Ramsgate to Ostend tidal strategy

[dolabriform]

Hi all
Planning to nip over to Ostend from Ramsgate tomorrow, pondering tidal strategy and TSS crossing points.

Looking at the charts, I can see an almost straight ish line of I go north of the Goodwin sands, and the sanguette bank.

Just the kids and I, so wanting to leave around 5am when the winds are lighter

I’ve never crossed from here before, so I know i’m probably going to get it wrong . I know I’ll have the tide against me at some point , so I’m wondering what strategy the learned forumites would recommend?

Thanks as always

David

 

[johnalison]

Good luck with that. I don't have the info with me, but essentially you will want to arrive with the tide in your favour running east and preferably plenty of water over the banks, so it is really just a matter of working backwards from when you expect to arrive. This is really the method for all cross-channel or N Sea trips.

 

[Cantata]

Our usual tactic from Ramsgate is to start on the rising tide, crossing the Sandettie at HW somewhere NE of the lightship. Then run up the coast on the ebb. Further over the ground, but the crossing of traffic lanes at 90deg tends to take you that way anyway, plus no contrary tide all the way and no shallows to worry about.

 

[dolabriform]

Thanks, Cantata,
If I understand correctly, that’s something like this? Let the tide take us south on the flood.

 

[dolabriform]

Or more like this ( which was my original thought )

 

[dolabriform]

All went well, faster crossing than I was expecting, roughly 9 hours.

 

[Plum]

All went well, faster crossing than I was expecting, roughly 9 hours.

Good. Which of the two routes did you take?

 

[dolabriform]

Something along the lines of the second one.

 

[dolabriform]

Good. Which of the two routes did you take?

Here's the track from the crossing

 

[Plum]

Or more like this ( which was my original thought )

View attachment 177577

Hi, you said the route in post #9 was the one you used, which looks good to me. However, the North Sea Passage Pilot warns against crossing the Sandettie above a F4, suggesting ther Sandettie Light Vessel instead. What wind strength did you have, anything to report? Thanks.

 

[dolabriform]

Hi, you said the route in post #9 was the one you used, which looks good to me. However, the North Sea Passage Pilot warns against crossing the Sandettie above a F4, suggesting ther Sandettie Light Vessel instead. What wind strength did you have, anything to report? Thanks.

Does it now? I'm glad I didn't know that before, as we had an F5 on the beam!

It was quite bumpy

 

[johnalison]

Does it now? I'm glad I didn't know that before, as we had an F5 on the beam!

It was quite bumpy

You poor dears.

 

[dolabriform]

You poor dears.

Not at all; it was a fun ride. The kids loved it

 

[CJ1]

I’m planning a similar trip in early August. My boat is a 27’ Moody. May I ask what your boat is, and your speed through the water ?

I do my passage plans assuming 4.5 knots average so I’m assuming more like a 15 hour trip for me.

Not at all; it was a fun ride. The kids loved it

I’m planning a similar trip in early August. My boat is a 27’ Moody. May I ask what your boat is, and your speed through the water ?

I do my passage plans assuming 4.5 knots average so I’m assuming more like a 15 hour trip for me.

 

[dolabriform]

I’m planning a similar trip in early August. My boat is a 27’ Moody. May I ask what your boat is, and your speed through the water ?

I do my passage plans assuming 4.5 knots average so I’m assuming more like a 15 hour trip for me.

I’m planning a similar trip in early August. My boat is a 27’ Moody. May I ask what your boat is, and your speed through the water ?

I do my passage plans assuming 4.5 knots average so I’m assuming more like a 15 hour trip for me.

HI CJ

We have an Elan 36, regularly hitting 7+ knots through the water.

I tend to passage plan at 6 to 61/2 knots depending on conditions.

 

[johnalison]

I’m planning a similar trip in early August. My boat is a 27’ Moody. May I ask what your boat is, and your speed through the water ?

I do my passage plans assuming 4.5 knots average so I’m assuming more like a 15 hour trip for me.

I’m planning a similar trip in early August. My boat is a 27’ Moody. May I ask what your boat is, and your speed through the water ?

I do my passage plans assuming 4.5 knots average so I’m assuming more like a 15 hour trip for me.

4.5 knots sounds reasonable. It depends on how willing you are to use the engine. My HR 34 will generally sail at somewhere between 6 & 7 knots but for a longer passage that I want to do as a day trip the engine goes on when the speed goes below 6, but that is just a personal preference and taking into account my wife's and my stamina.

On a good day we can easily sail at 7-8 knots but in spite of this it's funny how the hour's average is always much lower. The speed obviously drops for a few seconds every now and again, and this has a much greater effect on the average than the occasional high speed in gusts.

 

[dolabriform]

4.5 knots sounds reasonable. It depends on how willing you are to use the engine. My HR 34 will generally sail at somewhere between 6 & 7 knots but for a longer passage that I want to do as a day trip the engine goes on when the speed goes below 6, but that is just a personal preference and taking into account my wife's and my stamina.

On a good day we can easily sail at 7-8 knots but in spite of this it's funny how the hour's average is always much lower. The speed obviously drops for a few seconds every now and again, and this has a much greater effect on the average than the occasional high speed in gusts.

As John says, we also reluctantly stick the iron sail on if we drop speed when needed.

It is odd how the average speed is lower than one would expect most of the time, which causes me to calibrate the log often!