North Sea Crossing

westhinder said:
I can see why you would like to sail as late in the season as possible, but then you have to resign yourself to battling headwinds for most of the time.
Probably the best month may be June. We often get a period of stable northerly to easterly winds in June, which may last a week up to even two weeks. This is associated with a high pressure system that normally brings warm and sunny weather over the North Sea, ideal for such a passage. Be prepared to grab the opportunity.
If you are lucky, you may get such a week in September as well, but that is far less certain. I would not count on it if I were you.
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Yeah - only snag is that I have to book my time off in advance and can't watch the weather and leap on a plane with only a couple of days notice.
 
So what happens in paractice?

So what do most people do in that situation? For example I've booked a week off work, I need to be back for Monday... do people just go out there speculatively and abort if the weather window doesn't come or do you think people take unnecessary risks based upon these time constraints?
 
geoffcollins said:
So what do most people do in that situation? For example I've booked a week off work, I need to be back for Monday... do people just go out there speculatively and abort if the weather window doesn't come or do you think people take unnecessary risks based upon these time constraints?
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it all depends on many factors
boat
crew
experience
crew expectations on how far they want to go in time available
is a delivery or holiday
 
Give yourself at least 1 week + expected passage time. Know all the alternatives and the bolt-holes. Find out about places along the route where you could leave the boat if you have to.

As others have said, you can use the canals in the NL (actually I think the Ijsselmeer is much more fun than the North Holland canal from Den Helder).

Take the opportunities to get miles in the right direction when you can. Bad weather in the summer normally (note the normally!) doesn't last too long, so you can probably do it comfortably if you plan in some storm-bound time.

Enjoy it - do your homework and try not to worry!
 
In addition to Sailorman's suggestion, try Inland Waterways of the Netherlands by Louise Busby & David Broad and North France & Belgium by Neville Featherstone. Cant help you on Germany and Blastic I'm afraid.
Michael Minnitt
 
johnalison said:
We've sailed back from the Baltic quite a few times in recent years, mostly in August, and it has always been a struggle. Not once in six times have we been able to sail freely round the Dutch coast and almost always encountered gales or strong headwinds forcing us to motor through the Dutch canals.

I think the lesson from this is that it's better to come back either in high summer or wait in the hope of quiet autumn weather.
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This is the tendency.

May and early June more often offer NE's suitable for the crossing home. Later in the season SW's revert, it seems - then the only hope is to run down the continental coast as you can and hitch NW back home with furled sails!

PWG
 
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