Harwich to Ramsgate for relative begginer?

[slawosz]

O wow, thank you for your posts. I meant 6 knots on Sunday, so F2 to lower F3. For weather I am using windy.com which is very handy, as I can easily switch between GFS, ICON and ECMWF, so it shows some patterns. I am checking it from Wednesday few times a day. There is risk of very light wind on Saturday afternoon, but I hope for good wind in the morning, as all models are indicating, and I understand that if I will leave 4 hours before HW Sheernes on Sunday (8AM) (from Harwich towards Blackwater), I will have around 9 hours of undisturbing tides - slack - favourable streams on Wallet and Knoll, and before tide turns, back on Marconi (opposite Osea Island). I always have my 3.3 hp outboard which makes so much noise and as side effect pushes my 24 ft yacht surprisingly well.

 

[Tomahawk]

For all the (deserved) comments about Ramsgit ... it is still a magical place when you arrive. As s visitor you don't have to put up with much by way of the incompetence of the council run harbour.

The harbour really is in the town with the shops and pubs on the water front.. Enjoy

 

[tillergirl]

I would suggest you start (outside Harwich Harbour) @ 6 hours before HW Sheerness. A direct passage would take 3hrs 35 minutes at 4kts boat speed or 3hrs 9 minutes at 5kt boat speed to off Sales Point. Allow another hour to make to Marconi. But you will be tacking so it would take a little longer. You would only carry 6 hours or so of favourable tide starting a LW Sheerness, less if you start later. LW Sheerness on Sunday is 0942 BST (effectively close enough -6 Sheerness). It is going to be a nice week end for that passage.

 

[wingdiver]

The main negative for me about Ramsgate is mooring on the long visitors pontoon where the swell from the entrance can be a pain to say the least. Smaller vessels will get put further in to the marina on a finger berth though so that is sheltered enough. Last time we were there a small-ish wooden vessel nearly had to cut her lines after being moored on the inside of the visitors pontoon for a day or two and bouncing about so much they couldn't untie themselves for ages.
Other than that, we have always had a decent visit there - good places to eat and drink, good facilities and helpful staff.

 

[slawosz]

I would suggest you start (outside Harwich Harbour) @ 6 hours before HW Sheerness. A direct passage would take 3hrs 35 minutes at 4kts boat speed or 3hrs 9 minutes at 5kt boat speed to off Sales Point. Allow another hour to make to Marconi. But you will be tacking so it would take a little longer. You would only carry 6 hours or so of favourable tide starting a LW Sheerness, less if you start later. LW Sheerness on Sunday is 0942 BST (effectively close enough -6 Sheerness). It is going to be a nice week end for that passage.

Thats makes sense, however, I want to start even earlier, considering I will have favourable wind, so I hope I would be entering Wallet at 6 hours before HW Sheerness. I would like to be closer home by the time the wind might die.

Ramsgate will be target for next year. I still need to prepare boat properly, possibly buying slightly bigger engine with tank and have proper lights (currently only white top).

 

[tillergirl]

Oh yes. I follow now. You meant 4 hrs after HW Sheerness not 4 hrs before. That would be fine.

 

[johnalison]

We often have to do the Wallet at least half against the tide. Returning to Titchmarsh from Brightlingsea with the tide would mean arriving near LW on a falling tide, so the two options are to leave well before HW and race to get there before the plug runs out or on the ebb and pick up the flood somewhere around Holland-on-Sea. It is a bit of a nuisance but the only strong current is just off the Naze. The current at Walton Pier seems to change well before H or LW

 

[ex-Gladys]

I find that GFS is adequate for planning about three days ahead, though it has changed its mind about Monday next. A skilful skipper will look at several and choose the one that suits his purpose, ie, persuading the crew that it is OK to set out.

One of the accurate things in the GFS model is in the Expert Charts on WeatherOnline... - The height of the 500 hPa level. This is the position of the jet stream, which is basically the line where the lows spin up. A very good indication of the basic shape of the weather to come... So, looking at it now the 552 line is north of Scotland, indicating no lows down here until tomorrow week

 

[slawosz]

So I and my collegue managed to do the trip. We left Marconi ~ 1030 and arrived to Shotley Marina at 1800. Very nice breeze from W allowed us to fight unfavourable tide using spinnaker. Yesterday, we left the lock around 0810 and arrived at our mooring 1510. Wind died for some time when we passed Colne Bar, but super noisy outboard did the trick. Few pitfals here and there, the biggest was sailing over spinnaker when we were trying to hoist it... Overall, an excellent adventure! Thank you for all your responses, and I will leave Ramsgate for next year.

 

[johnalison]

So I and my collegue managed to do the trip. We left Marconi ~ 1030 and arrived to Shotley Marina at 1800. Very nice breeze from W allowed us to fight unfavourable tide using spinnaker. Yesterday, we left the lock around 0810 and arrived at our mooring 1510. Wind died for some time when we passed Colne Bar, but super noisy outboard did the trick. Few pitfals here and there, the biggest was sailing over spinnaker when we were trying to hoist it... Overall, an excellent adventure! Thank you for all your responses, and I will leave Ramsgate for next year.

Good stuff! It's all part of life's rich tapestry. Spinnakers are female and need to be kept on a short rein.

 

[slawosz]

So going back to the original topic. I am watching the weather for 20-22 of June and if the wind will be favorable, I will decide do the cruise. I am reading excellent 'Crossing the Times Estuary' and 'East Coast Pilot' currently. Are there any routes that should be avoided? I would probably go via SW Sunk) possibly outside route back if very good wind forecast, with the possibility of stopping in Harwich.

 

[tillergirl]

Blackwater - Ramsgate via the SW Sunk is perfect. Ramsgate-Harwich is best using the Little Sunk and Foulger's Gat or Fisherman's Gat. Foulger's has some maintenance but it would be unlikely to hinder you. Go for it.

 

[johnalison]

We used to leave Maylandsea around half-tide, which meant HW in the shallow bits. We could almost have done it without a chart. Not so easy on the way back.

 

[Denek]

We have had to put our trip back a little due to family commitments and are now looking at the beginning of July. It’s awkward tor us this summer as we have commitments spread throughout so at the risk of going off on a tangent does anyone know if there is anywhere in the Solent or maybe just beyond where we could leave the boat safely and cheaply for a couple of weeks. Our other alternative is not to venture too far and then come back to Harwich before heading off again after we have done our grandparents duties.

 

[johnalison]

We have had to put our trip back a little due to family commitments and are now looking at the beginning of July. It’s awkward tor us this summer as we have commitments spread throughout so at the risk of going off on a tangent does anyone know if there is anywhere in the Solent or maybe just beyond where we could leave the boat safely and cheaply for a couple of weeks. Our other alternative is not to venture too far and then come back to Harwich before heading off again after we have done our grandparents duties.

I'm sure there are lots of places. You might find a mooring in Portland harbour. It's not my area but there is a sailing club at the north end that has moorings which we have picked up when too tired to anchor. People often leave boats in Weymouth too, especially smaller ones <34ft, opposite the harbour office. We have stayed on the pontoon at Brixham Yacht Club too, but I don't know what facilities they offer for longer stays.

 

[Denek]

I'm sure there are lots of places. You might find a mooring in Portland harbour. It's not my area but there is a sailing club at the north end that has moorings which we have picked up when too tired to anchor. People often leave boats in Weymouth too, especially smaller ones <34ft, opposite the harbour office. We have stayed on the pontoon at Brixham Yacht Club too, but I don't know what facilities they offer for longer stays.

Thank you for that input. we will have to see how the whole thing pans out but will just head down that way and see what happens?

 

[johnalison]

Thank you for that input. we will have to see how the whole thing pans out but will just head down that way and see what happens?

We had to return home from Weymouth for a funeral once and took the handy train. When we went the previous day to book for the 6.30 train the nice lady said that we really shouldn't take that one as it would be full of commuters and that the 7.30 was much better.

 

[slawosz]

Still waiting. Having 4 knots planned speed and outboard engine, waiting for proper wind direction (so no need to tack up to Foreland) with good tides. So might not go this year... Just want to take it easy, especially after reading @Daydream believer story in other thread. I am really grateful to @tillergirl for all the tips and great guide that help me planning, and angry at Windy - last Thursday there was ideal wind forecast, but they change it!
I am willing to take long way back (via Lond Sand Head) ,weather permitting, as a endurance test before longer trips. I would like to do get to Holland next year maybe.

 

[johnalison]

Still waiting. Having 4 knots planned speed and outboard engine, waiting for proper wind direction (so no need to tack up to Foreland) with good tides. So might not go this year... Just want to take it easy, especially after reading @Daydream believer story in other thread. I am really grateful to @tillergirl for all the tips and great guide that help me planning, and angry at Windy - last Thursday there was ideal wind forecast, but they change it!
I am willing to take long way back (via Lond Sand Head) ,weather permitting, as a endurance test before longer trips. I would like to do get to Holland next year maybe.

Brave stuff. When are you going to Poland?

 

[slawosz]

Brave stuff. When are you going to Poland?

I understand you mean Baltics. Its beautiful place, especially north - Sweden, Finland. Although Poland has beautiful beaches - I haven't seen so nice sand anywhere in UK, maybe Walton on the Naze is close. And we have 500 km of those! But the ports are rather challenging to enter - although there is no tide. Here are some videos:

There is not much shelter for most of the coast.

But anyway, its too far for sailing for me. But one day, when I will do some papers, I am planning to charter a yacht there.

PS. There is also lot of sailing going on the lakes, with a lot of modern yachts. Fun fact: one of the modern lake sailers, Maxus 22, after some modifications, became the smallest yacht to circumnavigate non-stop.