Ramsgate to Boulogne

[yerffoeg]

I would be grateful for some passage planning advice.

I am intending to sail from Ramsgate to Boulogne in my Sabre 27 for the first time in the summer. I have looked at some of the older threads.

At about 2 hours before HW, head South from Ramsgate, inside the Goodwins, towards the Varne, Cut across the cross-channel lanes into Dover and keep heading South. Reach the Varne and then set a course to steer of approx 150 deg T. Does this sound about right?!

GEoff

 

[johnalison]

I don't have my charts to hand but it's not a hard passage in average conditions and we did it regularly in a smaller boat with a petrol engine.

As long as you cross the lanes at the required right angle, there is little to do wrong. Don't underestimate the strength of the tide at this point; you can always run off down tide at the other end. It is much the same in either direction in is respect. Although it is 35 miles, it always seems to be easy to cover the ground in the time. Boulogne is good fun as long as you get there before the Dutch on their way home from their summer cruise.

Do your plan, then relax and enjoy the trip.

 

[Doineann]

I think you may mean 2 hours before low water as that, I think is when it turns south. As to exactly when to leave, it depends how fast you go. You need to be at Boulogne by about 1 hour before HW Dover, so work back, so you may have to punch the tide at the start.
Once clear of the Goodwins just put the boat on the correct angle for the TSS, you will find the tide pretty much sweeps you to Boulogne.

 

[Lucky Duck]

I think you may mean 2 hours before low water as that, I think is when it turns south. As to exactly when to leave, it depends how fast you go. You need to be at Boulogne by about 1 hour before HW Dover, so work back, so you may have to punch the tide at the start.
Once clear of the Goodwins just put the boat on the correct angle for the TSS, you will find the tide pretty much sweeps you to Boulogne.

+ 1 Although I might aim to be at Boulogne two hours before HW Dover to be on the safe side.

 

[AndrewB]

Timing is everything. It's 37 miles and you want the tide with you for as much as possible, certainly once you are clear of the Downs. That means leaving Ramsgate around 3-4 hours after HW Dover (before Ramsgate entrance gets too shallow, if that is currently a problem). You then have about 8 hours to make it, until 2 hours before the next HW Dover, which with the tide helping is normally ample. If you leave it too late there's nowhere on the French side to dodge the tide, which seems at its fiercest off Cap Griz Nez.

If the wind permits go south inside the B2 buoy (beware, shallow here) to keep out of the last of the north-going tide. Then down to South Foreland and make your choice for the channel crossing.

You are of course supposed to cross the TSS "on a heading as nearly as practicable at right-angles", i.e. at 135 deg. The usual SW wind does encourage this. I prefer to first beat down-channel a short distance until across the path of the Dover-Calais ferries (giving Dover at least a couple of miles clearance), then the required heading will, with the tide pushing you west, bring you onto the French coast at Cap Griz Nez. On a SE wind though cross from South Foreland, and you should be able to head direct to Cap Griz Nez without technically breaking the rules, but beware the ferries as well as the usual traffic in the TSS.

P.S. Royal Temple YC regularly sail this during the summer: if you are nervous about a first time TSS crossing you might try going with them.

 

[yerffoeg]

Thank you for your replies.

Sorry , yes, I meant 2 hours before LW, which is when the tide turns South.

GEoff