Having reached our final Norwegian port of call, it’s time to think ahead to the North Sea crossing.
As a freshly minted Yachtmaster, it’s best I go by the book. And the book specifies the contents of any credible passage plan. Here, straight out of the Yachtmaster book, are the questions and issues that must be addressed:
How far is the passage?
What time do we need to arrive?
What is the weather forecast?
How long will the passage take?
What tides and currents can be expected and how will they be accommodated?
What hazards will be encountered en route?
Prepare a pilotage plan for departure and entry, preparing for arrival in darkness.
Will you be able to sustain your course with any changes in wind direction?
Determine suitable places of refuge.
Do you have enough fuel?
As skipper, when do you need to be on deck? Arrange watch systems around crew strengths.
Is the passage within the limits of you, your crew, and your boat?
A few additional issues are included on the passage planning checklist offered by www.dy-akademie.de, a German Yachtmaster school:
Standing Orders
Provisions
Customs and immigration considerations
So, one by one, here is how each question/issue will be tackled.
How far is the passage?
Our destination in Scotland is Lerwick, Shetland Islands. Assuming weather conditions support the most direct crossing, the distance from Tananger to Lerwick is 220 nautical miles.
What time do we need to arrive?
Ideally, we would arrive at high tide during daylight. On July 9 (our planned arrival date), the afternoon high tide in Lerwick is at 6:20 p.m. This makes a good target arrival time. Sunset in Lerwick at this time of year is around 10:30 p.m., so there will be plenty of daylight after high tide, but we would be approaching Lerwick on an ebb tide, which shouldn’t present much problem as the tidal range is only about one meter.
What is the weather forecast?
At this writing, 15 to 20 knot southerlies and little precipitation are forecast for July 8 & 9, our planned crossing dates. I am monitoring several excellent weather forecasting websites (yr.no, dmi.dk, windguru.com) as well as downloading GRIB files using grib.us software to update weather information.
How long will the passage take?
Assuming an average speed of 6 knots, the passage will take slightly less than 37 hours.
What tides and currents can be expected and how will they be accommodated?
Currents along the intended passage track are typically less than one-half knot and variable in direction, though often 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 cause currents sufficient to slow boat speed by one-half knot or so during the final two mile approach into Lerwick harbor if transited at maximum ebb tide. Generally, however, tides and currents do not present a constraint for this passage.
What hazards will be encountered en route?
Once clear of near shore hazards (see response to next issue), 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. Finally, debilitating seasickness could reduce crew strength.
Prepare a pilotage plan for departure and entry.
Pilotage sketches for Tananger and Lerwick will be prepared and used on departure and entry, respectively. They will include position and nature of hazards and ATONs, showing clearing bearings, danger bearings, and other key information.
Will you be able to sustain your course with any changes in wind direction?
Yes. Should the wind change direction, we will simply trim sails and adopt a new point of sail. If winds end up on the nose, we will fire up the iron sail.
Determine suitable places of refuge.
The islands of Kvitsoy and Utsira near the Norwegian coast offer refuge for the first third of the crossing. Thereafter, no refuge is available until Lerwick.
Do you have enough fuel?
Windleblo will start the crossing with full diesel fuel tanks. The boat has a 600+ nautical mile cruising range under engine power.
As Skipper, when do you need to be on deck? Arrange a watch systems around crew strengths.
All three members of the Windleblo North Sea crossing are credentialed Yachtmasters with strong sailing skills and experience. As Skipper, I 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 in consultation with crew prior to departure. Three hour watches between 0600 and 2400 and two hour watches between 0000 and 0600 will be suggested. Relief should arrive at least five minutes before the start of their assigned watch for a hand over briefing.
Is the passage within the limits of you, your crew, and your boat?
Yes.
Standing Orders
PFDs with integrated harnesses shall be worn by crew at all times when in the cockpit or on deck on the crossing.
All crew will be tethered to a hull strong point or jack lines at all times when in the cockpit or on deck.
Two crew will be above decks whenever work outside the cockpit is necessary.
If below decks, the Skipper will be called above decks 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 equipment on board as a precaution against adversity. Meals for the crossing will be cooked in advance to ease preparation while under way. For navigation, Norwegian Batsportkart and British Admiralty paper charts of appropriate scale have been acquired. The planned route will be plotted on these charts prior to departure. As a demonstration of proficiency, celestial sightings will be taken throughout the voyage to determine position. One member of crew will monitor the boat’s primary electronic navigation system to assure safety. As backup, redundant electronic vector charts are available, including a Furuno MFD8 NavNet navigation system, a laptop based MaxSea Time Zero navigation software, and an iPad based iNavX chart plotter. In addition, handheld GPS units are kept in the ditch bag.
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.
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