Ramsgate to Boulougne

dolabriform

dolabriform

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Hi all

I know there's a thread about Ramsgate to Calais but rather than hijacking here's another one :rolleyes:

This is the rough route I've come up with, leaving Ramsgate when the tide turns favourable, and sailing past Dover before turning across the shipping lanes,.

All comments appreciated !

Many thanks

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Little Grebe said:
The advice I was given when first contemplating that trip is to calculate when the tide goes foul at Bolougne and work backwards to arrive at a departure time.
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That's about it. You use most of the tide in getting there. The tide off Boulogne is not as strong as at Dover but enough to be annoying if you get there too late. The course shown ends up as almost a straight line when the tide takes you south off Dover. It won't bother you on this trip, but the seas off the Boulogne mole can be rough in a south-westerly blow, as when approaching from Dieppe. I've got film somewhere of the waves breaking over the wall as we round the corner on the way in.

I'm quite jealous. I haven't experienced that glorious Boulogne scent for too long.
 
johnalison said:
That's about it. You use most of the tide in getting there. The tide off Boulogne is not as strong as at Dover but enough to be annoying if you get there too late. The course shown ends up as almost a straight line when the tide takes you south off Dover. It won't bother you on this trip, but the seas off the Boulogne mole can be rough in a south-westerly blow, as when approaching from Dieppe. I've got film somewhere of the waves breaking over the wall as we round the corner on the way in.

I'm quite jealous. I haven't experienced that glorious Boulogne scent for too long.
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Thanks John, I'll try and bottle some for you ;)
 
I'd suggest that you don't actually want to follow the track you've illustrated. If you get your tide right, you want to be entering the TSS further to the NE, and though your heading will be at 90 degrees to the lanes, you'll actually be tracking diagonally across it, but exiting before the dog leg. So your actual course is nearer to (but not exactly) a straight line between Ramsgate and Boulogne.
 
LittleSister said:
I'd suggest that you don't actually want to follow the track you've illustrated. If you get your tide right, you want to be entering the TSS further to the NE, and though your heading will be at 90 degrees to the lanes, you'll actually be tracking diagonally across it, but exiting before the dog leg. So your actual course is nearer to (but not exactly) a straight line between Ramsgate and Boulogne.
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Yes. I think we used to pass close to the South Goodwin light vessel, though David is too young to know what that is.
 
I always try and intersect teh TSS about level with the radio towers a couple of miles west of Dover and then turn SE, at springs it tends to bring me out opposite Boulogne and at neaps a couple of miles north.
 
johnalison said:
That's about it. You use most of the tide in getting there. The tide off Boulogne is not as strong as at Dover but enough to be annoying if you get there too late. The course shown ends up as almost a straight line when the tide takes you south off Dover. It won't bother you on this trip, but the seas off the Boulogne mole can be rough in a south-westerly blow, as when approaching from Dieppe. I've got film somewhere of the waves breaking over the wall as we round the corner on the way in.

I'm quite jealous. I haven't experienced that glorious Boulogne scent for too long.
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Perhaps the other point to note is the Northern breakwater is partly submerged which could ruin somebody's day if they tried to sail over it.
 
I did more or less your route, but going a little further past Dover arriving off Cap Gris-Nez. We messed up on the tide having a great ride to Dover and across but the tide turned as we were off Cap Gris-Nez and had a huge tide running against us. The many pot markers were being pulled under water and very difficult to see.
We had gone to meet some friends returning from a trip further afield west who arrived after we were already in the marina. One of the boats didn't read the notes in the almanac and istead of after entering the outer entrance and following the wall to the white notice board cut straight across towards the inner entrance. Luckily for him the French fishing boat that tried to tow him off failed to move him, saving him a towing charge. After about an hour he floated free.
 
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Whichever way you go it will be great fun - first time for us last year (following Rogers great book; SYH-Ramsgate-Dover-Boulogne), something very satisfying in making the crossing from one Country to another. We were very lucky with the weather.. for once perfect conditions (although we did have to motor most of the way back from Ramsgate)!
Really enjoyed Boulogne too...had planned a return visit this year and hoped to venture further down the French coast (Honfleur?) anyway that didn't happen (Bradwell is very nice at this time of year!!)?
 
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