Passage Plan - Final Draft

The final draft Windleblo North Sea passage plan is documented below. To save you the headache of reading it and realizing there’s a lot of repetition with the first draft, here are the major revisions:

Revised format from Q&A to narrative with headings;

Included updated weather information and departure and arrival time considerations;

Expanded the discussion about hazards;

Added information about safety equipment on board and contact information for shoreside responsible parties with knowledge of the voyage, and

Added the passage menu to the provisioning discussion.

Read on only if inclined.

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Windleblo North Sea Passage Plan

Objective

To safely deliver Windleblo and her crew from Tananger, Norway, to Lerwick, Shetland Islands, United Kingdom, a voyage of 220 nautical miles across the North Sea.

Constraints

Weather

Leading up to the passage, weather information was obtained primarily through the Internet from www.yr.no, www.dmi.dk, www.windguru.com, and GRIB files through grib.us. In addition, skippers of boats recently arriving at Tananger were interviewed for first hand reports of conditions at sea. At this writing (1000, July 7, 2011), 15 to 20 knot southerlies backing to easterlies and little precipitation are forecast for the entire intended passage track through 0600, July 9^th, when a weak low pressure disturbance passes from west to east across northern Scotland and wind speeds become variable east of the Shetland Islands.

Passage Duration

Assuming an average speed of 6 knots, the passage will take slightly less than 37 hours.

Departure and Arrival Times

Ideally, we would arrive in Lerwick at high tide during daylight. Sunrise and sunset at Lerwick in early July are 0400 and 2230, respectively. On July 9, 2011, (our planned arrival date), high tides in Lerwick will occur at 0531 and 1825. Given that winds are forecast to lessen and become variable east of the Shetland Islands on the morning of July 9^th, arrival at the end of the morning flood tide is preferred. With passage duration of 36 hours, therefore, a departure time of 1700 on July 7^th is planned. A final decision on departure time will be made after considering crew condition and input. An early (0400) departure on July 8^th, may be warranted to ensure the crew is adequately rested and to eliminate one night from the crossing.

Tides and Currents

Currents along the intended passage track are typically less than one-half knot and variable in direction, though typically aligned with wind and waves. The tidal range in Tananger is approximately one-half meter resulting in negligible tidal current. Tidal range in Lerwick is approximately one meter, which could slow boat speed by one-half knot or so during the final two mile approach into Lerwick harbor if transited at maximum ebb tide. Overall, tides and currents do not present a constraint for this passage.

Hazards

Once clear of near shore hazards, equipment failure and an unanticipated excessive increase in wind speed or sea state present the primary hazards that might be encountered en route. Commercial shipping and fishing traffic and North Sea oil rigs also present potential hazards. Both will be given a wide berth. Finally, fog may present a hazard. If encountered, speed will be reduced, sound signals will be employed, and electronic navigation will be used to confirm ongoing position fixing.

To ensure safe passage while in confined waters, pilotage sketches have been prepared for Tananger and Lerwick. They include the position and nature of hazards and ATONs and show clearing bearings, danger bearings, and other key information to guide navigation. Just off Tananger, several areas of rocks and shallows create hazards. These are well marked on Norwegian charts. ATONs and charted land based features will be employed to ensure accurate position fixing and safe passage. No rocks or shallows present obstacles as we make landfall on the Shetlands.

Seasickness presents an additional potential hazard to planned functioning of the vessel. Should debilitating seasickness strike one of the crew, the voyage will continue with reduced crew strength. If more crew members become sick, a decision will be reached as to whether refuge should be sought. Seasickness medication will be available to any crew desiring it.

Given the short duration of this voyage, the weather forecast should be reliable. Although the weather forecast shows favorable wind direction and speed, the possibility of a change in either must be considered. Should the wind change direction or intensity, we will simply trim and/or reef sails and adopt a new point of sail. If winds end up on the nose, we will fire up the iron sail.

Windleblo will start the crossing with full diesel fuel tanks, giving the boat a 600+ nautical mile cruising range under engine power.

A three person crew has volunteered for this voyage. Jack Hoopes, co-owner of Windleblo, will skipper. Martin Neumayer and Chris Adams will serve as crew. All three members of the Windleblo North Sea crossing crew are credentialed RYA Yachtmasters with strong sailing skills and experience. The Skipper will be on deck for departure from Tananger and arrival into Lerwick and will take an equal share of the watch cycle. The watch schedule will be determined by the crew prior to departure. Three hour watches between 0600 and 2400 and two hour watches between 0000 and 0600 are proposed. Relief should arrive at least five minutes before the start of their assigned watch for a hand over briefing. This passage is well within the limits of the skipper, the crew, and the boat.

Route and Navigation

Norwegian Batsportkart and British Admiralty paper charts of appropriate scale have been acquired for this passage. The route once clear of near shore hazards is essentially a rhumb line of 29X degrees True originating at N058 55.5, E005 26.5. This intended track will be plotted on the Admiralty chart prior to departure. DR and EP positions will be plotted on the Admiralty chart as the passage progresses. Additionally, celestial sightings will be taken throughout the voyage to determine position, weather permitting. Finally, the boat’s position will be continuously monitored using a Furuno MFD8 NavNet onboard electronic navigation system. As backup, position fixes are available through redundant electronic vector charts carried on both laptop-based MaxSea Time Zero navigation software and an iPad-based iNavX chart plotter.

Concerning suitable places of refuge, the islands of Kvitsoy and Utsira near the Norwegian coast offer refuge for the first half of the crossing. Thereafter, no refuge is available until Lerwick. Should outside assistance become necessary, it will be requested using VHF Channel 16. In addition to nearby vessels and oil platforms, this channel is monitored by both the Norwegian and UK coast guards, which can deploy Search and Rescue resources.

Jocelyn Hoopes, co-owner of Windleblo, is the designated responsible party on shore with information about the planned passage. She can be reached at 303-810-7513. As a backup, Roni Teitelbaum is Windleblo’s ongoing Shoreside Coordinator. Her mobile number is 303-549-5881.

Standing Orders

PFDs with integrated harnesses shall be worn by crew at all times when in the cockpit or on deck.

All crew will be tethered to a hull strong point or jack lines at all times when in the cockpit or on deck.

At least two crew members will be on deck whenever work outside the cockpit is necessary.

If below decks, the Skipper will be called on deck for any unusual circumstance or if crew has any uncertainty as to how to proceed.

Provisions

Windleblo carries a significant inventory of spare parts, supplies, and safety equipment on board as a precaution against adversity. A 406 EPIRB, six-person AVON canister life raft, and fully stocked ditch bag are readily available should abandoning ship become necessary. Ditch bag supplies include portable water maker, handheld GPS, handheld VHF radio, food and water. Similar emergency equipment and supplies are included in the life raft.

Meals for the crossing will be cooked in advance and kept under refrigeration to ease preparation while under way. A hearty supper will be served prior to departure on the evening of July 7, and a beef and beer stew will be prepared for consumption as the evening meal on July 8^th. Cereal, hard boiled eggs, ham and cheese or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, fruit, and digestives make up the balance of the passage menu. Ongoing hydration through consumption of water and/or water spiked with Emergen-C vitamin powder will be encouraged.

Customs and Immigration

The Lerwick Port Authority Yacht Welcome Pack provides direction for meeting Customs and Immigration requirements for yachts arriving into Lerwick from outside the UK. In compliance with this direction, as Skipper I will report to the Lerwick Port Control office with ship’s papers, a crew list, and crew passports upon arrival into Lerwick.