Independence - Updates | Maintenance & Care

[grendel]

well as Ramsgate (or Dover) are not a million miles I will try and meet up with you on the Sunday, if I know your timings I might even try and sit up on the cliffs at Dover to get some photos as you head up channel. (there is a nice spot there that even has a cafe). I should be able to spot you (weather permitting) as i can usually see all the way to France (watch out for the ferries as you go through Dover - they will seem like a never ending stream and yes they are like london busses - 2 or 3 together).

[ChrisB]

If the weather is clear you could get some good photos as I assume Griff will take her pretty close in to keep well away from the Southbound Separation Zone. The approach to Weymouth can be fun as well, my old stomping ground with the Centaur and Berwick when coming back from Salcombe. You have three choices for rounding Portland Bill. The Inner Passage, just yards off the Bill, go outside the race, but then you might as well push on to Poole or take the rough stuff!! I envy you your passage.

[grendel]

Yes dont forget to contact harbour control when passing dover, they should tell you when its safe to cross the entrance lanes, I usually take an all band receiver and listen to the port control when I sit up on the cliffs above the ferry terminal at the National trust place at Langdon cliffs, I guess you will be going inside the Goodwin sands for Ramsgate - My Uncle used to be the postman for the goodwin sands (it was part of the shore road round) and used to take the first day covers out there with a fibreglass post box to post and frank them from the goodwin sands.

[ChrisB]

My Dad owned a traditional clinker fishing boat on the beach at Deal. She was originally sail but converted later in lfe and was driven by a kelvin engine. He would spend about 4 weeks a year fishing which was a passion of his. The boat was used all year though by two boatmen that would take us out. They seemed very old to me as a child, both were crew of the Walmer Lifeboat. They used to frighten me to death with tales of the Goodwins! Like when the lightship broke her moorings.

They were not above trading a few miles out to sea with French Fishermen if you get my drift.

[grendel]

my gran had an exit to one of the smuggler tunnels in her upstairs bedroom, there was a circular staircase to get to the upper floors, and downstairs it was within the wall, upstairs the wall went to the back of the staircase, the tunnel went up in the thickness of the wall, she lived on one of the roads leading inland from the seafront.

[Siddy]

Would it be possible during the route planning to make a short film on planning a section of the route on the maps etc so I/we know what your avoiding, tides, other passage routes to avoid etc. 

Learning curve for us to understand what going on passed the 'no hire boats passed this point' sign.

[LondonRascal]

Well I think we have a clash of two worlds the old faithful and the new.

Because I was let down by the original boatyard with whom I wanted to have dealt with a major update to her navigation gear, we are left with some legacy products that do not talk to each other. The difference is that if one was to have the equipment I had wanted much of the passage planning process is taken care of by that equipment. Things like working out tides, their direction,  speed and time of flow are done for you and displayed in a time line you can move forward or back in time along.

Modern auto pilot systems take care of 'tidal drift' which means you do not need to sit at a chart working out what your course to steer should be so you can see where this is headed...It takes the work of this away and I think that is good, others may disagree and I can also see their point of view. Navigation is a skill, and it is something that takes time to do properly and one has pride in it.

I'd like to however in this case use technology where it can be an aid, such as route planning where it takes into account the boats details and then based on this plots a safe route - you can then change this as required but will give an intimidate estimation of time, distance and waypoints - this then can be entered into the Plotter and the auto-helm can do the rest. Auto-Helms especially in rougher seas can do a better job than a person at rapid rudder corrections and keeping within a tighter margin of the course you want to be on which therefore means less fuel is used as you travel overall in a straighter line.

However there are still things that are very handy to have right at hand - noting down all the VHF channels and at what points you will need them, tides, times, ports, and so on alternative harbors, weather information, wave heights and so on and all this you need to go find, collect, and make notes of.

However, if you want to know the basics of a passage plan see the video below which gives an overview.

 

[Guest]

Its probably been said before but lose your instruments and then its back to old school navigation , and yes I know its very reliable but it can and it does fail so having the ability to do it without a computer or anything else is pretty important especially in such a busy area as the English channel .

Technology wise we have virtually got self driving cars making the driver in important , how long before we have self sailing boats n where's the fun or more to the point achievement in that ? .

The good point about it all though is you don't have to buy the skipper a drink for a smooth ,trouble free and skilfully handled   voyage as computers dislike liquids .

[Siddy]

Thanks for the video makes a bit more sense.

Looking at his plans nothing was said about shipping lanes etc If your crossing them do you just work off radar and radio to cross them?

[Hockham Admiral]

It's down to the Mk 1 eyeball if all else fails, Siddy.

Back in the 70's and 80's we crossed the Channel back and forth to Guernsey with nothing else and that was at 5 or 6 kts depending on the wind.

[BroadAmbition]

Shipping lanes, by their very nature are designed to make traffic flow smoothly with no incidents, they really are quite good imho.

Crossing them is also really easy if you apply common sense.  The MKI eyeball is the best tool followed by radar.  Just cross a shipping lane at right angles or as near as possible.  Or of course enter, go with the flow, exit keeping clear of larger faster craft obeying the 'Rules of the Road'.  Night or day - same rules apply.  The key to this is having respect for dedicated shipping lanes and all contacts therein. Respect them but do not get overawed by them They do work

Griff

[Guest]

32 minutes ago, BroadAmbition said:

Shipping lanes, by their very nature are designed to make traffic flow smoothly with no incidents, they really are quite good imho.

Crossing them is also really easy if you apply common sense.  The MKI eyeball is the best tool followed by radar.  Just cross a shipping lane at right angles or as near as possible.  Or of course enter, go with the flow, exit keeping clear of larger faster craft obeying the 'Rules of the Road'.  Night or day - same rules apply.  The key to this is having respect for dedicated shipping lanes and all contacts therein. Respect them but do not get overawed by them They do work

Griff

I've always found that large boats are travelling  faster than they appear, another "tool" between the Mk.1 eyeball and radar is to use a hand bearing compass, checking the other ships bearing at intervals (say 1 min for example) if the bearing stays the same you are likely on a collison course. You can also gauge if you are going to pass in front or behind the other ship if both maintain course and speed.

[Hockham Admiral]

Or you might just make a mark with chinagraph on your screens and just keep it inline, or not!

[Guest]

Just now, Hockham Admiral said:

Or you might just make a mark with chinagraph on your screens and just keep it inline, or not!

Any fixed point of your boat will do, that works in calm seas when you have a very constant heading but when it gets a bit rough and your heading is constantly changing with the sea it is not so good.

[BroadAmbition]

Any fixed point of your boat will do, that works in calm seas when you have a very constant heading but when it gets a bit rough and your heading is constantly changing with the sea it is not so good.

Tell me about it, had a proper 'Mare' overnight passage from Thames to Lowestoft, passing the entrance to Harwich / Felixstowe onboard 'B.A'   we spent more time down deep holes (Troughs) visibility was somewhat restricted at best.  That was somewhat of a challenge, not something I want to repeat in a hurry

Griff

[grendel]

at least from the top bridge of independance the waves would have to be really big to not be able to see.

[LondonRascal]

What these Traders are well known for is being a 'wet boat' that is to say they get a lot of water from the bow over them - and often up over the flybridge so you might not want to be outside unless you like a shower lol.

Here are some videos of Traders at sea to give an idea of some distances they can cover.

And:

 

[Guest]

24 minutes ago, LondonRascal said:

What these Traders are well known for is being a 'wet boat' that is to say they get a lot of water from the bow over them - and often up over the flybridge so you might not want to be outside unless you like a shower lol.

Here are some videos of Traders at sea to give an idea of some distances they can cover.

And:

 

I think I've seen rougher seas on Breydon Water!

[WherryNice]

Should you chaps for any reason find yourselves having to stop or take refuge in Harwich(or Shotley for that matter)during the trip round to Norfolk then please feel free to shout for any assistance you may require, I live locally so might be able to help in some way or another..

[Guest]

48 minutes ago, Philosophical said:

I think I've seen rougher seas on Breydon Water!

Exactly if you get a coast hopping passage for the said number of days in those conditions in February then you can consider yourself very fortunate , craft that are considered to be wet boats need to be 100% leak free and super strong in all respects including glass work , vents, hatchs and everthing outside rogue waves even smash screen's and its more common than you'd imagine too .

[Guest]

17 minutes ago, Ricardo said:

Exactly if you get a coast hopping passage for the said number of days in those conditions in February then you can consider yourself very fortunate , craft that are considered to be wet boats need to be 100% leak free and super strong in all respects including glass work , vents, hatchs and everthing outside rogue waves even smash screen's and its more common than you'd imagine too .

Been there Exactly right

[BroadAmbition]

Looking forward to both the upcoming maintenance weekend where we plan to be very busy, plus the 'Sea Trial' day out and of course the passage weekend.  Counting down the days once again

Griff

[LondonRascal]

The video I posted and the comment about being 'wet boats' were not connected - sorry.

It is the fact that Trawler Style boats such as Traders do have a lot more water over them than other types (like a planning boat) and having spoken to a fellow owner has explained how in the same conditions cruising in company with a friend and their large planning boat, he has been on the fly bridge in full foul weather gear getting soaked while the other boat was dry.

It was just nice to see the above two delivery videos showing some long range trips and a real sense of freedom.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, LondonRascal said:

The video I posted and the comment about being 'wet boats' were not connected - sorry.

It is the fact that Trawler Style boats such as Traders do have a lot more water over them than other types (like a planning boat) and having spoken to a fellow owner has explained how in the same conditions cruising in company with a friend and their large planning boat, he has been on the fly bridge in full foul weather gear getting soaked while the other boat was dry.

It was just nice to see the above two delivery videos showing some long range trips and a real sense of freedom.

I must admit that I was expecting a video showing the boat being thrown about a bit with an intermittent view of the sea from the wheelhouse as the wipers cleared, or maybe a crew member going up the fly bridge in the morning to collect the squid and other small fish that had been washed up overnight and cooking them for breakfast.

[Vaughan]

The one in the first video had a BLUE FENDER on the front!