Ramsgate to Calais

[Frank Mc]

Hello all,
I am planning a trip that will take me from Ramsgate across to Calais in a motor cruiser (7Knots), I have'nt crossed these waters before and would welcome some advice from anyone that has done the trip.
Do you think you could help with some local knowledge or information you feel i should know route, WP's etc?
Is there anything that I should look out for, apart from the 400 odd ships that sail every day and Goodwin sands?
I was planning on heading out 2 hrs before HW going East for 7m's than turning south and head for Calais.

Any help would be great as i would like to get away next window.

Ps have posted another thread but hasn't been posted, so sorry if both show up.

 

[tillergirl]

Welcome to the Forum, Frank

Something strange with the 'posting' of your post as it didn't appear for me at least until New Year's Day - and I couldn't see straight to answer then! We don't normally ignore people on this Forum.

Crossing to Calais? Two choices of routes - outside the Goodwins and inside. I'm an 'outside' man but it does have the issue that if you have the tide right and a Northeasterly you are have the Goodwins down to leeward. Not an issue if everything is fine in the engine department.

Outside - two issues Time of tide to get the south-westerly flow to help you along and the opening of the gates in Calais harbour. At this time of year, the waiting buoys in the outer harbour are removed which makes waiting slightly more of an issue as you either have to go alongside a fishing boat or the quay. Neither is a great problem.

Tide: the slack water off Ramsgate is 5 hours after HW Dover and from then on the SW'er tide runs until two hours before HW Dover. Obviously after the slack, the tide is trying to set you down on the Goodwin Knoll which you have to bear in mind. I normally head due East just outside the ferry channel to 'Gull', then shape off southeasterly towards the East Goodwin. Just how much room I give the sands depends on the weather. If its south westerly I will keep it pretty tight - northeasterly's, I give it quite a bit of room. From off the East Goodwin, I shape off on my course to Calais allowing for the tidal set. You need to cross the shipping lanes at a heading of right angles but you will find the tide sets you down very nicely. Depending on your timing and speed you might want to drop down to adjacent to the East Goodwin light vessel before crossing the shipping lanes. I've never found crossing them too much of an issue. You have to watch out and take a few bearings to keep clear. Occasionally it is necessary to take avoiding action and I generally turn very distinctly to make sure my intentions are known and travel down the lane before turning back onto right angled heading to pass behind the ship in question.

Once at Calais you have the offlying shoals of the Ridens de la Rade. I guess you can pass over them but you have the issue of the Ferries. You'll see quite a few! First in checking your course towards Calais, the tide will be trying to take you south westerly so you will be doing any adjustment not to get set down away from the harbour entrance. Now you have to wait for the lights to go green or call up Port Control (they speak English). I have generally found that if you arrive to the East of the entrance, you have to wait much longer to get permission to enter as they will be judging the time taken to get in and clear when they have ferries ready to leave. On the other hand if you are off the wooden breakwater to the west, they tend to let you follow in a ferry and once past the outer breakwater you are well out of the way of the majority of traffic. To get to the east side of the entrance, it pays to cross the ferry channel a little west of the harbour entrance. Ferries often reverse out of the harbour and spin just off the entrance and you really won't be appreciated anywhere near that position. So cross to the west of the entrance, turn parallel to the shore and motor up to off the wooden jetty whle observing the lights.

It can be quite rolly at this point especially with a north easterly! And the fishermen on the wooden breakwater don't appreciate yachts if you pass too close to their lines as they enter!

But its really quite easy. Trouble is when you point out issues it makes it seem really tricky when it isn't.

Lock opening at Calais - really it is bridge opening - I'm not sure whether they close the lock gates in winter (which were broken in the summer anyway). The main visitors pontoon was removed presumably for maintenance in early december so it might be worth ringing them for bridge opening times.

See below for info off their site. http://www.calais-port.com/marina/access-to-the-docks/

"The threshold for the draughts of ships admitted into the Western docks is now set at 3.00 meters maximum. Marine crossing assistance comprises :
Lit panels situated on either edge of the lock, downstream as well as upstream, indicating the presence of a cofferdam and its hydro coast at + 2.00 meters.,
There are also gauge wells located on either side of the entrance lock, both downstream and upstream. They indicate the height of water available above the upper side of the cofferdam.

In addition, an orange light shines for 15 minutes before bridge openings, which follow the schedule below:
3 hours before high tide,
2 hours before high tide,
1 hour before high tide,
High tide,
1 hour and 15 min. after high tide,
Two hours and 30 min. after high tide"

 

[Frank Mc]

Thank you

That is great info Tillergirl.

thank you so much.

 

[Pye_End]

Difficult to add to that.

I'm an 'outside' man as well. I like to have a little northerly going tide to start the passage, having been at the top end of the Goodwins as the flood started and having to tack to get round - the tide is strong straight away and after an hour of tacking going nowhere ended up on the inside route!

It also gives you the maximum chance of getting into Calais if it ends up slower than expected.

I aim to be just east of Calais and then turn left. If you end up downtide instead as the tide turns at Calais it is a bit fight to get back. Since you will cross the TSS at right angles you wont be too far away anyway.

You need to be careful about timing your way out of Ramsgate - it has silted up, and when you get to your time of leaving you may find yourself stuck in the mud. No idea if they are dredging over the winter!

 

[Athene V30]

Is there anything that I should look out for, apart from the 400 odd ships that sail every day and Goodwin sands?

I can recall the first time I did Ramsgate to Calais (in 1999) in my 21 foot sailing boat with tempremental 4hp outboard. My crew was pretty inexperienced so before we set off I laboured the keeping a good look out for ships and taking bearings of them to monitor the CPA. When we got to Calais he told me I was a fraud - we hadn't seen a single ship in the lanes (and it wan't foggy).

Another time I was a bit complacent leaving Ramsgate, steering east until clear of Goodwins, just I didn't monitor the spring rate set to the SW until the depth started to shallow quite rapidly. I now monitor a back bearing until I know I am east of 1 33'E if I am going outside. If the depart time is very early for the outside route it is worth considering a later departure and going inside aiming to be at SW Goodwin a little before slack water and catch the start of the NE stream as you cross the lanes.