Off to the Netherlands we go...

[Pye_End]

They aren't doing anything illegal - having it installed without the NoV is illegal. All new licences have the NoV applied, if your licence is older than about 6 months, go back on to the Ofcom website, amend the licence, tick the box asking for permission to use Ch 31, re-download the licence and the installation becomes legal.

Then when your paperwork is checked, it has the correct frequencies on it.

CH31 and VDES are separate issues. CH31 is not an international channel, but is problematical for the reasons you give in #52.

Having looked at my 2017 licence online I have indeed found the box to tick for channel 31, and have done so, saved it, but nothing yet to see for the changes. The box is marked: 'Apparatus programmed with ‘Channel 31’ 157.55 MHz'. Perhaps Ofcom will re-issue in due course with the item listed separately?

I don't know about NoV or legalities - can't see anything on this on Ofcom website. However, my current licence allows use of 156 to 163 MHz, and it would appear that 31 is already permitted. Their help pages state:

3.6 A Ship Radio Licence (as opposed to a Ship Portable Radio Licence) also authorises the use
of the duplex channel sometimes known as ‘Channel 31’ (157.55 MHz c/w 162.15 MHz).
This is not an international channel. The UK Ship Radio Licence authorises its use, because
some countries (notably the Netherlands) have designated the channel for use at marinas6.


Having taken advice on VDES, and crawled over Ofcom website, reprogramming international channels does not appear to require any further interaction with Ofcom. Indeed there are no boxes on their amendments section mentioning VDES. If you still think this is incorrect then perhaps you can link to an authoritative source.

As far as 'asking for permission' is concerned, I suppose they do have the right not to issue, or reissue a licence, but their notes say:

3.9 If any details on your licence change, you must tell us. This is to ensure that your licence
accurately reflects you and the station that it authorises. We need accurate records to
ensure that the Search and Rescue services can provide the best response to everyone.

So, amendments are not necessarily there to keep you legal from using it, but may be there for a matter of record by the authorities, though it may well be that accurate records are themselves a legal requirement.

Thank you for bringing up the Ch31 amendment box in the licence.

 

[DanTribe]

All the times I've visited Netherlands no one has shown the least interest on official paperwork.

Not quite true. I do recall an older uniform accompanied by a new recruit visiting us in Breskens. I got all my paperwork out but he wasn't really interested. Just wanted a chat about Burnham Week in the good old days. Was Percy Elam still landlord of the Star?
A whiskey? No thanks, oh as you've already poured it.

 

[DanTribe]

On this thread you gave some epic advice on where else our family of four (Thomas 13, Sophie 10, Matthew 7 and Issy 4) on Mirage, our lovely Bavaria 40, could go cruising after five years of going backwards and forwards from her home base in Chatham on the Medway to the delights of the East Coast, usually starting in the Orwell.

She is well equipped with Radar, an AIS transponder and a very solid engine that has never let us down when we needed it.

Thread 'Cruising ground recommendations'

24 Sep 2024

We are planning our next years cruising with our four kids (who will be 3, 7, 10 and 13 next summer) on our Bavaria 40. We do love the East Coast, with a single "passage" of ten hours across the Thames from her home in the Medway to the Orwell, where all the passages within the holiday itself are kid friendly. This year we did SYH, Woodbridge (with a draft of 2 meters ), Ramsholt, Stone Point beach, Titchsmarsh, and then Woolverstone, with still plenty of options of different places we could have visited.

What other crusing grounds, within a reasonable holiday time range, would you...

• MagicalArmchair
• Replies: 62
• Forum: Practical Boat Owner's Reader to Reader

The route will look something like this (a conservative 5 knot average speed assumed):

• Chatham > Ramsgate - 9 hours
• Ramsgate > Nieuwpoort - 11 hours (anyone know if the yacht club is better on the West bank vs the marina on the East bank? The marina looks like it has better facilities)
• Nieuwpoort > Breskens - 8 hours - we may pop over to Middleburg, but alas have no holding tank!
• Breskens > Swale > 22 hours (the overnight return, leaving at 14:00 Breskens, crossing the shipping lanes at night, arriving at anchor on the Swale the next morning)

Our usual East Coast adventures consist of around 35 hours of sailing over the two weeks. 10 hours each way across the Thames (if the weather is howling from the West, we do often leave the boat, drive home, and then the eldest and me deliver her back over a weekend), and then probably another 15 hours floating around the East Coast rivers. This means our trip to the continent will only add around 15 more hours of actual sailing - however, that sailing will be in more exposed waters (although the Thames can get quite nasty).

We'll not leave in anything over a force 4, and then only with it in a quarter from the West when travelling East, and then the same when travelling back West on the return leg, as we are anxious to not give the crew too much of grim and sporty time. We'd start looking for our return window at the start of week two, giving a full seven days to find the right conditions to return.

Some questions.

• Has anyone done this route recently with kids? Are they decent kid destinations? The Beach's look good!
• Any advice in general on that route? Or cross channel with kids?
• If the conditions are not good for coming back, sending the younger ones back on the Eurostar would be an option? The joys of two weeks of annual leave! Anyone done this?

I've sailed all over as crew (Scotland, Channel Islands, France, Holland etc), and owned a boat for the last 15 years (every year visiting the East Coast), but this will be our first cross channel adventure flying the Q flag as for 13 of those 15 years we've had really very tiny children, so this trip comes with a significant dollop of anxiety that I might put off the family for good if I get it wrong. They do love the East Coast and our years sailing - although it does feel time to step out into the unknown (for us!), and when I have offered them to go by ferry or train, they all do want to be part of that adventure. I've done the South Coast also so many times over the years also - buying and sailing both boats back from there and sailing in the RTI race a couple of times.

Any update on this?
Did you go, are you still going?

 

[MagicalArmchair]

Any update on this?
Did you go, are you still going?

Courage has not failed us yet, although Storm Floris has put us back by a few days. We are all set (with motoring cone and in date flares all on board ready to go).

We were going to set off today (all four kids had packed their bags!), however we thought we would likely get stuck in Ramsgate for the best part of a week whilst Floris blew through, so we will likely head out next week before the Easterlies set in. Might do an overnight to do Chatham to Nieuwpoort in one hit.

 

[DanTribe]

Courage has not failed us yet, although Storm Floris has put us back by a few days. We are all set (with motoring cone and in date flares all on board ready to go).

We were going to set off today (all four kids had packed their bags!), however we thought we would likely get stuck in Ramsgate for the best part of a week whilst Floris blew through, so we will likely head out next week before the Easterlies set in. Might do an overnight to do Chatham to Nieuwpoort in one hit.

Good luck with your adventure. We are currently stuck in Grevelingen waiting for kinder winds.
Seem very few British boats in 6 weeks.
Have fun.

 

[Daydream believer]

I am all booked to go Saturday afternoon 9th
My son is taking me to Ostend where he will be leaving me untill the end of the month.
He will bring me back then.
Probably end up motoring, as the boat was launched mid june & the coppercoat is covered weed as usual
So in spite of a good forecast the boat will sail like a dog
Bradwell want an arm & a leg to lift & jetwash

 

[MoodySabre]

I am all booked to go Saturday afternoon 9th
My son is taking me to Ostend where he will be leaving me untill the end of the month.
He will bring me back then.
Probably end up motoring, as the boat was launched mid june & the coppercoat is covered weed as usual
So in spite of a good forecast the boat will sail like a dog
Bradwell want an arm & a leg to lift & jetwash

I took mine to Burnham last week. That has got more expensive at £260 but they are relaxed about you spending a bit time cleaning the prop or changing anodes. Weed not too bad but the slime was blacker than usual.

 

[Daydream believer]

I took mine to Burnham last week. That has got more expensive at £260 but they are relaxed about you spending a bit time cleaning the prop or changing anodes. Weed not too bad but the slime was blacker than usual.

When I last went they let me stop the night for free. But I cannot get round to burnham without help & I have hospital appointments as well
So with little time I am stuck.

 

[MoodySabre]

When I last went they let me stop the night for free. But I cannot get round to burnham without help & I have hospital appointments as well
So with little time I am stuck.

I had a free night there. Hope you get sorted soon.

 

[Daydream believer]

I have bitten the bullet & asked Bradwell to jetwash the boat. It is the only holiday this year & possibly my last on the boat. The wife said not to spoil it for £400 & told me to go ahead

 

[johnalison]

I have bitten the bullet & asked Bradwell to jetwash the boat. It is the only holiday this year & possibly my last on the boat. The wife said not to spoil it for £400 & told me to go ahead

I think that is a wise decision. There is nothing worse than chugging across the sea at 3/4 knots below normal, knowing that you could have done something about it. I did a mid-season scrub once at Bedwells for £40 against the wall overnight including a pressure wash.

 

[Daydream believer]

I think that is a wise decision. There is nothing worse than chugging across the sea at 3/4 knots below normal, knowing that you could have done something about it. I did a mid-season scrub once at Bedwells for £40 against the wall overnight including a pressure wash.

I am lucky that I have a supportive wife & neither of us have objected to the other spending money. She does wisely.
It has been her job to look after the house & kids & my job to provide for it. It has worked well over the years.
I see comments on the forum where some seem to hide things from their other half, or have to get permission first
I cannot help thinking " How sad"

 

[DanTribe]

I have bitten the bullet & asked Bradwell to jetwash the boat. It is the only holiday this year & possibly my last on the boat. The wife said not to spoil it for £400 & told me to go ahead

Good decision I reckon. I once did a "careenage" at WSKLuM in Nieuwpoort at a very good rate but I see their prices have escalated.
We are currently holed up in a little harbour in Grevellingenmeer until Floris passes. If the man says we have to move after 3 days, we may have an argument.

 

[Daydream believer]

I have had liftouts in St helier, Cherbourg, Dover, Inverness, Shotley. & Burnham. Not one of the yards could have a good word for Coppercoat. Billy Hibbs the ex lifeboat Coxwain in St helier did a lot of the jet washing on the Island, was most scathing about the product. They do coppercoat professionally at Shotley & when asked, the jet was man looked round & aside said "Nah, not worth it mate"

 

[MagicalArmchair]

The good thing about Chatham marina is nothing grows in there hardly at all, so no scrub off since the start of the season and she is still pretty clean!

Plan is to leave at around 7pm after work as the wind dies off and carry the NWesterlies across the channel. We should be in Belgium for around lunchtime the next day, perhaps mid afternoon. Eldest boy has told me he wants to stay up all night!

Any useful pilotage tips for the entrance into Nieuwpoort? Or just stick to the channel markers?

 

[DanTribe]

It's pretty straight forward entering Nieuwpoort, except watch out for the (newish) ferry jetty on starboard near the entrance, sticks out a bit. It's handy to know which of the three marinas you're heading for as you're presented with a 3 way choice at the end of the channel.
This year I got a bit confused seeing an area on the chart in the approach, marked with green ducks. Apparently you are allowed to sail through it.

 

[DanTribe]

Does anyone know the consequence of not getting your passport stamped when leaving EU?
We are heading home from Vlissingen and likely to arrive Nieuwpoort after the police office closes and leave before it opens next day.

 

[st599]

Does anyone know the consequence of not getting your passport stamped when leaving EU?
We are heading home from Vlissingen and likely to arrive Nieuwpoort after the police office closes and leave before it opens next day.

It's your proof that you didn't overstay. If they check stamps next time, you can get fined, banned or deported. The fact the office is shut isn't a valid excuse.

 

[Daydream believer]

Just filling the forms in for tomorrows departure. I have given up on the govt beta departure form. I emailed them to say that I had problems & had such a long convoluted reply that I lost the will to live. I tried to go back to the web site & start on a totally new sheet but it will not let me so the details are all wrong.
So I have gone back to an old E1331 spreadsheet & it took 15 second to change the dates of departureon the last form to update. I will send it of & if they try to fine me I will go to court & waste their time. I can hardly see a court fining me for sending the wrong form. More likely get fined for telling the border force geezer to F off
Departure is planned for 14-00 hours tomorrow from Bradwell to Ostend. Wind looks OK for most of the trip & we may have to work a bit harder in the lighter stuff But Hey Ho

 

[Daydream believer]

The boat came out wednesday for washing. The shogun 033 on the keel was OK the stains on the bottom being where it went in the mud at low tide. The coppercoat had a thick slime 4mm th all over which would have killed the speed. There was also a few areas of weed hanging . It demonstrates how useless coppercoat really is