Passage Grimsby to Dover

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tomdmx

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Hi All,
Planning a passage from Grimbsby Linc to Ramsgate or Dover so wondering if anyone can share any information on this coastal hop...from what I know there arent many safe harbours if the weather gets bad....we're planning to do it in a couple of weeks time so end of Feb/start of March (weather pending)...
 
tomdmx said:
Hi All,
Planning a passage from Grimbsby Linc to Ramsgate or Dover so wondering if anyone can share any information on this coastal hop...from what I know there arent many safe harbours if the weather gets bad....we're planning to do it in a couple of weeks time so end of Feb/start of March (weather pending)...
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This might help? I went for road delivery but think I got a good price.

http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=298819

Good luck!
 
Can you say more about your basic intentions - single hop, daylight hops - type of boat, draft?

For up to date nav information between the Wash and Ramsgate (well nearly Dover actually) you can access my NtM service through the link below. It is updated weekly on Monday evenings usually.

davidej is right on the basic refuges although in 1959 my dad's Mobo (without him on it was towed into Great Yarmouth). Lowestoft though is the more yacht friendly. Harwich-Ramsgate is quite feasible and not much longer than Bradwell/West Mersea to Ramsgate. The big journey though is Grimsby to Lowestoft. If you got the tide right/boat draft is suitable you could do Grimsby - Wells as a shorter first leg.
 
davidej said:
Nnless you have a bilge keeler, your first stop is Lowestoft (I am ruling out Gt Yarmouth)
then Harwich/the Orwell, and then Bradwell/West Mersea.
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Chose a nice day and get away early for Lowestoft - open all conditions.

Then take the tide up to the Orwell. It would be safe to drop in at HW to the Deben even the Alde but you're so close you might as well push on and enjoy the range of shoreside accommodation in the Orwell.

Then depart LW-2 and head S of the S Cork out to Black deep where the tide will just be turning S in your favour. You can cut across to N Foreland via Fisherman's: if you've enjoyed the trip a bit too much you might have to push the last hour to Ramsgate but take yourself up the cliff to the Churchill where a good range of beers and proper food awaits!

PWG
 
I went from Grimsby to Wells-next-the-sea and then straight to Brightlingsea in my old Bruce Roberts long keel heavyweight. It will be nice to have the wind from the north or west; a southerly will be painful this time of the year. You could stop at Wells next the Sea; Lowestoft; Brightlingsea and then straight to Dover.

You need up to date charts and chartplotter as there are many sand banks on the way; also the cargo ships appear from nowhere, hence an AIS may be a good idea.
 
I did Hull Marina to Ramsgate singlehanded in my Vertue.

From Spurn to Ramsgate took about 36 hours as I plotted a course well outside any hazards.

I was knackered when I arrived at about 4am.

This was in late May and I had just about all kinds of weather on the trip. At one point, about 60 miles offshore of Lowestoft I has hit be a violent electrical storm. I hove to, went below, lay down and kissed my arse goodbye.

Amazingly, I seemed to be floating in an oasis of calm as thunder and lightning crashed all around me.

10 minutes later, it was all over and the cabin filled with horrible flies!

I doubt any of that will help - just my experience!
 
If it helps we did it last year as well.
Hull -- Lowerstoft--- Orwell -- Queensborough -- London --- Ramsgate -- Eastborne --- Brighton.

Some photos and thoughts on the various places are in th bog section of our website.

http://www.cygnus3.com/

If we can help at all just PM me.
 
Fantastic info! thanks very much. So she's a 31.5' (on deck, she's got a 3' bowsprit also) steel long fin keeler drawing about 4'3 with just under 9' in her beams...she has an old but reliable 18hp lister...I don't have a plotter as yet (gps onboard though) but will purchase latest admiralty charts and backup with navionics package on an android device, may also include an AIS if I have the time..

I was hoping for a straight run but I think it will be easier on everyone to day hop so from what I read it would be
Grimsby - Wells - Lowesoft - Harwich - Ramsgate

Hopefully I can park up reasonably easily in those ports and if any issues leave her there until another weekend etc...I will readup on the blogs/links for further information on these ports and trip...

In terms of fit out I wont have a life raft (is that necessary?) but will have a dinghy, along with flares, two radios, the mentioned charts and an electronic backup..I'm guessing that mobile phone reception will be available also for most of the journey as we'll probably hug the coast somewhat.

Does all that sound reasonable/sensible or am I nuts in going out end of Feb/start of March?
 
I'm not an east coaster so can't really comment in detail except to say

1) That Wells is a fair bit off the rhumb line and quite tricky, so you might want to skip that.

2) My inclination would be to do it in one hop a) not much fun trying to get into unknown ports and estuaries when daylight hours are short. b) none of the stopovers are exactly fleshpots worth exploring at the back end of winter c)straight shot offshore won't require too much taxing nav and pilotage, coast hopping will.
 
Going 'off' shore was the other plan...much easier to handle the weather if a few miles more off the coast I think...but not sure how the crew would handle a few days out hence the day hopping idea...

Also its a new boat to all of us so I'm a bit cautious going further afield...though not sure if actually going further is not safer on a new boat...hmm..

I am also thinking of hiring a professional to be with us....probably not a bad idea...
 
I am doing this trip helping a mate in Grimsby taking his 30 foot steel motorsailer down to Levington on the Orwell. I think we will do it towards the end of March, early April depending upon the weather. He wants to go end March ideally. The days will be longer then, I prefer daylight as much as possible. We will do Lowestoft in one trip, it is not worth going into Wells as it is longer and the access at Wells is restricted.

I have done Grimsby to Boston before and a number of times Boston to Lowestoft.
 
Wells HarbourMaster is very obliging.

Phone him if you are deffo going in. 'Tis likely he'll offer to pilot you in from the leading mark.

Accept that offer, it might save you an embarrassing bump onto the sand.
 
EdWingfield said:
Wells HarbourMaster is very obliging.

Phone him if you are deffo going in. 'Tis likely he'll offer to pilot you in from the leading mark.

Accept that offer, it might save you an embarrassing bump onto the sand.
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Agree; Going into Wells can be tricky because the river snakes all the way; no rocks but plenty of sand so if you miss the channel you will be waiting for the next tide on a boat on its side; like I was :D
However, Wells has nice pubs and a good Fish n' Chips shop.
 
Suggest you check the notices to mariners before you leave. Lots of new and often uncharted exclusion zones round the wind turbines off Cromer, Gabbard and Thanet.
 
Hi All,

So we're leaving this Wednesday, just on or just before HW from Grimsby (which seems around 9am ish) and that should give us a nice run towards Lowestoft catching its tide to hopefully give us a decent run towards Harwich...

We'd like to go into London but the Thames estuary is a challenge for us and not sure if we can plan in time..if you have any pointers etc I would appreciate them

Any further tips would also be appreciated...we dont haver a chart plotter per se (we have a laptop with gps and nav programme) or AIS so that will be a bit of a challenge also but we do have the manual charts as backup a couple of gps units etc so should be no dramas...
 
tomdmx said:
Any further tips would also be appreciated...we dont haver a chart plotter per se (we have a laptop with gps and nav programme) or AIS so that will be a bit of a challenge also but we do have the manual charts as backup a couple of gps units etc so should be no dramas...
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Please let us know how you get on, my boat came down from Humber to Solent by road :o

My one tip is yes look at your plotter, but try using charts and mark 1 eyeball first. By the time your done you will feel you do not need a plotter (just glance occasionally to be sure :rolleyes:)...
 
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