Le Havre stamp out?

[John_Silver]

A perfect spring and summer of passage making weather has met the looming equinox! Gale bound in Le Havre. After being gale bound in Cherbourg last week. Headed in, from a summer in Biscay, to the Medway. Usually I stick to the French side up to Dieppe. Then cross to Sovereign. Which actually gives away some (this year) hard won easting…..Sat looking at the chart, Le Havre to Sovereign direct looks a better option. Especially if the west/ south west wind plans to stick around.

Anyone stamped in/out at the Le Havre ferry terminal?

And, are they paperwork free, like Dieppe, or is there a PaF form to fill out? If yes, do you have a link?

 

[wonkywinch]

Yes to latter - Immigration - Le Havre Plaisance

 

[Daydream believer]

Thread drift
Why le havre sovreign?
I usually do Dieppe, Dover . One can always drop in at Boulogne for a day if tired, No one is going to bother you for schengan. if you say you are going to calais next day. Then just sail out to dover.

 

[John_Silver]

Thread drift
Why le havre sovreign?
I usually do Dieppe, Dover . One can always drop in at Boulogne for a day if tired, No one is going to bother you for schengan. if you say you are going to calais next day. Then just sail out to dover.

Dover adds a stop for me. Ramsgate to the Medway (home) is a single tide hop. But to carry the fair tide into the Thames and up the Medway, you have to push tide up to Longnose. Only a couple of slow miles from Ramsgate (with the ability to tuck into the shallows, in the tidal lee of North Foreland, to avoid the worst of it). But a long slog from Dover - with a lot of unavoidable foul tide off South Foreland.

Le Havre- Sov, Sov-Ramo, Ramo- home = 3 hops home.

Le Havre-Dieppe, Dieppe-Dover, Dover-Ramo, Ramo-home = 4 hops home.

And it looks to me as if we’re into hunker down then sprint for a day, hunker down again weather. So, my thinking is: less hops = less hanging around, hunkered down waiting for the next weather window. Home sooner.

 

[MikeBz]

We stamped out from Fécamp a few weeks ago - PAF from Le Havre drove up and stamped our passports, zero paperwork required (neither was it when we stamped in at Calais).

 

[Daydream believer]

Dover adds a stop for me. Ramsgate to the Medway (home) is a single tide hop. But to carry the fair tide into the Thames and up the Medway, you have to push tide up to Longnose. Only a couple of slow miles from Ramsgate (with the ability to tuck into the shallows, in the tidal lee of North Foreland, to avoid the worst of it). But a long slog from Dover - with a lot of unavoidable foul tide off South Foreland.

Le Havre- Sov, Sov-Ramo, Ramo- home = 3 hops home.

Le Havre-Dieppe, Dieppe-Dover, Dover-Ramo, Ramo-home = 4 hops home.

And it looks to me as if we’re into hunker down then sprint for a day, hunker down again weather. So, my thinking is: less hops = less hanging around, hunkered down waiting for the next weather window. Home sooner.

Well I have done Dieppe Ramsgate, as has my friend in his liesure 28. You just have to play the tides. Dieppe Dover can take 10+ hours if you get the tides spot on with good wind, so another 19 miles is not hard

 

[John_Silver]

Thanks @MikeBz , it sounds as if PaF may come to me. Based on your experience plus what I gleaned from an email chat this afternoon:

I emailed the dipn(Two digit identifier)-paf-spafp address on the form, which @wonkywinch linked. It’s the same address, bar the identifier, as Cherbourg use. Turns out to be a remote ‘call centre’ type operation. Which may explain the more ‘by the book’ approach, from that address, than from the officers on the ground, in Cherbourg…..

The initial advice was that I did not need to stamp out, if I submitted the preavis. When I queried if that were really so, given that I had stamped in and was at a full fat ferry port, the advice was revised. (That’s how it emerged that I was not talking to the local PaF).

Upshot was: ‘send your form, ask the capitainerie to arrange for a PaF officer to visit.’

 

[John_Silver]

Well I have done Dieppe Ramsgate, as has my friend in his liesure 28. You just have to play the tides. Dieppe Dover can take 10+ hours if you get the tides spot on with good wind, so another 19 miles is not hard

Suppose that goes to show that we all have our different cruising rhythms….



People circumnavigate in (much) less than the time taken, by my annual meander through Biscay and back (April-October).



But my pace brings me pleasure, which, it seems to me, is what sailing is all about.

 

[Daydream believer]

View attachment 199304

But my pace brings me pleasure, which, it seems to me, is what sailing is all about.

I know that Halbergs (is it an HR) are a bit sedate, but they hold to their sail area & surely you are not going to tell me that you do not like to hammer a nice broad reach up the French coast to seal the holiday. I certainly did- have-

 

[John_Silver]

May have to wait a while, whatever I end up doing. There are waves breaking over the harbour wall, and into the marina, here. And storm Alma hasn’t even got going properly yet.

 

[Daydream believer]

Have the Oppies come home yet. That is when you have some fun, watching them all in some calamitous attempt to get their boats ashore, on the ramp in the corner.
But in 2004 Le Havre was a miserable place, until they replaced those old concrete tower blocks opposite the marina entrance. They tidied the place up in attempt to move the druggies. One now feels safer walking through to the patisserie & supermarche at the back

 

[John_Silver]

Today was too much for the Oppies. Even inside the harbour. Which is saying something, in France. Out in force yesterday though. Agree, Le Havre, although not particularly French looking, has been on the up over the past 10 years or so. Looks as if I’m going to be getting to know it better, anyways!

 

[Daydream believer]

Get yourself a skate boad & go along the front. There is a nice skateboard park where you can show the youngsters how knees should bleed when scraped along the concrete. You could go the other way to the art museum & look at the sculptured containers. You will not see that at Dover unless one falls off a lorry
I used to go to the restaurant on the corner of the "T" junction as you walk along the main seafront road.
But a beer in the club house is nice & they may let visitors dine. I never asked.

 

[LittleSister]

. . .
But in 2004 Le Havre was a miserable place, until they replaced those old concrete tower blocks opposite the marina entrance. They tidied the place up in attempt to move the druggies. One now feels safer walking through to the patisserie & supermarche at the back

We were weather bound in Le Havre for days due to strong winds circa 2017. Had previously heard people complaining that it is was a drab concrete place, but we had a really nice time. The sport and play facilities along the seafront were attractive, and so much better done and maintained than one would find in the UK. Shops etc. fairly close to hand. And it was France, for goodness' sake, with French food and drink, and we were on holiday!

The town was interesting, not least to ponder/admire/roll eyes at the dreams, ambitions and energy applied to turning the postwar wreck of a town into a better future. Various exhibitions and info about the postwar reconstruction, architecture, etc. (sadly, due to timing was unable to visit the preserved 'time capsule' furnished apartment in one of the post-war blocks, designed for the new ways it was then thought/intended families would/should live in future).

Really enjoyed the 'Hanging Gardens' just out of town (a longish, but not unpleasant walk from the marina) - ancient military hilltop fort being gradually transformed into extensive botanic gardens etc.

 

[Daverw]

Today was too much for the Oppies. Even inside the harbour. Which is saying something, in France. Out in force yesterday though. Agree, Le Havre, although not particularly French looking, has been on the up over the past 10 years or so. Looks as if I’m going to be getting to know it better, anyways!

We are also currently in Le Havre waiting the same, trying to get to Dieppe, we’re looking at Saturday but not sure now,

 

[John_Silver]

We are also currently in Le Havre waiting the same, trying to get to Dieppe, we’re looking at Saturday but not sure now,

Yikes! Météo Consult is giving 28 steady, 38 gust, for most of Saturday (and it usually under predicts in winds over 25kts) SWly though, so at last it’s on the quarter. Too fruity for me though!

PS warming to the Le Havre to Sov idea: Leaving here at LW Dover, on a 5 knot boat, there’s tidal assistance up to Antifer and 2 turns of (fair) east going tide, to one (foul) west going, between there and Beachy head. Get in a bit after HW @ Sov - so room for error if the lock approach is a bit silted / any problems with the sector light.

 

[John_Silver]

Le Havre capitainerie confirm @MikeBz Fecamp experience. With 24hrs notice, the capitainerie will arrange a PaF to come to the marina for a stamp out. Today for (early) tomorrow is OK.

And, whilst waiting for a weather window, a weekly tariff is available. Works out @ 20% off day rate.

 

[Daverw]

Just had similar conversation, decided to take ferry/ train home for next week and then resume trip the week after, reduced rate good and I also get 50% trans Europe reduction as well so very cost effective, easily covers cost of return trip

 

[John_Silver]

Just had similar conversation, decided to take ferry/ train home for next week and then resume trip the week after, reduced rate good and I also get 50% trans Europe reduction as well so very cost effective, easily covers cost of return trip

Is yours the Kelt tucked in on the less bouncy side of O? (Not jealous!) Will keep an eye on her, if you like. Not expecting to move before Thur, based on current Meteo Consult forecast. Alas, have used my 5 free Passeport Escales nights, between 3 nights on the way south and now the nights weather bound. But can't complain @ £25 a night. Imagine what that would be on the UK South Coast, a day's sail to the north!

 

[John_Silver]

We were weather bound in Le Havre for days due to strong winds circa 2017. Had previously heard people complaining that it is was a drab concrete place, but we had a really nice time. The sport and play facilities along the seafront were attractive, and so much better done and maintained than one would find in the UK. Shops etc. fairly close to hand. And it was France, for goodness' sake, with French food and drink, and we were on holiday!

The town was interesting, not least to ponder/admire/roll eyes at the dreams, ambitions and energy applied to turning the postwar wreck of a town into a better future. Various exhibitions and info about the postwar reconstruction, architecture, etc. (sadly, due to timing was unable to visit the preserved 'time capsule' furnished apartment in one of the post-war blocks, designed for the new ways it was then thought/intended families would/should live in future).

Really enjoyed the 'Hanging Gardens' just out of town (a longish, but not unpleasant walk from the marina) - ancient military hilltop fort being gradually transformed into extensive botanic gardens etc.

I'm usually hurrying, either up or down Channel on the way through here. Just dash to the Super U and Patisserie or stretch my legs along the seafront promenade. But went for a proper wander through town today, looking through your 'vision of a better future' prism. Liked what I saw. Too many pix for on here. But, if interested, click the link. You're right, Le Havre isn't typically French because Perret was aiming to do something different. That something, particularly the transportation choices and integration of green spaces, considerably ahead of its time.