Suggestions for Passage Plan Amsterdam to ..

[Ohdrat]

Inverness

I'm on a delivery from Amsterdam to Inverness and have been asked to "research" possible passage plans, harbours, routes, nav hazards etc any suggestions?

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[Ohdrat]

Re: I don\'t believe no one has views on this

Come on you lot this is a wonderful chance to pontificate about crossing the N Sea and harbours from Lowestoft up to Inverness..

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[Peppermint]

If you want some guidence on Amsterdam let me know.

As to the passage plan what size boat and number and strength of crew would help.

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[Ohdrat]

Boat is a narrow deep hull about 34 - 36 ft loa, ie good a seaway but lousey for creek crawling

Crew of 4 inc skipper (not me)

We have a max of 10 days

(all I can say about Amsterdam is that looks v suspect buying a one way ticket there!..)

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[Peppermint]

Re: Well

I'd be looking to do it in one hit. Forecast permiting. As that gives you more time in the City. Your landfall at Ijmuiden.
Easy entry in all but the poorest viz. The Seaport Marina is handy to starboard as you go in if you need it or just lock in and follow the Noordzeekanaal to Amsterdam. Sixhaven marina is handy for the sights at least 1.80m of depth. It's about 15 N. miles on the canal.

Buy Cruising Guide to the Netherlands by Brian Navin

& Admiralty chart 2322

Eat steaks at Gaucho's. Visit a Brown Cafe " Traditional Dutch Pub" Smoke grass at the Grasshopper just down the Damrak from the station. If you visit the redlight district, which you should just to look, make sure they're women.

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[Ohdrat]

Re: errrr

We're starting in Amsterdam and aim to get to Inverness..

Cruising guide to Netherlands is probably not wot we need as we don't intend to hang around on the East side of the North Sea.

We're really more interested in good places to dodge into where necessary and the best place to cross..without ramming gas/oil installations etc

Local knowledge re the East Coast from Grimsby up

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[Peppermint]

Re:Well your going the wrong way thenNM

NM

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[Twister_Ken]

Yeah, but why?

>We're starting in Amsterdam and aim to get to Inverness.<

Going t'other direction seems much more sensible.

Ducks whirling claymore, to the sound of sporrans being padlocked.

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[milltech]

Re: I don\'t believe no one has views on this

Well I've done it the other way, that's to say Inverness to Stellendam. We just cleared the headland at the end of the Moray Firth, (is it Kinnaird? It's a long time ago), and kept the most direct course possible.

These days with departure date choice and a decent five day forecast you should not get too many surprises.

<hr width=100% size=1>John
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.allgadgets.co.uk>http://www.allgadgets.co.uk</A>

 

[Ohdrat]

Re: Yeah, but why?

Because the owner has bought the boat in Netherlands but wants to keep it in Inverness... This aint no pleasure cruise

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[Twister_Ken]

Hands up the Jocks

C'mon yee bonny, bonneted brethern. Any decent sailing to be had up there? I've only been tae Inverness twice and it was bluidy bleak both times.

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[vyv_cox]

Not a route that I have ever tried but I have made passages both north and west from Ijmuiden. Your main hazard is the absence of TSS. Heading north-west there is a TSS for a very short distance close to the shoreline but otherwise only "advised" lanes. In practice this seems to mean that ships go where they want. You need to keep a very good look out in the central North Sea area. Otherwise you could head north first, then cross the TSS close to Texel. The majority of the traffic probably goes that way, a minor proportion only continuing north.

It's unknown territory from there on for me but I have been advised in the past to avoid Great Yarmouth. So from that point of view, and to avoid the shallow bits round the Wash, and to have the prevailing wind aft of the beam I would be heading as far north as possible.

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[Twister_Ken]

Stop in Newcastle?

Idle thought really - I've no experience notrh of Aldeburgh - but I believed I read somewhere that mooring is now possible in central Newcastle. Might make an interesting stop. Looking at it on a large(?) scale map, it seems to be a little over half way, when supplies of broon and stottie cake might be running low.

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[milltech]

Re: Hands up the Jocks

I think it's the fastest growing city in the UK and I'd move there in a flash if the boss would allow it, but she wouldn't. Clean environment, wonderful clear skies and sharp colours, out of the city in minutes rather than hours. Watching the dolphins leap in front of your bow going out through Beauly Firth, all the Caledonian as a playground if the weathers off, and EasyJet to Luton for a few bob when needed.

<hr width=100% size=1>John
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.allgadgets.co.uk>http://www.allgadgets.co.uk</A>

 

[Twister_Ken]

Re: Hands up the Jocks

Funny, John, but you didn't mention the horizontal sleet that has welcomed me on both my visits there!

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[milltech]

Re: Hands up the Jocks

Ice on the deck in the mornings, sometimes snow, but then I didn't mention the skiing, hill walking, low property prices, free car parks, etc. either.

<hr width=100% size=1>John
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.allgadgets.co.uk>http://www.allgadgets.co.uk</A>

 

[milltech]

Re: Hands up the Jocks

I was there just before Christmas on business and staying in a B&B at Ft. Augustus, next door was a substantial and pretty house in 12 acres of paddock and woodland, views of Loch Ness from the upper windows, asking £250k. "Och but they're asking too much, they're English!" (Explains everything).



<hr width=100% size=1>John
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.allgadgets.co.uk>http://www.allgadgets.co.uk</A>

 

[extravert]

These are the places I have been into along that coast that may be of interest...

Lowestoft

Easy entrance, good shelter, welcoming yacht club, but the berthing is tight and there may not be a lot of room. Bang in the middle of town, good for supplies.

Grimsby

Tidally restricted access to Grimsby Yacht Club's marina in the old fish docks. Safe entrance, friendly and good shelter, but the whole area is run down and smells. Bit of a walk into a not very pretty town. Supplies from a supermarket 30mins walk away. Tide strong in the Humber.

Whitby

Very limited access to the council pontoons, but bang in the middle of town right opposite a supermarket. Pretty but wouldn't like to try an entrance in a strong Easterly.

Hartlepool

Monster sized marina but limited access. Not particularly pretty. Shops nearby but town not particularly close. Probably not easy in a strong Easterly.

Tyne

Wide safe entrance in all but the worst Easterlies. Large locked marina at North Shields, which is a long way from Newcastle but you can get a Metro into town. Great city to visit.

Blyth

Good refuge, excellent yacht club with marina like facilities, but probably better to go to the Tyne nearby if on route. Unpretty town.

Amble

Marina with limited access. Found it difficult to enter in the dark but made it OK. Small OK town nearby.

There are plenty of places on the Forth but I haven't been to any.

Stonehaven Doubtful shelter in an attractive harbour in an attractive town. Good supplies nearby.

Peterhead

Big busy harbour, good marina, easy entrance apart from the ships. Town not attractive but within long walking distance.

There are also places to go once you round the corner, but you are nearly there by then and will probably continue to Inverness.

That's a list of places that you will be able to get into and stay afloat with your sized boat. There are many other drying places as well but these are probably no good. There are also other commercial harbours that would be good for refuge if you needed shelter urgently, but otherwise you probably would not want to go there, ie...

Great Yarmouth, Sunderland, Seaham, Aberdeen.

Many of the smaller places will be difficult or impossible to get into in strong Easterlies. There is also a real lack of shelter between Great Yarmouth and you should stay well away from this coast if there is anything bad from the East forecast.

The offshore sandbanks from Lowestoft to the Humber are pretty complicated in places, especially off Great Yarmouth. Not a good area to try and go through in the dark.

This is a politically incorrect post. The fish docks in Grismby do not have a non-agreeable aroma. They smell. Peterhead is not visually challenged. It's downright ugly.

<hr width=100% size=1>Adventures of the <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.xrayted.fsnet.co.uk>Teddy Bear Boat</A>

 

[Ohdrat]

Re: Hands up the Jocks

ahhhh well if it's bad on the East Coast you go thro' the Caley Canal to the West Coast and visa versa.... all I can say is it's clear blue skies and a very inviting breeze right now.. and has been more or less for the last 6 weeks (which is a bit unusual) You were unlucky.. I actually bought some UV proof trousers after scorching my legs once to often cruising in the Islands.. But I really shouldn't be saying all this seeing as one of my aims is to keep sailing in Scotland a minority past time

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[Ohdrat]

Re: Stop in Newcastle?

I know Newcastle well as I went to college there and still have friends there.. boy has it changed but it has always been possible to go alongside .. the Port of Tyne (as apposed to the fishing harbours of N & S Shields at the mouth of the Tyne)

Newcastle is quite a way up river from the mouth.. but a very picturesque place now .. it hosted the Tall Ships a while ago.. it is v deep (especially after they've pulled all the stolen cars out!)