First Harwich Ostende

jezjez

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Many thanks for advice a few months ago on this.
We're now about to make our first Harwich to(wards) ostende trip - hopefully weekend 23rd June, weather depending.
Can anyone tell me is it worth ringing ahead to Robert to ask for a berth or can we rely on finding something? - presumably this is a pretty busy weekend being the longest days.
Any last pieces of advice?
We don't have a chart plotter. I'm relying on 2 GPS and good old fashioned chart work.
I take it those shallows outside ostende should be avoided in strong wind over tide otherwise they are relatviely harlmess?
I'm planning to arrive up tide.
Leaving 4am approx from the Deben on Saturday. Expecting to arrive around 14 hours later.
Is the stream of traffic through the TSS as dense as in the English channel (my only other experience was crossing to cherbourg from Hamble), more or less. I'm guessing that as it is a wider a stretch of water, there is less of a full on motorway feel about it. Or is that just wishful thinking?
 
Roberts doesn't take advance bookings for anything other than big stuff! but perhaps worth a ring when a few miles off...

Yep, your right about the shallows.... generally nothing to worry about... but avoid in rough weather....

TSS.... nope... its not as busy as Dover.... exactly as you say... there is much more space....
 
I expect the RNSYC will be quite full Saturday night, The Haven Series Mercator race is leaving Harwich on the Friday morning and the prise giving is Saturday evening. I expect most of us will leave early Monday.
 
I wasn't planning to go in there (unless we win). How many boats are you likely to be?
We plan to leave early monday too.
 
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