What Safety gear is 'essential' for an East cost crossing to Holland?

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chrisswift18

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What Safety gear is \'essential\' for an East cost crossing to Holland?

Hi,

Roca II is a Sadler 26 with DSC, Chartplotter, flares etc based ay Heybridge in the Blackwater and I am reasonably comfortable with the safety gear we have for cruising the rivers around here.

However for next summer we would like to make a crossing to Holland and sail some of the inland lakes and estuaries.

So I am already thinking about what additional safety gear forumites consider pretty essential for making such a crossing?

For example I have on the list for consideration:-
1. Liferaft (Buy or hire)
2. AIS (receiver or transponder?) will connect to my SH chart plotter
3. Radar
4. EPIRB or PLB
5. Radar reflector - Active eg SeaMe or passive eg Echomax
5. Danbuoy

Of course all of this costs a lot and takes up room on an already 'smallish' boat.

So advice please from all of you who regularly make this passage, what do you have, what wouldn't you go without?

Many thanks

Chris

PS thinking about getting an RNLI Sea Check....
 
Re: What Safety gear is \'essential\' for an East cost crossing to Holland?

Of your list, out of personal preference, i'd have items 1 and 3... and consider items 5 (passive) and 6 essential.... the others i'd not be too worried about in all honesty...

I'd definitely have the sea check.... its free and a good service
 
Re: What Safety gear is \'essential\' for an East cost crossing to Holland?

I'd hire 1,
Consider either 2(receiver only) or 3 (depending on budget, whether you are going to have enough battery power/persos to monitor radar) Radar is probably better, especially in fog, but AIS tells you a lot of what you want to know for a fraction of the price and power. We've, most of us anyway, crossed the channel or/and North Sea without either, so neither is essential, but they do make it a more relaxing experience.
4 - probably
5 and 5! - essential.

pick your weather and enjoy!

Ali
 
Re: What Safety gear is \'essential\' for an East cost crossing to Holland?

1 & 5 passive
a good hand bearing compass for ship spotting
comprehensive tool kit
electric spares ( fuses, bulbs,connectors, assorted bits of cable),
spare rigging bits ( shackles, whipping twine,monel wire)
10 lts white diesel in a can
chitty for red diesel bought in UK
2 x shore cables with 16a weatherproof plugs / sockets
 
Re: What Safety gear is \'essential\' for an East cost crossing to Holland?

Have been to Ostend once last year and twice this year with just 1,5 (passive) and 6 and no chartplotter. OK a radar would nice (and without it I would not go if there was any fog forecast) but lots of dosh. So a NASA AIS "Radar" is probably all I'll add for next years planned trip to Holland (plus a new DSC/ATIS VHF /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif).

I'd like some new sails so I could get there quicker. And a holding tank of course. Oh dear better check the ticket numbers again.
 
Re: What Safety gear is \'essential\' for an East cost crossing to Holland?

I have a 25 footer, so similar in size to your Sadler.

If I do a North Sea crossing, I hire a liferaft. I don't have anything else on your list, only a dopey 'bird feeder' type radar reflector which is probably useless.

I would not be without either a gps or a chartplotter and charts. As long as you keep a good lookout you are not going to be run down by a ship.

Plot your course on your chart at hourly intervals to check your track and make sure you are not heading for anything you don't want to head for.

Monitor weather forecasts carefully and be sensible about when you make your passage. Make sure you and your crew take some rest so you are not all (or both) dog tired at the end of the passage.

I'm not saying any of the things on your list wouldn't be useful things to have on board, but you asked what was 'essential'. I don't have any of them except for the hired liferaft.
 
Re: What Safety gear is \'essential\' for an East cost crossing to Holland?

It really is a matter of personal preferance.

5 is essential. The way you can get poor visibility in summer highs then if you don't go for RADAR then AIS is very useful. With technology as it is these days a PLB is a good idea. Nobody could argue with the need for a liferaft - I've never had one/hired one etc., and many go across without - but if you ask the question 'should I take one' there can only be one answer!

'Essential' is a bit emotive - wasn't long ago that it was unusual for virtually any of these items to be taken, but then the items now exist and are much more affordable.
 
Re: What Safety gear is \'essential\' for an East cost crossing to Holland?

It is well worth having a look at the Special Regulations These are the equipment and construction requirements for offshore racing and ought to be considered by cruising boats.

The only "must have" items on your list are the liferaft and a half decent radar reflector. Remember there is a distinct difference between safety and emergency equipment.
 
Re: What Safety gear is \'essential\' for an East cost crossing to Holland?

Assume you already have lifejacket and harness per person? Are you planning a direct crossing to Holland or Ramsgate / France / Belgium / Coast Hop? If so the furthest from land you will ever be is mid way across Thames Estuary!

Agree with radar reflector and if had a crew on board I would add a danbuoy to horeshoe lifebelt (no one to throw it to me when singlehanded!). Have never bothered with 1 to 4.

All the books on survival suggest you stay with the mother ship as long as possible and should always step up into the liferaft.
 
Re: What Safety gear is \'essential\' for an East cost crossing to Holla

In order of priority
Spare GPS & batteries
Lifelines, harness & jackstays
EPIRB - maybe cheaper, smaller, better than Life raft.
Or hire known brand of liferaft - try Cosalt. Where do you stow it on a small boat can be a pain. And they are not light and do not pop out of a handy locker!
Do not buy cheap if you do
NAVTEX
Radar reflector is a must! But like lucky horse shoes, you never know they work but you just hope they do
Radar more nuisance than it's worth, especially if you have a plotter and spare GPS

Vol 1 & 2 of the Netherlands Watweralmanak
 
Re: What Safety gear is \'essential\' for an East cost crossing to Holland?

Just to add a thought rather than answer the question specifically -
If you do think that paying out for radar is a good idea, you could consider a cheap, second hand Raymarine one like an RL70 (mono) or RL70C (colour). For a little more you could get one which has MARPA built in and even a chartplotter (RL70crc I think), which takes c-map charts.
It kills three birds in one screen, which is good when space is at a premium.
Apologies if you know already but MARPA is a system where you manually select a 'target' on the radar screen and the system tells you the course and speed and checks if it is on a collision course - and scares you with an alarm if it is! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Re: What Safety gear is \'essential\' for an East cost crossing to Holland?

Need to add two decent fire extinguishers.

AIS transponder is a con by the manufacturers, you will not show up on a ships's bridge plotter screen, because they don't have them! You will show up on a 3 line text display at the back of the bridge. along with all the ohter AIS signals. What a complete con. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Liferaft - never had one and on average one deployed in anger every 3 years in UK waters so not on my list, but we have a dinghy in davits. Radar hardly essential for the shorter crossing and only much good if in the cockpit and practiced with regularly. Instead a GPS plotter with AIS reciever will give you very useful information. A H/H VHF if your main set is in the cabin is a great tool, both for the crossing and the locks/bridges.

Unless you do the big crossing straight to Holland, you'll never be out of sight of land.
 
Re: What Safety gear is \'essential\' for an East cost crossing to Holla

If you're getting a H/H VHF for The Netherlands - make sure it has Ch31 - it's what most marinas use and does not feature on regular UK sets. May not even be legal in UK?

For marinas usually just cruise round and find a space that fits your boat then go to the HM office. If the pontoon has a green tag then it's free, if it's set to red then the owner plans to come back!
 
Re: What Safety gear is \'essential\' for an East cost crossing to Holland?

[ QUOTE ]
A H/H VHF if your main set is in the cabin is a great tool, both for the crossing and the locks/bridges.

[/ QUOTE ]
I have always understood a handheld VHF to be illegal in Holland, and ours stays in the grab bag whilst we're there, only emerging for quick battery recharge prior to the return crossing. Tell me I could've had it out and in use in the cockpit all this time!
 
Re: What Safety gear is \'essential\' for an East cost crossing to Holla

[ QUOTE ]
For marinas usually just cruise round and find a space that fits your boat then go to the HM office. If the pontoon has a green tag then it's free, if it's set to red then the owner plans to come back!

[/ QUOTE ]

This is not a general rule, I have only been to one marina that does this. Quite a few marinas have a reception pontoon and the guy running it gets extremely animated if you sail past him! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif or look for an area called 'passanten plaatsen' or 'passanten ligplaatsen' which are specific visitors moorings.

If you are worried about getting run down by ships in the North Sea, forget it - there is a much higher chance of being run down by barges in the shipping channels of the inland waterways; I have seen them three abreast and they don't give way to saily boats. Don't forget that IRPCS as such don't apply inland. Commercial vessels do take precedance (and no I don't want to get into a debate on this, if you think otherwise - fine!)

[ QUOTE ]
I have always understood a handheld VHF to be illegal in Holland, and ours stays in the grab bag whilst we're there, only emerging for quick battery recharge prior to the return crossing. Tell me I could've had it out and in use in the cockpit all this time!

[/ QUOTE ]
I have one and it is registered on my Dutch VHF license. There are restictions on which channels are allowed also, don't forget that you SHOULD use ATIS inland, (I have it programmed on my VHF, but never engage it as I don't use VHF inland, for contacting marinas etc I use a mobile phone).
 
Re: What Safety gear is \'essential\' for an East cost crossing to Holland?

Excellent thread: not planning on all this stuff for this year... but one day - and glad to see that things like fire extinguishers, hand bearing compasses, a tool kit and spares plus lifelines, harness & jackstays.. and basic seamaship... being listed ahead of the fancy electronics.

One thing though - if the crossing is from Kent then as I understand it, a crossing is possible within GMDSS sea area A1 (within range of coastal VHF stations)... but Heybridge to Holland might imply sea area A2 - (accessing only coastal MF/HF).

I'm guessing that many do routinely visit area A2 without MF/HF... but A2 with VHF only strikes me as increasing the desirability of the EPIRB and hired liferaft!
 
Re: What Safety gear is \'essential\' for an East cost crossing to Holland?

If you are concerned about contacting somebody in an emergancy, there are usually plenty of ships around.

However, then benefits of an EPIRB or PLB (with GPS) which give out a precise position without the need of an operator - who may be better employed pumping bilges or whatever - seem worth it.

The effort into ensuring boat/crew are seaworthy and up to the trip are probably the most important focus.
 
Re: What Safety gear is \'essential\' for an East cost crossing to Holland?

Thanks for so many useful replies!

I think I will get an AIS receiver as they are relatively cheap and will interface readily with my SH chart plotter and give me some piece of mind ie I will be able to see the bigguns and contact via DSC if needed!. A radar reflector, danbuoy and PLB (especially if crossing direct from say Heybridge to Holland) also won't break the bank. I think I will give radar a miss and keep costs down by hiring a liferaft.

For those of you that hire liferafts, what sort do you go for valise / canister and where do you store? The obvious location for a liferaft on my Sadler 26 would be just in front of the hatch under the boom. But on the basis of hiring maybe once a year not sure what fittings I would use. ie what works for one canister make may not fit another.

Any thoughts?

Thanks again for the great responses!

Chris

Any suggestions?

Thanks again

Chris
 
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