Oostende 2009, small boats in company

[Sixpence]

Following a chat with another of this parish, at the pirate weekend, it was suggested that some of the smaller boats, like Sixpence @ 21ft, may benefit from a sail in company next year. I know it's well ahead of that now, but interested to see if anyone else fancies the idea ?
We're not talking about a South coast style, closely regulated and watched sort of thing, more like a sort of mini Jester's challenge (or is it micro ?) so everyone under own decisions, just all set off sort of flotilla like.
Anyone else fancy it ?
If so, we have a long winter coming, so maybe a get together could be organised ?
Not interested in committeee style operation, so just a gathering of boats wanting to do it, but company preferred

 

[Athene V30]

Dave

What route are you thinking about?

I normally go to Calais with the Sailing Association but want to do something different! If I am single handed I cannot do an overnight without invalidating my insurance so would probably do B'sea to Ramsgate to Ostende rather than direct - haven't checked this out for reducing distances but that sort of thing!

Alternatively could come up to Harwich and go across as just found this passage plan and I could probably just squeeze 75 nms into daylight hours!

Not sure if 27' counts as 'micro'!

Peter

 

[Sixpence]

Hi Peter
We will hopefully have moved further around the coast by the time it comes around, but I'm thinking of doing it in legs from wherever we end up, down to around Ipswich/Lowestoft area, then straight over rather than along the Ramsgate and hop over route. Very long day but can be done. Is that along the same lines ?

Caught out by the edit /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
No limit on boat size, if anyone just prefers the idea of doing it in company, and is of a similar speed, they're in

 

[ianfr]

Dave

I may well be interested for next year, I have an Elizabethan 23. My preference would be to break the journey into short (5 -8 hrs) hops. Ramsgate/Calais etc etc.

Ian

 

[Sixpence]

Hi Ian
It could well be that I'm being over optimistic in thinking of doing it direct, but we may well end up having two such groups, one going straight over and the other doing it the short leg route, all decisions to be made, but plenty of time to do that

 

[eastcoastbernie]

Berth to berth - Suffolk Yacht Harbour to RNSYC - 15 hours in my 25 footer (if I don't go the pretty route and/or get lazy about hoisting the sails in the last couple of hours).

Are you proposing this in addition to the regular Ostende forum trip? I think it's fun to do, but not sure I want to do it twice a year.

 

[Sixpence]

Oh definately not in addition to, this is hopefully going to be timed to coincide with the Oostende Voor Anker festival

 

[Jomo]

I bet we'd be up for some of that, but more interested in the do it in 1 hop plan. And yes, I know I took a little break on the return trip this year, but I didn't mean to /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[Sixpence]

Long passage like that, a break is almost compulsory Ian /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif would be great to have a large fleet of boats arriving at the same time, poor old Robert would be tearing round the marina in his rubber duck /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[Jomo]

[ QUOTE ]
poor old Robert would be tearing round the marina in his rubber duck /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Not Robert, he's too experienced for that! He'd just stand outside his office watching the mayhem and then stroll round to collect his fees & tea supplies once it had all settled down /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[Sixpence]

Probably having a good giggle at the chaos too /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif must remember the PG tips next year, he'll charge double if I forget again /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[bastonjock]

my problem as i see it is that my boat is classed as a catagory C,which translates into Coastal and inland waters,now how far from the coast do you have to be before it is no longer "coastal"

Im told by a professional adventurer that as long as i beef up my centerboard and fit heavier rudders,my little boat can take quite a hammering,this comes fom a guy who has ridden out 156mph gusts in a MacGregor 26X

 

[Sixpence]

No idea what category Sixpence would come under, but no doubt by the standard of today she wouldn't be up to much at all, yet a Debutante has completed a transat. Maybe some with more knowledge of these matters could offer an opinion, but she looked perfectly capable to me.

 

[SwedishLass]

The wallet clubs do an ostende rally in the first week of the summer hols. Organised by WSC. Just got documentation to post on the Wivenhoe SC website will post a link as soon as I put it up to give peeps a starter for ten.

 

[Sixpence]

That's for the last week in July though, which misses the Oostende rally which is when I go over. Sorry, I'm not much of a club lover either. On here it just seems different to a standard club. Otherwise we would have someone as the Commodore and someone else as ....... well you get my meaning I hope.

 

[davidfox]

It all depends on the weather, I have motored from Den Helder to Harwich in an absolute flat calm sea that you could have put my tender on.

 

[Sixpence]

Yep, first trip over was last year and that was like a mill pond going there, then turned rough on the return trip, so weather is very high on the list for deciding when to go and come back. On Sixpence, if we had made it this year, we would have probably stopped over for a few days rather than run through what was coming. I don't think she would have had a problem with it, but I would.

 

[davidfox]

I am sure she wouldnt, its all about being prepared 'well found boat and well found crew' etc etc and lets face it we are not talking about Hurricanes here just a bit of a blow at the worst.

 

[Sixpence]

Absolutely, we hit F8 on the last return aboard Morgana, and even Jim decided to head for Shotley rather than carry on up the Crouch, so over the past few trips there's one thing I've learned thanks to the skippers, don't take chances when you don't need to. Both have always made the right decisions, but I don't much fancy heading out in Sixpence if there's a chance of anything above F5, and even then I think it would possibly be a forced decision. The wave shot Louise managed to take a picture of shows a huge roller that was way over the deck of Morgana. Definately wouldn't fancy that on Sixpence, or what came later.

 

[davidfox]

To be honest if the forecast is giving a 5 I will always look at it, because of the kids, you can expect at least a 6 or gust to 7 and i have to be responsible. looking to sail to either Vlisingen or the Roompot on the 23rd July, long range is showing 5kns which with 3 kids is good!
off to bed now, at least I dont stink of bonfires as last week!
all the best.