Normandy Passage Planning

johnalison said:
We had a superb meal in the YC at le Havre last time. The city is sadly bland, but this is the result of early post-war rebuilding after being flattened by the British who were under the mistaken impression that the German forces were in the town. It's a handy stop though.
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Apparently the ground level of the rebuilt city is half a meter higher than before the war as a result of the rubble from the ruins.
 
Spuddy said:
Forgot to mention the big aquarium in Boulogne, also the castle walls up in the Haute Ville - helps to keep kids entertained. Also Saturday market next to cathedral - used to have live hens and rabbits; prob not any more
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If going to the old town- & you have to- stop at the first bar on the right once you have gone through the arches, opposite the cathederal. Then give the kids a handful of euros & send them up to the top of the street, where there is an excellent sweet shop. That will keep them happy for a while I am sure. It is the only reason I manage to get past the bar, after that hill.
 
stu9000 said:
Reeds was always the go to book in my youth.
Do they still have the section on how to deliver a baby?
Tempted to get a used one rather than shell out £40 on the 2020 issue. Will mull it over.
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Without you tube, it would have been better if they had me given instruction on how to make one first. Let alone how to deliver the darned thing :D
The admiralty pilots, that one bought in those days, did not cater for such eventualities.
 
Daydream believer said:
Without you tube, it would have been better if they had me given instruction on how to make one first. Let alone how to deliver the darned thing :D
The admiralty pilots, that one bought in those days, did not cater for such eventualities.
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I still have our first copy of Reeds, given to us as a present by my brother when we started cruising in 1971. It came with the page marker at the section on childbirth at sea, which caused some hilarity at the time. As far as I remember, there was nothing about how to conceive, but maybe I'd better go and check.
 
johnalison said:
I still have our first copy of Reeds, given to us as a present by my brother when we started cruising in 1971. It came with the page marker at the section on childbirth at sea, which caused some hilarity at the time. As far as I remember, there was nothing about how to conceive, but maybe I'd better go and check.
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You are right, It didn't. That was the important omission.
Page 940- It was all there -- bits about grabbing "a basket, or drawer, together with a blanket" & "keeping calm"-- AS IF !!!
"Send for medical aid immediately" -- too true mate, no need to tell me that one-- I'd be screaming Maday Mayday down the VHF like a madman
Imagine that today - I suppose that is why one has a Tescos" bag for life" , in the first aid kit.
 
Spuddy said:
Cunliffe Channel Pilot expands a bit on Reeds.
Forgot to mention the big aquarium in Boulogne, also the castle walls up in the Haute Ville - helps to keep kids entertained. Also Saturday market next to cathedral - used to have live hens and rabbits; prob not any more
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This one?
The Shell Channel Pilot

It does look good. I was after something with a bit more of a story to it as well, as having the key information readily available.
 
I won't offer any more comments on the ports you mention - as I haven't sailed those waters for a few years now and the places have probably changed a bit.

However, with a young family, we invariably worked on the principle of sail a day and stay a day. Moving every day can be hard work and can put people off the whole cruising experience. More than one day somewhere can lead to habouritis though. Be very conservative with your plans and be prepared to change them. If you are really enjoying somewhere stay another day, but make plans to move on!
 
As I think someone above said, Reeds will give you all you need, and leave a bit of room for adventure/surprise.

stu9000 said:
Reeds was always the go to book in my youth.
Do they still have the section on how to deliver a baby?
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Some years ago the background info, including how to deliver a baby, was largely divided off into a separate volume called 'Reed's Nautical Companion: The Handbook to Complement Reed's Almanacs'. I think the vital elements of such info (e.g. IRPCS) was later edited to make it briefer and migrated back into the almanacs, and the more general and space hungry stuff, and the separate handbook itself, abandoned. How people have been delivering their babies at sea since I do not know.

I find it useful, and keep one copy on the boat and another at home. It contains e.g. IRPCS, lots of conversion tables, general info on weather, navigation, seamanship, first aid, flag etiquette :D, etc. etc. Some bits (radio and satellite communications) are well out of date, but childbirth probably hasn't changed much. I think I got my first copy bundled with that year's almanac, and thought it useful enough to buy another copy at a boat jumble.

As far as I can make out the Handbook has not been published since 1997. You can pick up a second-hand copy for about a fiver, but there are new copies available for about £150! :eek:

stu9000 said:
Tempted to get a used one rather than shell out £40 on the 2020 issue. Will mull it over.
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Bear in mind that the 2020 edition will have actually have been written in early/mid 2019 from information largely collected prior to that, so it's already a good year out of date. They do publish corrections/updates during the 'title' year, but it's a fair task even just to trawl through and identify which updates might be important to you.

I do not expect reality to coincide exactly with my charts and almanacs, but there comes a point where an ageing Reed's value is outweighed by its, er, considerable weight (at least in a small boat). So I tend to buy a current one for a particular major trip, then make it last for about 5 years or so, before I get a new one, retiring the old one as a (much used) reference book at home, and bin its even earlier home predecessor.

I used to buy the smaller, cheaper PBO Small Craft Almanacs for each of the intervening years between Reeds purchases, for tide table etc. and changes in lights, radio info etc. I haven't done that in recent years, as I've ranged afar less than previously.

I'm determined, though, to redress that in 2020, and make the purchase of a new 2020 Reeds well worthwhile. :)
 
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john_morris_uk said:
[...]
However, with a young family, we invariably worked on the principle of sail a day and stay a day. Moving every day can be hard work and can put people off the whole cruising experience. More than one day somewhere can lead to habouritis though. Be very conservative with your plans and be prepared to change them. If you are really enjoying somewhere stay another day, but make plans to move on!
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As an elderly couple we tend to do the same, unless there is some pressing need to get on; which there usually isn't.

Our sailing area is the Atlantic coast of France which has plenty of delightful ports and anchorages and during our days in port we make many trips inland on trains and buses. We are there to enjoy ourselves not simply chalk up the miles.
 
Didn’t find getting in or out of Fécamp a problem. Left Honfleur in darkness at 3 a.m to catch the tide. It had blown a Westerly gale the day before and was still 20+ knots when we left. Man! Never seen waves that big at sea, never mind in a river. The tide runs very quick here so turning back is not an option, so be aware of any wind over tide situations when entering or leaving. Glad I was wearing my brown corduroys that night. Bow pointing at the moon and the exhaust searching for crabs one minute, then the exact opposite the next.
 
For family engagement (which is the over Riding objective) having a full day in Port between hops is a good idea. Enjoying the destination will mean they enjoy rather than tolerate the sailing. I just won't get to explore as much as I would like. Perhaps short hops don't require a rest day.

I would have liked this plan (see below) , but we can't schedule 10 family days on board on top of the lads delivery passage. I need to retire or become a digital nomad!

Meet family off the ferry, stay put for the night.
Honfleur to Fecamp 7h
Rest day
Fecamp to St Valery 3h30
St Valery to Dieppe 3h
Rest day
Dieppe to Bologne sur Mer 10h
Rest day
Bologne sure Mer to Ramsgate 7h30
Ramsgate to Medway 6h

Fecamp, St Valery and Dieppe seem the pick of the bunch so maybe I'll get them to ferry out to La Harve (I'll put the boat into Honfleur probably). 7 nights on board and they can jump on a Dieppe ferry home.

When my new books arrive I can explore this a bit more.

It might prove logistically a bit fiddly to get them to ferry into La Havre and ferry back home from Dieppe.

Another option would be to ferry into Dieppe and then do Bologne, Ramsgate, Medway where my car will be waiting and I can drive the family home.
This feels like a strong plan but I miss out on exotic new locations.

My oldest daughter and I are doing a trip to Bologne in the May half term which will help us make a fina decision.

Cheers all

S
 
Cotillion said:
Didn’t find getting in or out of Fécamp a problem. Left Honfleur in darkness at 3 a.m to catch the tide. It had blown a Westerly gale the day before and was still 20+ knots when we left. Man! Never seen waves that big at sea, never mind in a river. The tide runs very quick here so turning back is not an option, so be aware of any wind over tide situations when entering or leaving. Glad I was wearing my brown corduroys that night. Bow pointing at the moon and the exhaust searching for crabs one minute, then the exact opposite the next.
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It might not have been any use to you but there is a passage west from Honfleur through the partly submerged wall which can be a short cut to Deauville. There is about 6' when the wall is awash and one or two small buoys to mark the passage west. I know about the depth because I have walked through the gap and have a photo of our grown-up son standing in the gap with the top of his head in line with the wall. I don't think the gap is charted but, curiously, we first found it on a friend's road map.
 
ashtead said:
Plus 1 for spending a few days in each port. You might even stretch to a couple of days depending on the stress of trip
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Sailing for me isn't all about sailing. One attraction of Normandy is the variety of places to visit ashore. Here are a few recommendations.
Dieppe. The castle has a decent museum, including the ivory carving the town was famous for, and a good small art gallery.
St Valery en Caux. Pleasant walks on the cliffs both ways. The memorial to the 51st HD is worth visiting and the view is good. The old house by the bridge Maison Henry something has a gallery too.
Fecamp. Benedictine is not really my drink, but I think they still do guided tours at the monastery. There is a pleasant walk to the eastern cliff. A bus ride to Etretat is worth doing and you can walk round the chalk cliffs (with the locals)
Honfleur. Just wandering around is glorious, especially if there is a food or antique market. There is a fine gallery dedicated mainly to the only artist named after a sausage - Boudin. Not far from there in a small house is the museum of Eric Satie. I won't try to describe what is undue scribble, but it shouldn't be missed.
Caen. A bit further than the proposed trip, but a short train ride will take you to Bayeux. The tapestry, despite its rather clichéd place in the popular mind, is absolutely astonishing, and good for children old enough to appreciate it.
 
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