Ostende trip this weekend, hints and advice required please

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I am planning a trip from Chatham to Ostende and back this weekend, anyone got any advice and hints as it will be my first trip abroad in my own boat /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
 
Re: Oostende trip this weekend, hints and advice required please

[ QUOTE ]
dont overload the boat with duty-frees

[/ QUOTE ]

the "Scots fifth columnist" has active patrols on the UK Limits, will nick yer booze n fags. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
buy in a shop & keep the reciepts /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

have a great trip, stay in the Montgomery Dock its a fantastic place for a couple of days /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Thanks for that, I am planning to go out durng the last 2 hrs of outward tide, then pick up the inward tide as I cross Ramsgate to Ostende around 11am (12 Belgique temps), so may not be there until 1400hrs.

I am interested in the proceedure for entering foreign waters, I have an SSR number do I need to stick it on? Got passports red ensign, bill of sale, insurance docs, Euros anything else? Coastguard will be informed and CG66 up to date.

Tank holds 310ltrs and I am using 1lt per mile, I reckon it will be about 80 miles after a few zig zags to miss container ships /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Anyone got a sugested pre planned route they recommend, I have seen the overfalls and fancy missing them /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
 
carry plenty of warps ( string ) n fenders n fuel filters.
entry easy international signals on the port Pr Hd
Oostende Pilots / port control Ch 09
english forecast Ch 27 10.30 local time
H.M ( God ) is called Robert 003259505912 u can usually get a mobi signal @ the West Hinder
 
I take it you are aware of the requirement to cross the shipping lanes at right angles? As to route, I guess I would be looking closer to the time at the wind direction. 11 kts of wind over tide gave 4.6ft waves off the Sandiette last night. I guess at 24ft? that might be a tad uncomfortable. What's the plan, short crossing and up the coast or a straight drive across over all the banks?

Oh and yes the SSr number supposed displayed on the boat - there is a good chace though that nobody will give a fish's fin - on the other hand there doesn't seem to be any point in ignoring the rules.
 
Belgium courtesy flag.
Phrase book - they speak English better than us, so you may need help understanding them.
Beads and mirrors.


shorts5.jpg
<span style="color:green">

Pete, soon after claiming the Belgium lands in the name of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II </span>

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Got my ICC for tidal having completed day skipper practical sail and power boat level 2, I also understand shipping lanes fom my Yachtmaster theory course at night school /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

I have my eye on a liferaft and if my bottle goes Saturday morning I will buy it, it's only £599 a small price to pay for peace of mind and with 4yearly services I would look on it as an additional £120 a year life insurance.

I think I will go straight across, I only draw 0.8mtr and on the plane that becomes -6" /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Wind is forecast as 0 in Chatham and 5 at Ostende so no big deal, I will re assess nearer the time. I have both an inshore and offshore polybottles full of flares, that is not a problem at all. I have my plotter, charts and a spare plotter with the Garmin Blue charts on. I have the fixed VHF DSC and a handheld, my international Blackberry phone/internet, other normal phones, radar reflector, first aid kit.

Lifejackets all have winch D rings, I was thinking of having an A frame built to take a radar but not enough time to have it built, fixed on and set up. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

I have a full service kit including belts, impellor, oil and fuel filters.

Anything else, or any hints that could avert a disaster.
 
[ QUOTE ]
duty free - but not for you

[/ QUOTE ]


the "Scots fifth columnist" has active patrols on the UK Limits,on your return will nick yer booze n fags if "Duty Free / Ships Stores /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif.
buy in a shop & keep the reciepts
 
ostende is a good place as i remember.

I would get that liferaft, yerknow. I fancy my chances of whamming a decent hole in a light planing boat with a brick hammer and that's what anything sizeable heavy and sharp in the water will do at speed -except the boat doesn't just leak a bit cos the water comes tearing in at 30 knots -no chance of bailing. The softy bag things are more easy to handle unless you have a dedicatd rig affair. Not having a liferaft isn't saving money realy - it's ust delaying the outlay. You coud rent, however.

Othr useful thig is a logbook. yeah well logbooks usuallya oad of ole cack but if there is "stuff going on" eg another boat making odd movements that affect you can make a contemporaneous note with ship/boat nameif visible and say oh no i wasn't that close and so on. But I have never needed to use this.

Final thing for gadget-man is a set of earmuffs. The 10quid ones are good, else bogroll in ears lowers noise levels and makes it all a bit more relaxed - engines can get a bit painful for a few ours on end.

Weather looks good- should be a good trip. 2hrs before hw dover seems about right. 2and a half hrs praps from tide tables.

Have good time. We expect 100 photos minimum :-)
 
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