Lowestoft, UK to Bergen, Norway - routing options?

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TrondS

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I will be doing a delivery trip with a 55ft trawler type yacht from Lowestoft, UK to Bergen, Norway, with planned departure August 15, 2016. Planned speed will be around 8-9 knots, and the realistically average speed will then be a knot or two less.
I will have 4-5 crew, including the owner of the vessel.
Never been boating in UK waters before, so ideas and advice are most welcome.

Has anyone experience with crossing the North Sea in this area?
Anyone with experience from Lowestoft area who could share some advice for routing?
I see there are lots of sandbanks and shallow water in that area.
Does anyone know if there exist some (updated) maps of the sandbanks, and where to buy them?

For routing, I am planning with two options:
1. From Lowestoft following the coast of England up to somewhere off of Scotland, before turning eastbound and set course for Norway. Exact where to turn eastbound, will be dependent of the weather and sea conditions.
Landfall somewhere between Stavanger and Bergen is acceptable, again weather dictates.
Any suggestions of how close to the British and Scottish coast I should plan the route? A couple miles, give or take a little, or better to stay, say around 20-30 miles offshore?

2. If weather forecast is really good, a more or less direct routing, to save time and distance.

Any feedback is most welcome.
 
For Lowestoft have a look at the Passage Plan the harbour publish - download at http://www.abports.co.uk/Marine/Short_Sea_Ports/Lowestoft/Pilotage_and_Passage_Plan/

If you look at the NtM page on my web site you can get up to date on NtM for up to date information from Lowestoft to the Wash (that is the northern limit of my NtM service). See http://www.crossingthethamesestuary.com/page9.html - I suggest you look at the 'NtM by Areas' AND the Temporary notices - at least on there is one temporary notice regarding new light characteristics in Lowestoft Harbour. Scroll down t check out the Temporary list. Further north I cannot assist.
 
From Lowestoft going North there aren't many places to take shelter in a 55ft boat. Other than ducking into The Wash (which may well not provide any shelter) there isn't anywhere until the Humber. Not much between there and Scotland either, then you have a 250nm crossing from Aberdeen to Stavenger. If the weather is unkind that won't be very pleasant.

I'm not at all familiar with the coast of the Netherlands and Denmark, but why not go straight across to the Netherlands, then Denmark and finally Norway ? Lowestoft > Den Helder > Esbjerg > Stanenger if the weather is good, is shorter than going Scotland and it saves that unavoidable 250nm Northern North Sea crossing. If the weather isn't so good some port hopping should be possible.
 
Thanks, PaulRainbow!
I have that routing as my 3rd option. And it saves the (potentially rough) crossing of the North Sea, as you say.
My main concern is that all Denmark would then be a lee shore from the prevailing westerly/north/south winds, combined with shallow water.
Also the Norwegian coast south of Stavanger is one of the most hazardous waters of Norway, but I have personal experience with this area.
 
PaulRainbow said:
From Lowestoft going North there aren't many places to take shelter in a 55ft boat. Other than ducking into The Wash (which may well not provide any shelter) there isn't anywhere until the Humber. Not much between there and Scotland either, then you have a 250nm crossing from Aberdeen to Stavenger. If the weather is unkind that won't be very pleasant.

I'm not at all familiar with the coast of the Netherlands and Denmark, but why not go straight across to the Netherlands, then Denmark and finally Norway ? Lowestoft > Den Helder > Esbjerg > Stanenger if the weather is good, is shorter than going Scotland and it saves that unavoidable 250nm Northern North Sea crossing. If the weather isn't so good some port hopping should be possible.
Click to expand...

Whitby is fine, and there are several good ports on the Northumberland/Durham coast. North Shields is a good all-weather refuge.
 
AntarcticPilot said:
Whitby is fine, and there are several good ports on the Northumberland/Durham coast. North Shields is a good all-weather refuge.
Click to expand...

Yes, i'm not so familiar further North, but i know there isn't much between Lowestoft and the Humber and i'd avoid crossing that far North if i could.
 
In a similar trip a few years ago, I went to Hartlepool and waited for a window to get to across to Egersund. The trickiest bit was negotiating the sandbanks, shipping and gas fields from Lowestoft until clear of the Humber. Routing most easily done with a large paper chart initially as its quite tricky if I remember correctly. Pretty sure there are a lot more windfarms to watch out for in that area now as well, oh and thick fog set in around the N Norfolk coast just to make it more interesting

EDIT: Charts to use would be either the Imray C25 or Admiralty Leisure Folio SC5614
 
Last edited:
Thanks everyone! I appreciate all the feedback you provide!

Agreed, it looks like the sandbanks and the near area to Lowestoft will be the challenge for navigation.
The remaining part, is mostly up to the weather.

RobbieW:
Did you have any special charts for the sandbanks when you did the trip?
I have heard rumors about such charts, but haven't been able to find out if they really exist, and if they do, where to buy them.
 
RobbieW is absolutely correct. Imray C25 or the UKHO Leisure Folio will be more than adequate. C25 is Harwich to Humber and across to Holland, the UKHO Folio 5614 is 25 chartlets covering Orford Ness to Whitby including 4 chartlets that cover the Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth banks. Buoyage is absolutely clear through the banks. The NtM (FREE service) gives good illustration of the current small moves regarding the buoyage and soundings.
 
Thank you, tillergirl and RobbieW!
I'll check out those charts.

tillergirl, your NtM service is really great. I have been checking out your site. Thanks!
 
From Lowestoft to The Wash is straight forward enough, much more so than it might look.

Once out of the harbour, followed the buoyage through Lowestoft North Road, Corton Road, Yarmouth Road and Caister Road, this will keep you between land and the sandbars. It is well buoyed and can be done easily enough in daylight or dark.

Once clear of Caister Road keep about 5 miles offshore and follow the coastline as far as Cromer, maintaining a good lookout for pot marker buoys. Keeping 5 miles offshore keeps you clear of most, if not all of them.

As you approach Cromer you will want to pass between the Sheringham Shoal sandbank and land, passing between the West Sheringham cardinal buoy and the Blakeney Overfalls PHM. Next, follow the buoyed channel between the Docking Shoal and Race Bank. This will keep you well to seaward of the windfarms off Skegness and all of the sandbanks in the mouth of The Wash.

My experience ends here, but looking at my up to date charts, once clear of the Inner Dowsing East cardinal buoy i would stay 8 miles offshore until i reached The Humber, which avoids any small sandbanks and the firing range at Donna Nook.

Up to date charts are obviously essential as is a good lookout for pot buoys.
 
PaulRainbow, thank you very much for the detailed route suggestion.
I was thinking to stay a bit further out from shore, but maybe staying around your suggested 5NM would be better? I'll definitely keep this in mind during the route planning.
 
TrondS said:
PaulRainbow, thank you very much for the detailed route suggestion.
I was thinking to stay a bit further out from shore, but maybe staying around your suggested 5NM would be better? I'll definitely keep this in mind during the route planning.
Click to expand...

If you go much farther than 5nm offshore you have to start dodging sandbars. Any less and you'll run into more pot buoys.
 
As a thought, and a fourth option, cross N.Sea into Den Helder/Heligoland, then perhaps staying outside the Friesians*, then Elbe, Cuxhafen, Brunsbuttel, Kiel Canal(a day in 55ft?), up through the Belt, Helsingor/Helsingborg, Skagen, and jump for Norway, hopefully with the SW'lies then on the beam?

However once past the Halland coast you have the Swedish western archipelago channels to keep going in if weather foul, so you can make Oslo in relative sheltered waters.

*Inside the Friesians is lovely but very tidal and time consuming.

You are quite heavily crewed, so can do long days, if all useful bods, just using a bit of diesel, as it's a delivery trip.
SWMBO and I have done all the bits of that route over the years.

Would avoid west coast of Denmark routing- always been a ship killer coast-friend got very delayed there a couple of years ago circumnavigating Denmark solo.

The East Coasters have sorted you for inshore along there-I'm not current.
 
Lowestoft- Whitby is approximately 160nm. In your boat, at 8 knots, 20 hours. At this time of year most of the trip will be in daylight.
Last time I did that trip ,under sail, I left Lowestoft early PM ,clearing the worst of the banks in daylight, so that I would arrive in daylight. The trip took 26hours, marvellous time in a 35ft boat.
I had bought bang up to date Admiralty charts----- waste of money, all the buoys had been moved since the updating.
Use the charts as a guide and follow the buoyage, the characteristics remain the same even if the position has changed.
As regards your longest trip, 250 miles, say at 7 knots ,that's about 36 hours. Even in the North Sea, it should be possible to find a weather window that big!
 
Thanks again everyone!
From your inputs it seems like my preferred routing will be to follow the coast of England until a weather window for the crossing over to Norway.

Tidewaiter2: Agreed! I don't like the shallow waters off the west coast of Denmark, unless easterly winds.
The Kiel canal will be the "last resort" if weather doesn't cooperate for the other alternatives.
We are planning to go nonstop 24/7, so distances will not be an issue. Having many crew is very helpful.

Ludd: Thank you. I'll try to navigate the sandbars as much as possible in daylight.
 
PaulRainbow said:
Yes, i'm not so familiar further North, but i know there isn't much between Lowestoft and the Humber and i'd avoid crossing that far North if i could.
Click to expand...

Tell me about it! We did the trip south from the Clyde earlier this year, and the East Coast is a total desert for small craft between Whitby (Scarborough is further south, but a bit off track) and Lowestoft. The only possibilities are with facilities are Grimsby, which is actually well up the Humber, Great Yarmouth, which isn't really a yottie place, and Wells, which has a notoriously tricky entrance, and may not be all-tide and certainly not all-weather. We decided to bite the bullet and did Whitby to Lowestoft in one go - it took us 27 hours in a Moody 31, under engine most of the way.
 
AntarcticPilot said:
Wells, which has a notoriously tricky entrance, and may not be all-tide and certainly not all-weather.
Click to expand...

Wells inner harbour is definitely not all tide and as you say, the whole place is definitely not all weather. Entry is best avoided on a strong ebb, due to the bar. Your post reminded me, the new outer harbour might make a suitable bolt hole. The bar is still to be considered, but i believe the outer harbour is all tide access. Strictly speaking it's for windfarm vessels, but i'm sure they'd let a boat in for shelter. Would be worth noting the details for anyone passing that way.
 
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