensive!) ready for the off on Sunday morning.

Had a great trip via Fulgers and the wind farm. Very choppy crossing to North Foreland but clearly the boat can cope with much worse. Mind you, it's true that CW roll! Even tried the genny and mizzen, helped a bit but the motion is rather unusual.

Overnight in Ramsgate, refuels (cheaper than Bradwell). Set off about 11:30 and had a favourable tide most of the way home. Brilliant. 7kts OTG

THEN MADE A STUPID MISTAKE. my old mum wanted to overnight in Pyefleet, our plan had been for West Mersea or anchor off of Osea. I allowed myself to be swayed. Asked Jamie (in Lively, his new W Cirrus). He was happy to divert. I asked him to lead the way and he went over the Eagle. Put it down to tiredness I guess. Then without thinking at all I FOLLOWED HIM. What was I thinking? I knew the tide was on the last hour of ebb, big springs, and a southerly F5 or 6 forecast later. Anyway we struck the concrete like sand five times before Rose's 60hp and big prop pushed her off.

No excuses just stupidity. After changing my underwear we followed the correct route up the Colne only to be called by James saying the moorings were full and he was aground in the creek!

To cut a long story short I reverted to my original plan and motored up the Blackwater arriving at Osea at 00:45. I dropped the hook in the middle of the river and got a couple of hours sleep. At 03:30 I wanted to be on deck to check the anchor after the tide turned.

All in all a great trip but a warning to me what can happen when you are tired and not concentrating. Oh, and deviating from a passage plan without checking the new one.

Anyway, no harm done, a few more grey hairs and both boats safely in Maldon,

Thanks for all the help.

Film of the trip up soon if you have nothing better to do.

Cheers

Steve

 

[MoodySabre]

Good effort Steve. Of course I've never made a mistake. Cough.

 

[LittleSister]

Had a great trip via Fulgers and the wind farm.
Very choppy crossing to North Foreland. . .
favourable tide most of the way home. Brilliant. 7kts OTG
THEN MADE A STUPID MISTAKE.
we struck the sand five times
arriving at Osea at 00:45 dropped the hook and got a couple of hours sleep.
03:30 on deck to check the anchor
All in all a great trip

Challenges met; achievements achieved; clangers dropped and picked up again; kip earnt and taken; closer acquaintance with your boat made; 7 knots over the ground!; home safe and sound. - Sounds a great trip. Well done.

 

[xyachtdave]

Well just to finish things off.

Moved boat to Bradwell (isn't the fuel expensive!) ready for the off on Sunday morning.

Had a great trip via Fulgers and the wind farm. Very choppy crossing to North Foreland but clearly the boat can cope with much worse. Mind you, it's true that CW roll! Even tried the genny and mizzen, helped a bit but the motion is rather unusual.

Overnight in Ramsgate, refuels (cheaper than Bradwell). Set off about 11:30 and had a favourable tide most of the way home. Brilliant. 7kts OTG

THEN MADE A STUPID MISTAKE. my old mum wanted to overnight in Pyefleet, our plan had been for West Mersea or anchor off of Osea. I allowed myself to be swayed. Asked Jamie (in Lively, his new W Cirrus). He was happy to divert. I asked him to lead the way and he went over the Eagle. Put it down to tiredness I guess. Then without thinking at all I FOLLOWED HIM. What was I thinking? I knew the tide was on the last hour of ebb, big springs, and a southerly F5 or 6 forecast later. Anyway we struck the concrete like sand five times before Rose's 60hp and big prop pushed her off.

No excuses just stupidity. After changing my underwear we followed the correct route up the Colne only to be called by James saying the moorings were full and he was aground in the creek!

To cut a long story short I reverted to my original plan and motored up the Blackwater arriving at Osea at 00:45. I dropped the hook in the middle of the river and got a couple of hours sleep. At 03:30 I wanted to be on deck to check the anchor after the tide turned.

All in all a great trip but a warning to me what can happen when you are tired and not concentrating. Oh, and deviating from a passage plan without checking the new one.

Anyway, no harm done, a few more grey hairs and both boats safely in Maldon,

Thanks for all the help.

Film of the trip up soon if you have nothing better to do.

Cheers

Steve

No good bar room boating story ever starts and ends 'we went for a sail and everything went really well,' - boring!


You need at least one grounding, a port and starboard moment, a close ship encounter, some extreme weather and a spinnaker destruction to keep your audience!

 

[pioneer]

In the aviation world it's said that any landing you can walk away from is a good landing, much the same for us sailors, home safe, nothing organic broken so everything else can be repaired or replaced if the tests proved too robust.
If you don't make some experience gathering decisions you're not trying hard enough, mind you if I'd learnt from my mistakes I'd be a flaming genius by now.