passage plan or chart plotter gps and auto pilot to cross channel

jimg

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Use both methods, but bias towards using a chartplotter "route" these days. Tend more to look at what wind, tides are going to be doing and then deciding what sort of time to plan departure.
 

boatone

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Forget all this cross channel rubbish.
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BrendanS

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Complete bolloxs. I go to great lengths to ensure club trips go through tidal races at right time to avoid wind against tide. However, looked into regulations in depth (much more than one year that they have been around). No reason to have anything written down, just know what you are doing.

Legal advice from RYA legal dept was that if know area, look at tides and weather. If novice, much more planning.

His suggestion was to look at raggie round IoW race as an example. 95% off of skippers would look at tide and weather and know possible problems. 5% who hadn't been around IoW before should research and know route, safe havens etc etc. Differernt ball park. Made sense to me and still does.
 

rickp

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For longer routes out of the Solent, I work up the route on the plotter (at home) then transfer it to the charts on the boat. Always do a passage plan (but its much shorter and simpler for familiar waters). Look at the tides, but rarely do the tidal vectors unless the tide is going to be some reasonable % of my SOG.

Rick
 

gjgm

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interesting take. I had always thought of a passge plan as something tangible-that is something written down. You re saying that the plan can be intellectual-that is you have a plan in mind-and presumably shared with others. Or essentially that you A plan, rather than just trundle out into the great blue yonder wondering whats out there....
Anyway, something very odd is happening on this forum over the last 36 hours. Thats three of the most interesting threads I ve read for some years, Season must be under way again. Hurrah !!!
 

Oldhand

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And bolloxs to you too. I never said a passage plan had to be written down so kindly cease reading things that aren't there into perfectly legitimate responses or if you can't do that - just shut-up. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
 

Oldhand

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The RYA has stated that recreational craft skippers don't have to have a written passage plan and I guess that means that if a person who had a right to do so asked for your passage plan, you should be able to relate verbally the planning process you went through before commencing the voyage and the results of that process. That said, if it came to a legal argument after an incident, having a written passage plan would be much more convincing evidence that you had met the SOLAS requirement.
 

KevB

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I know where I'm starting from and I know where I want to go. If I'm not familiar with the route then a few waypoints throughout the journey and ticked of as I pass them, and a look at the tide to make sure I can get in wherever I'm going at my eta. Use a paper chart to work out the route but work off the chartplotter.
If I'm staying in the Solent then don't bother with any of the above unless it's a location which requires planning for tide height.
 

jfm

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Just stick the cursor where you want to go and press goto. Or if going cross tide use the a/pilot on auto not track, and do the sine wave thing.

The very first time I Xed channel I diligently headed for the mid channel buoy, EC2 I think, instead of sticking the cursor on cherbourg. The idea was to get an accurate fix midway incase the satellites were dodgy that day. But when I got there it had gone - all those EC1,2,3 buoys got retired. So after that I just stuck the cursor on cherbourg or wherever and pressed goto.

If you have marpa it is well worthwhile imho tracking the ships as you "cross the road", good practice too
 

duncan

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Kev -
I think in the contect of the passage (considered then written or not.......) plan it's the implications of the route rather than the route itself, which is more navigation.

Weather and tides may be established, and even printed/written down, but planning is about considering the impact of these if we head off in a straight line to our chosen destination at a particular time and speed.

Not forgetting fuel and food........

I always quote the example of a small speedboat running west from Poole on Spring tides with a prevailing SW 3 wind and sunny day. Departing on a flooding tide all will be harmony and they get lured to Chapmans Pool, Kimmeredge and right down to Lulworth. Have a good day out and head for home. The wind hasn't changed but they are faced with a 10 mile detour to pass safely outside St Albans Race (not that bad if they head straight round from Lulworth but they won't 'cos they don't know what to expect and only start heading out from just before the rough water), and will have more fun or detours at Anvil, Durlston, Peverel and Old Harry (although this one should be OK unless the winds gone S).
Already tight for fuel, with no refueling options, in a hurry to get back for their trailer etc you see at least a couple with smashed windscreens at the least every year. These are people who would consider themselves competent with their craft and possibly many years boating.

Sry for the long response but navigation is just the first step in passage planning.
 

Nick_H

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In a fast planing boat I ignore wind and tide, except to try and get through the race at slack tide if the sea is going to be rough. Other than that stick the cursor where you want to go, turn on the autopilot, and start lookin out for brown nylon potato sacks or similar floating just below the surface. The latter point for me is the greatest hazard to be negotiated for cross channel cruising, and its difficult to plan round them.
 

Andrew38

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I have full GPS chartplotter and radar system which is primary nav system BUT always have a pre-planned passage plan written down.

(I use PCPlanner which gives an excellent passage plan print out and which with the latest C-Map Max cartidges even make tide planning easy - only rcvd the latest version yesterday but it is a great improvement on a good product).

Why do I do this? Simple reason, about 3 years ago rogue signals from Eutelsat caused all Simrad chartplotters to shut themselves down meaning I lost everything had just a blank screen. I was in the Prince's channel of the Thames estuary on a falling tide but using the passage plan I got us to Ramsgate without problems. I'd never leave home without one! Yachtmaster theory and a passage plan plus sight bearing compass suddenly seemed worthwhile investments!
 

mjf

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Absolutely right.

I have printed out each of my passage plans (with recipicals) and have lamanated same in a booklet that joins me on the flybridge. at least you have course and distance between your w/p's.

Ditto chartlets from PCPlanner.

One point - the C Map max card I have does not show the tide stream in real time when used on the laptop. I am told it will if I use the card in a Max O/B plotter thou. Does your pc show the stream?


The MapTech CD I use does show real time streams over every tide diamond which is very useful.
 

Andrew38

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I rcvd the updated PC Planner software from C-Map UK yesterday- cost £5 plus £5 postage. Not only do you get the tidal arrows but you also get photos of ports, the rolling road perspective and lights flashing on the buoys! A good £10 worth!

Andrew
 

miket

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Me too.
Around Solent I never do written passage plans because I know it adequately well.
Cross channel I always do written passage plans including tides (not vectors but mathematical table that simulates vectors) in case plotter goes down. Have a template on the PC and just fill in the waypoints and times of HW plus tidal range for new passage.
 
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