Yarmouth - Cherbourg

[ianmkent]

I am planing to sail over to Cherbourg on my Snapdraggon 23 in the spring/summer and would just like to know what extras one would recomend. This will be my first solo crossing. I have crossd in a 45ft and 34ft yachts with a full crew.

As with everything I will be doing a lot of planing and will only be going when the weather is sutable.

Does anyone have any recomendations in the early preperation stages or other usefull advise.

 

[EdWingfield]

Tell your bank your plans - to make sure your card is not blocked.

Have plenty of hot water in thermos to make drinks and soups.

 

[JumbleDuck]

I am planing to sail over to Cherbourg on my Snapdraggon 23 in the spring/summer and would just like to know what extras one would recomend. This will be my first solo crossing. I have crossd in a 45ft and 34ft yachts with a full crew.

As with everything I will be doing a lot of planing ...

Now that's optimism.

On a more serious note, it's not that long a trip, but make sure that as far as possible you don't have to do anything but sail when on the way across. Thermos flasks of soup, for example. I don't know what the rules are for France, but I'd check 'em carefully. And if you don't have a tiller pilot, and can afford one, I'd strongly recommend pushing some cash in that direction.

 

[prv]

Have plenty of hot water in thermos to make drinks and soups.

I've never understood this advice. The kettle still works when you're under way.

Anyway, it'll be a longish crossing at 23 feet, so if you don't already have a tillerpilot that would be my number one recommendation. Otherwise, from a sailing point of view you don't really need more than a sensible boat would already have for coastwise work. Paperwork (minimal), courtesy flag, etc you'll already be familiar with from your previous crossings.

AIS is extremely useful for crossing the shipping lanes, but if this isn't going to be a frequent activity then you might not bother. In your situation a few years ago (24' boat, annual crossing) I decided it was worth the £100ish for a receiver - but if I hadn't already had the plotter to display it on, I probably wouldn't have bought the whole lot.

Pete

 

[PlankWalker]

In order of importance.

1. Compass
2. Paper charts
3. Tide tables
4. GPS
5. Self steering gear
6. Kitchen timer
7. Head torch

Expect to take 30 hours. Good luck

Plank

 

[Poignard]

Something to stop yourself getting bored! A good book or talking-book. With a fair wind and the boat steering herself you won't have much to do for many hours.

 

[prv]

make sure that as far as possible you don't have to do anything but sail when on the way across.

I tend to do the opposite - it gets bloody boring in good weather, so lately I've made sure I have some useful but non-essential job to do to while away the hours . Splicing lines onto fenders, for example.

Admittedly this only works because I have a decent autopilot doing the steering.

I don't know what the rules are for France, but I'd check 'em carefully

Cherbourg gets huge numbers of Brit yachties every year, and are supremely laid back about it. In practice it's no different to arriving at a UK marina, except that you don't need to call up for a berth, just come on in and pick one that's free.

Just in case of a spot-check by the Douaniers, you should have your passport, the boat's registration (SSR card, normally), and your VHF license and certificate (though I'm not sure the French particularly care about those). But so far I've never had to show any of these things to anybody.

You should of course hoist a courtesy flag before arriving; we generally do it on sighting land.

Pete

 

[stranded]

In order of importance.

1. Compass
2. Paper charts
3. Tide tables
4. GPS
5. Self steering gear
6. Kitchen timer
7. Head torch

Expect to take 30 hours. Good luck

Plank

30 hours? Well maybe if you're hanging the rich behind you in the sea.

 

[prv]

Expect to take 30 hours.

This is on the "train hard, fight easy" principle?

I think most of us would be motoring rather than drift at two knots.

Pete

 

[Boathook]

In order of importance.

1. Compass
2. Paper charts
3. Tide tables
4. GPS
5. Self steering gear
6. Kitchen timer
7. Head torch

Expect to take 30 hours. Good luck

Plank

30 hours is a bit much, possibly nearer 15. Make sure that you have enough fuel to motor all the way plus some spare. Cherbourg staff all speak English but adding bonjour and merci as appropriate really does help.

 

[Poignard]

When you arrive you're likely to be tired. Instead of getting fenders and lines out, and wandering around the marina looking for a berth, it's easier to simply drop anchor just outside Chantereyne marina and have a good sleep. Next morning you will have lots of berths to choose from as people leave for other destinations, and you will have saved yourself a night's berthing fee.

 

[Robin]

When you arrive you're likely to be tired. Instead of getting fenders and lines out, and wandering around the marina looking for a berth, it's easier to simply drop anchor just outside Chantereyne marina and have a good sleep. Next morning you will have lots of berths to choose from as people leave for other destinations, and you will have saved yourself a night's berthing fee.

We used to plan arrival after midnight on our regular weekenders from Poole. Since France is an hour ahead of UK time that would be after 1 am local time so we could legitimately say 'oh we arrived ce matin' otherwise anchoring outside was an alternative option if we arrived early.:encouragement:

 

[ianmkent]

Thanks for all the replies, a tiler pilot is one thing that is at the top of my list. I do not have a chart plotter only a handheld gps.

This is on the "train hard, fight easy" principle?

I think most of us would be motoring rather than drift at two knots.

Pete

This is something I have thought a lot about and I would motor if I was not sailing at a sutable speed.

 

[LadyInBed]

If your boat hasn't 'been foreign' before you will need SSR and insurance cover for France.

 

[JumbleDuck]

I've never understood this advice. The kettle still works when you're under way.

True, but it's a damn sight less bother to have the hot stuff ready. It can also be good to avoid time below as much as possible, if there is any hint of seasickness.

 

[JumbleDuck]

On a more serious note, it's not that long a trip, but make sure that as far as possible you don't have to do anything but sail when on the way across.

I tend to do the opposite - it gets bloody boring in good weather, so lately I've made sure I have some useful but non-essential job to do to while away the hours . Splicing lines onto fenders, for example.

Sorry, I wasn't clear.

I too have lots of distractions - books to read, things to splice, my recorder to practice - but all these are options. As far as possible, I try to arrange things to that I don't have to do anything but sail. That emphasis should have been in the last time. So, for example, if I'm planning to pick up a mooring I'll have a pickup rope rigged from bow to cockpit when I leave so I don't have to do it underway. I'll have some sandwiches and a thermos of soup ready so that I don't have to cook underway. If the wind is going to increase I may put in a reef (it's a trip to the mast) before setting off so that I don't have to do that underway either.

I do regularly go forward, cook and reef underway ... I just like trying to arrange thing so I don't have to.

 

[prv]

30 hours is a bit much, possibly nearer 15. Make sure that you have enough fuel to motor all the way plus some spare.

Agree with that. My first crossing was in a 24' bilge-keeled gaffer in fairly light winds, and took a bit over 16 hours with a mixture of sail and motor. We set off at about 6am as it was getting light, and arrived in the dark some time after 10pm (UK time).

Pete

 

[prv]

True, but it's a damn sight less bother to have the hot stuff ready. It can also be good to avoid time below as much as possible, if there is any hint of seasickness.

Pouring hot water out of a flask and pouring it out of the kettle take about the same time (you don't have to unscrew a lid on the kettle). So in terms of activity and time below, you're saving however long it takes to fill the kettle, turn on the gas, and click the lighter. Ten seconds?

Plus of course there's the elapsed time for the kettle to boil, but you're back on deck (if you want to be) for that part, it doesn't take time you could be using for something else and it's certainly not "bother" - so I'm not sure it counts unless your need for tea is likely to be urgent and unexpected.

Of course it's not my place to tell other people how to run their boats, and if they find pre-preparing a flask of hot water to be convenient then fine. I just don't understand it, is all.

Do they also keep a flask of hot water around to "save bother" when in harbour or at anchor? If not, why not?

Pete

 

[prv]

As far as possible, I try to arrange things to that I don't have to do anything but sail. That emphasis should have been in the last time. So, for example, if I'm planning to pick up a mooring I'll have a pickup rope rigged from bow to cockpit when I leave so I don't have to do it underway. I'll have some sandwiches and a thermos of soup ready so that I don't have to cook underway. If the wind is going to increase I may put in a reef (it's a trip to the mast) before setting off so that I don't have to do that underway either.

Is this a pre-autopilot habit, perhaps? Certainly all this preparation would make a lot of sense if you're about to be tied to the tiller for the duration. All my singlehanding has been with an autopilot, and in reasonable conditions I rather enjoy doing things while the boat sails herself along.

Pete

 

[grumpy_o_g]

In order of importance.

1. Compass
2. Paper charts
3. Tide tables
4. GPS
5. Self steering gear
6. Kitchen timer
7. Head torch

Expect to take 30 hours. Good luck

Plank[/QUOTE}]


I'd add a clock/chronometer/watch to that as well. The most important thing with Cherbourg is to aim well uptide of the uptide entrance. Get downtide and you'll spend hours trying to get back upstream just at the part of the passage you don't want to. Don't stop sailing/navigating once you're through the harbour entrance either. It's a big and busy harbour and there's a fair distance to the marina at the back (which isn't that obvious from the entrance). Personally I wouldn't do the trip single-handed without self-steering gear - not because it's dangerous but simply that I don't think I'd enjoy it. 90 miles at 3 knots is very much a worst case but it will be a long day even in the best case scenario - could well be a very pleasant trip though and a great (and justified) sense of achievement at the end too.