Ramsgate to Continent tactics

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Gwylan

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Looking for the benefit of local wisdom.
We are wintering in Ramsgate, but fancy a long weekend in France, Belgium or even The Netherlands. Since the.weather looks good we might go this weekend.

Suggested passage plan from Ramsgate to say Nieuwpoort. Hints on timing and so on

We are an irrascible old skipper, sundry hangers on and a 33 foot bilge keel yacht.
 
I don't have access to the data at the moment, but my usual plan is always to work backwards from the destination, hoping to arrive with a favourable tide. A journey is always more enjoyable if it gets better towards the end, and a contrary tide near the destination can lead many of us to irascibility.
 
From Ramsgate to Nieuwpoort I normally go North of the Goodwin Sands, to Tail of the Falls South cardinal, from where I cross the TSS to Ruyttingen NW green buoy. From there I aim at DY3 North cardinal and then weave my way around the Flemish banks. You can cross most of the banks if the seas are not too bad and depending on your draught of course.
 
Gravelines is in my humble opinion one of the most delightful towns in France and is perhaps teh closest foreign port to Ramsgate. It is a drying harbour with very soft mud but as long as you shut all your through hulls it is not a problem, just arrive or leave 2 hours either side of high tide.

Boulogne is also delightful and was good enough for William the Conqueror and Napoleon as a jumping off spot to Britain. I find it easy with planning to make Boulogne in a single tide from Ramsgate.
 
Gwylan said:
Looking for the benefit of local wisdom.
We are wintering in Ramsgate, but fancy a long weekend in France, Belgium or even The Netherlands. Since the.weather looks good we might go this weekend.

Suggested passage plan from Ramsgate to say Nieuwpoort. Hints on timing and so on


We are an irrascible old skipper, sundry hangers on and a 33 foot bilge keel yacht.
Click to expand...

On a '5 knot boat' you can comfortably carry a fair tide all the way if you leave Ramsgate at the start of the southbound tide, go out north of the Goodwins, 90 degrees across shipping lanes past Sandettie & down to Ruytingen. By then tide will be turning and will take you fast north up past Dunkerque. Take the nicely bouyed Zuydcoote / Trapgeer channel over the banks and that tips you out about 10 miles sw of Nieuwpoort. ( We go through with, from memory, around 3m under our 1.8m keel on the northbound trip). Usually there's enough run of tide to carry you right up to the entrance. If not, just hug inshore over the shallows where there's not much adverse current to worry you. Have a good trip....and watch out for the resident seal colony if you're going into VVW.

PS: Once in Nieuwpoort its a comfortable day hop up to Breskens. Trick there is to push (weak) tide up to Zeebrugge and then get sucked into the Westerschelde (usually at 8-9 knots SOG) by the (powerful) flood.

Posts on the blog (link below) covering a Ramsgate - Nieuwpoort - Breskens - Blankenberge - Ramsgate run, which we're just back from. Covered in first 5 posts.
 
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Glayva said:
Gravelines is in my humble opinion one of the most delightful towns in France and is perhaps teh closest foreign port to Ramsgate. It is a drying harbour with very soft mud but as long as you shut all your through hulls it is not a problem, just arrive or leave 2 hours either side of high tide.

Boulogne is also delightful and was good enough for William the Conqueror and Napoleon as a jumping off spot to Britain. I find it easy with planning to make Boulogne in a single tide from Ramsgate.
Click to expand...

We are bilge keel so drying or muding is not a problem.

We like Boulogne - it was a regular destination when we were in Rye.
Interesting that it is a 'one tide' destination from Ramsgate.
 
John_Silver said:
On a '5 knot boat' you can comfortably carry a fair tide all the way if you leave Ramsgate at the start of the southbound tide, go out north of the Goodwins, 90 degrees across shipping lanes past Sandettie & down to Ruytingen. By then tide will be turning and will take you fast north up past Dunkerque. Take the nicely bouyed Zuydcoote / Trapgeer channel over the banks and that tips you out aboiut 10 miles sw of Nieuwpoort. ( We go through with, from memory, around 3m under our 1.8m keel on the northbound trip). Usually there's enough run of tide to carry you right up to the entrance. If not, just hug inshore over the shallows where there's not much adverse current to worry you. Have a good trip....and watch out for the resident seal colony if you're going into VVW.
Click to expand...

Thank you for that.
 
John_Silver said:
On a '5 knot boat' you can comfortably carry a fair tide all the way if you leave Ramsgate at the start of the southbound tide, go out north of the Goodwins, 90 degrees across shipping lanes past Sandettie & down to Ruytingen. By then tide will be turning and will take you fast north up past Dunkerque. Take the nicely bouyed Zuydcoote / Trapgeer channel over the banks and that tips you out about 10 miles sw of Nieuwpoort. ( We go through with, from memory, around 3m under our 1.8m keel on the northbound trip). Usually there's enough run of tide to carry you right up to the entrance. If not, just hug inshore over the shallows where there's not much adverse current to worry you. Have a good trip....and watch out for the resident seal colony if you're going into VVW.

PS: Once in Nieuwpoort its a comfortable day hop up to Breskens. Trick there is to push (weak) tide up to Zeebrugge and then get sucked into the Westerschelde (usually at 8-9 knots SOG) by the (powerful) flood.

Posts on the blog (link below) covering a Ramsgate - Nieuwpoort - Breskens - Blankenberge - Ramsgate run, which we're just back from. Covered in first 5 posts.
Click to expand...

Ooh, Breskens - we spent 3 years there during a tour of duty in Belgium. We liked it very much. An extended trip is looming.
Is that 'all you can eat' Turkish, Eastern restaurant- cafe still in Breskens?
 
Yes, I really like Breskens too. Great mix of fishing port and sailing resort. Wonderful relaxed feel to it. The square is full of restaurants....and excellent walks out to Nieuwesluis, on the sea wall, to work up an appetite! Vlissingen old harbour is worth a ferry ride over too, especially if you've ever read 'We Didn't Mean to go to Sea.'
 
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Glayva said:
Gravelines is in my humble opinion one of the most delightful towns in France and is perhaps teh closest foreign port to Ramsgate. It is a drying harbour with very soft mud but as long as you shut all your through hulls it is not a problem, just arrive or leave 2 hours either side of high tide.

Boulogne is also delightful and was good enough for William the Conqueror and Napoleon as a jumping off spot to Britain. I find it easy with planning to make Boulogne in a single tide from Ramsgate.
Click to expand...

That's interesting. Gravelines has never appealed to me, but you make it sound interesting.
Any special reason?
 
Dan Tribe said:
That's interesting. Gravelines has never appealed to me, but you make it sound interesting.
Any special reason?
Click to expand...

There are a couple of reasons I like Gravelines:
1. The town is the only fully moated town in Europe and yet the tourists haven't really discovered it.
2. The walking is excellent particularly a complete circuit of the town walls. As is the walking down to the beach.
3. The staff are very friendly and let me speak my badly accented French without correcting me.
4. Good showers, good security, good wifi.
5. The restaurant 'Le Turbot' is in Gravelines and does an outstanding 3 course lunch. And that is not the only good restaurant in the town.
6. There is a Lidls within spitting distance of the marina with wine (incl non French wine) at 50% of what they charge in the UK - I come out of Gravelines with a wine list.
7. I leave my mooring on the Medway at HW and will be in Gravelines at the next HW -2 as long as I don't have a strong headwind and ditto for returning. Always try for slack water at North Foreland.

Boulogne use to be my favourite port but that has now been replaced by Gravelines. I draw 1.8 metres with a fairly thick fin keel and sink very softly into the mud, so if I don't have a problem I can't imagine any boat having a problem.
 
Glayva said:
There are a couple of reasons I like Gravelines:
1. The town is the only fully moated town in Europe and yet the tourists haven't really discovered it.
2. The walking is excellent particularly a complete circuit of the town walls. As is the walking down to the beach.
3. The staff are very friendly and let me speak my badly accented French without correcting me.
4. Good showers, good security, good wifi.
5. The restaurant 'Le Turbot' is in Gravelines and does an outstanding 3 course lunch. And that is not the only good restaurant in the town.
6. There is a Lidls within spitting distance of the marina with wine (incl non French wine) at 50% of what they charge in the UK - I come out of Gravelines with a wine list.
7. I leave my mooring on the Medway at HW and will be in Gravelines at the next HW -2 as long as I don't have a strong headwind and ditto for returning. Always try for slack water at North Foreland.

Boulogne use to be my favourite port but that has now been replaced by Gravelines. I draw 1.8 metres with a fairly thick fin keel and sink very softly into the mud, so if I don't have a problem I can't imagine any boat having a problem.
Click to expand...

We sailed there for the first time last July and agree with everything Glayva said. And The Turbot really is a very good classic French fish restaurant. There’s a very nice market in the town square some days too, if you fancy cooking on board.

Note that, contrary to the pilot books, you don’t have to worry about them opening the bridge to let you in at the moment as it is permanently open pending repairs. It didn’t look likely to be in operation any time soon. Also, bear in mind that this is a bit of an uphill slog if you’re coming direct from Ramsgate. Better to come from Belgium or Dunkirk for the easiest passage. I wouldn’t chance the entrance any more than an hour after HW and I’d really aim to be there and hour before HW: I was chatting to a bloke that chanced it and paid the price by being stranded at the entrance for a tide and getting pounded on the sands as it came back in.
 
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Just in case you are still in Ramsgit....passage plan for Calais.
Leave LW ish.... Go straight east till Gull Stream.. Point at Dunkirk... about 130...
You arrive Calais at HW in time for a bridge opening to the yacht club.

The return trip is the inverse.. Leave at first opening go straight across the sandbanks.. HW! ... arrive Gull Stream with N going tide...


PS watch for white ships in the TSS.. They go like the clappers.
 
Tomahawk said:
Just in case you are still in Ramsgit....passage plan for Calais.
Leave LW ish.... Go straight east till Gull Stream.. Point at Dunkirk... about 130...
You arrive Calais at HW in time for a bridge opening to the yacht club.

The return trip is the inverse.. Leave at first opening go straight across the sandbanks.. HW! ... arrive Gull Stream with N going tide...


PS watch for white ships in the TSS.. They go like the clappers.
Click to expand...

Thank you -
 
Re: Ramsgate to Continent tactics update

Us and Ramsgate, events got in the way. Not least the gate was closed until late on Friday.

So we had a bounce around the bay on Saturday afternoon. Was good to see the place in daylight for the first time since we arrived.
Learned that we do have to factor in the tides when planning a passage.

Look forward to slipping off to somewhere on the other side of the channel and have some good hints on that.

Gravelines sounds very attractive.
Nieuwpoort is familiar, as is the Schelte for slightly longer adventures

Jolly Autumn sailing awaits.
 
Re: Ramsgate to Continent tactics update

If you go up to the Temple, Ask the likes of John Barrett or Woodward about the chap who left it a bit late to exit the inner harbour.

It's a tail worth hearing.
 
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