Passage plans - resources

Sea-Fever

Sea-Fever

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It's probably not a bad thing for any skipper to sit down and consult the relevant sources 'from scratch' when devising a passage plan rather than rely on someone else's homework.

However are there reliable sources from which the most common passage plans for yachts could be obtained??
 
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I've often found that internet searches turn up local yacht clubs with websites that have passage plans on them. It has worked for me a number of times, sort of local knowledge sharing but instant access once you have found it.
 
Various pilot books?

TBH, for the channel and Solent, what you need is a set of tide charts, Wight Hazards, Solent Hazards, Inshore along the Dorset Coast all by Peter Bruce, and Fishwick's West Country Cruising.

T'other side, RCC Pilot books?

More detailed info will allow you to get closer to the rocks, but mostly a simple passage plan based on studying the chart and alamanac will see you right.

Going through the process for yourself is good, rather than borrowing a crib sheet.
But I'll happily take the crib sheet and try to rationalise against the basics of chart, tide tables, tidal streams.
 
If you are after a printed source, Reeds Almanac is a good one.

But the tidal streams info is a bit coarse so some printed tidal stream booklets for your particular area are useful. Then you can write in the times for each page of the book and it then is obvious what gates there are, and optimum times to hit them, eg at slack water turning in your favour or whatever. Then you need distances between your start point, tidal gates or headlands (Reeds has some distance tables but a small scale passage chart will be better) and your estimated rate of progress and that will determine start times. But you might also have locks or cills or tidal estuaries at your start or destination. Reeds will have the data you need to work for all these as well.

It all boils down to a plan that goes I need to start between this time and that, and get to particular points between this time and that, and so if I'm not making enough progress, then the engine needs to go on. Or divert to a convenient spot. Or accept its all gone Horlicks and plod on regardless .

That's how I do it anyway.
 
steveej said:
I've often found that internet searches turn up local yacht clubs with websites that have passage plans on them. It has worked for me a number of times, sort of local knowledge sharing but instant access once you have found it.
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That's a good idea. I'm surprised there's not a collated resource somewhere.....you plug in your cruising speed, start point and end point and you get preferred point of the tide to leave, list of waypoints, gates and dangers.
 
Sea-Fever said:
That's a good idea. I'm surprised there's not a collated resource somewhere.....you plug in your cruising speed, start point and end point and you get preferred point of the tide to leave, list of waypoints, gates and dangers.
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Savvy Navvy?? "the first sailing navigation app to combine real-time weather and chart data to provide a comprehensive passage plan suited to your boat specifications"

Not used it except for a play but if it does what it says on the tin it may be close to the requirement??

https://www.savvy-navvy.com/
 
Skipper I worked for always wrote on first page of new voyage”towards”.........Falmouth towards Rotterdam.......as you never knew what was going to upset the passage and toward was a suitable word to cover the attitude of a seaman,hoping for the best.
 
Wansworth said:
Skipper I worked for always wrote on first page of new voyage”towards”.........Falmouth towards Rotterdam.......as you never knew what was going to upset the passage and toward was a suitable word to cover the attitude of a seaman,hoping for the best.
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We do that.
We'll set off from the Solent 'towards Dartmouth', the plan includes everything we need to know including the possibilities of stopping at Swanage, Weymouth, Brixham etc.

I think making your own plan is an important process, you need to check over the source material yourself, or better still 'yourselves', so you know why you are leaving at horrid AM and the effects of being early or late etc. I wouldn't want to use someone else's plan, or expect anyone to want to use mine.
I also want enough source materials on board to make a new plan, any new plan which might be wanted.
E.g. if we're heading for Dartmouth and after some hours realise we've got a perfect weather window to get to Scilly, we might be writing a new plan.
 
Fantasie 19 said:
Savvy Navvy?? "the first sailing navigation app to combine real-time weather and chart data to provide a comprehensive passage plan suited to your boat specifications"

Not used it except for a play but if it does what it says on the tin it may be close to the requirement??

https://www.savvy-navvy.com/
Click to expand...

Thanks but just tried it for a passage from River Crouch to Ramsgate and it said "no route found".

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk
 
All good advice, but w.r, Passage planning is much more than "a to b" and the tides and weather. I reckon I can get around the Solent pretty well without too much preparation, but I suggest that it is always a good idea to note when the tidal flow changes from E to W & vice versa in your area of interest. E.G The ebb starts off Cowes about 3 hours before HW Portsmouth. Of even greater importance is to check the relevant Local Notices to Mariners (LNTMs) for the harbours you plan to use, and those to which you might possibly have to divert. LNTMs contain much vital information and are often the earliest source of information on things like restrictions to navigation that will affect you. Many harbours (Cowes for one) offers an e mail alerting service which is very helpful.
 
LadyInBed said:
Yes,
HW to LW go West
LW to HW go East
:)
Click to expand...

yep thats it right there!

Sea-Fever said:
That's a good idea. I'm surprised there's not a collated resource somewhere.....you plug in your cruising speed, start point and end point and you get preferred point of the tide to leave, list of waypoints, gates and dangers.
Click to expand...

there is always Neptune passage planner someone once told me about which calculates your passage time and distance "through water" taking tides into consideration and spits out something like this;

Waypoint to waypoint distance=55.7nm

Departing 00:00, Passage time=11h18m Distance over ground=56.5nm

vs

Departing 09:00, Passage time=08h56m Distance over ground=44.7nm

obviously thats a snipped version but it gives you hour by hour departures as far as i know although i dont use it.

if your flush with cash there is savvy navy - i've just played with the free beta version, but i'd never waste that sort of money when a 5 minute look at some tide tables and a tidal atlas will give me all the knowledge i need.

tbh all electronic stuff and in books is more of a guide as whats happening underneath you and around you can vary quite alot, especially when influenced by local oddities which there are plenty in the Solent
 
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