Northsea-Baltic

[Guest]

Friends

I will delivery sail my recently purchased 46 footer from Cowes to the Baltic sea/Stockholm. I'm fairly expeienced sailor but never sailed in the North sea with its unique conditions with tides and so on.
Appart from normal common sense and navigation skills required, are there anything in particular to think about? Planning to go from Cowes direct Pas de Calais, follow the starboard edge of the separation lane, round Cuxhaven and in to the North sea channel. Is this the route most of you sail?
Which is the best pilot to purchase regaring small vessel cruising? What is the average price for an Admirality chart in England, here in Sweden round 30 pounds which I think is rather expensive. In marine centers like Cowes, do they normally have requred Nort sea charts on shelf? This Radio Nitton or Niton, is it still operative?

Finally, the weather in the Dover/Thames/Dutch coast area. What is the normal weather this time of the year? Fog?

Many thanks in advance

Ron

 

[Guest]

I don't sail those waters, but I can advise you aboutn the charts: Admiralty charts are £16, as you will not have much use for the small craft editions (poor quality paper, too). The best aspect of this firm is they sell USED charts, corrected to date of purchase for just £9 each. A bargain. If you need some additional charts for "just in case" destinations, they have used but uncorrected charts for £6. Could save you a few hundred Kroner?

Buy online from www.chartsales.co.uk and you can do your passage planing well in advance. Worth noting that they also carry the majority of the Pilots etc.

Have fun -- must be a great feeling to have a brand new boat!

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by humperdinck on Sun Jun 17 13:47:52 2001 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[vyv_cox]

That is the route I use, at least as far as Den Helder, and I have looked at route plans to the Kiel canal in the past. There are slight advantages in following UK South coast to Ramsgate and then crossing via Hinder to south Holland. It's a little shorter that way and you cross the TSS at a fairly narrow point, followed by a long way free of all shipping. Going E of all TSS gets rather busy around the Westerschelde and is rather more tidal.

Tides are relatively quiet once away from Dover Strait, and you can't really work them much on a long passage. Past Den Helder they more or less run across you. The available space between the TSS and German coast is quite narrow, and I understand that the German coastguard watch on radar for boats straying outside their appropriate area, so take care.

Good luck with the voyage.

 

[peterb]

I appreciate Baltic sailors' fear of tides, but in practice most find that they are not the problem that they feared.

I would not go by the route you suggest. Instead, I suggest the following route:

Stage 1: Cowes to Brighton. Depart about 4 hours after HW Dover via the Looe Channel off Selsey Bill. Do it in one tide with a following tide all the way. The only real hazard is finding the entrance to the Looe Channel, which should be easy with GPS.

Stage 2: Brighton to Ramsgate. Depart about 5 hrs after HW Dover, and (because of the behaviour of tides in the English Channel) carry the tide with you all the way. In fact, the tide doesn't turn against you at Ramsgate until about 5 hrs after HW Dover, so you get about 12 hours of slack or following tide.

Stage 3: Ramsgate to Harwich: Depart at about 1 hr before HW Dover, and carry the tide with you all the way. Unless you enjoy sailing between sandbanks in shallow water (quite fun, really, but probably an acquired taste) I suggest you follow the outside route, leaving Kentish Knock and Long Sand Head to port, then following the southern edge of the big ship channel from Sunk. Make sure you go north of Cork Sand. There are several good marinas in the Harwich area; I would suggest Shotley Point as having the best facilities, including good hot baths, not just showers. You have to use a lock to get in, but that should be good practice for Brunsbuttel!

Stage 4: Harwich to Den Helder: The longest leg, about 150 miles, but by going north of the Noord Hinder North TSS you can avoid all the TSSs round Europort, the Schelde, and the Maas. The tide timing is relatively unimportant, but it's nicer to leave Harwich at about HW (about an hour after HW Dover)

Stage 5: Den Helder to Brunsbuttel: Just a matter of coasting along the edge of the Frisian Islands. Total mileage about 200, but several possible stopping points.

The pilot book I would use for the North Sea crossings is the North Sea Passage Pilot, by Brian Navin. Most small boat pilots tend to give lots of detail close inshore, but lose out on the long crossings. This one covers the crossings as well. Its coverage is from Dover to Den Helder. If you get an Almanac such as Macmillan-Reeds, then that will probably have sufficient pilotage information to cover the Southern English coast from Cowes to Dover.

The British Admiralty Pilot contains weather information. It suggests that the most probable wind directions in the English Channel are west or south-west, with a 2% probability of force 7 (14 m/s) or over, and a 5% probability of fog. The probability of gales increases slightly in the southern North Sea, but the probability of fog decreases.

Incidentally, for your purposes I see no reason why you shouldn't use Small Craft charts. The paper is thinner and less durable than the more expensive big ship charts, but the coverage and the scales are identical, and you only want them for one voyage. You may be able to get all you want in Cowes, but I wouldn't be certain about charts covering north from Den Helder. If you can't get them in Cowes, you should be able to get them in the Harwich area.

 

[david_bagshaw]

I would add to peterb comments by saying go to den helder to Helgoland may be via Borkum, as the timing to enter the elbe needs to be correct as the ebb current is 4 kn at springs. and it is a nice voyage Helgoland to river Oste, where there is a good anch, leaving one fresh & ready for the nok the following day. I did this while ´single handing Resolution to the baltic in 99. the other option is Helgoland to the eider, much lower currents, all lifting bridges, and a pretty & quiet inland route. check on bsh web site for chart tracings updates, for the lower eider near St peters bend Shoal, links are on ny web site. along with pictures of the NOK.

Helgoland has another advantage as it is a duty free port, booze fuel & fags, & butter are much cheaper than elsewhere.

One other point the inshore zone off the german fresians is V wide & V quiet, I have only seen a few yachts & fishing boats in 4 trips up & down.

Lastly if the weather is foul, into the isslemeer at den Helder and inland to Delfzil then to Borkum.
Dont depend on buying german charts at helgoland, where as the Burkana haven at Borkun usually has a good stock.
Have fun, a lovely voyage

david



See my web site www.yachtman.co.uk

 

[Guest]

I did that trip the other way a few years ago, headwinds all the way. Make sure you have your spinnaker ready if the same weather applies.

Have a look at Imray charts. They are in my opinion better as they include inserts for harbours, narrow spots etc. One Imray chart includes the information you will need 3-4 Admirality charts for. Additionally, they are splash-proof. Some people do not like the colours etc, but for you it is just a matter of getting used to Imray instead of getting used to Admirality. Both differ from Swedish charts.

Might be worth looking at German "small craft" charts for that part. Probably more informative and cheaper than Admirality.

Lycka till.

Andreas

 

[bob_tyler]

Re: Northsea-Baltic - LOOE CHANNEL

Watch out for lobster pot markers. They are good at fouling your prop or getting caught up in the rudder!