Planning to get Home

[@selkieericson2848]

I wasn´t aware of your sailing channel on KZbin, Michael. I am totally fascinated with your themes regarding the entrances to the different ports. I am sitting in Northern Holland waiting to depart south, to reach Gibraltar. Your videos regarding the entrances to the French Ports helps me a lot and I hope we´ll meet again sometime under way. Btw, love also to work with OpenCPN.

[@SailingGently]

Juan hi, Yes Open CPN is brilliant - much prefer it to my Navionics on the boat chart plotter -

[@sy-ronja3613]

Same for me too, very helpful especially your book Michael. Thanks a lot and fair winds. Cheers Günther 👍

[@SailingGently]

@@sy-ronja3613 Fair winds heading south!

[@stephenconway4976]

Another excellent video Michael. Hugely informative and delivered in a lovely relaxed manner. Takes the fear out of entering the boating community.

[@SailingGently]

Stephen hello, So pleased you enjoyed it - Sailing is fun not an outward bound course but that does not mean you should not plan carefully and know how the tides work

[@stephenconway4976]

@@SailingGently Absolutely. I’m 20 years on the Lifeboat in the North Channel and navigational ability, awareness and planning are key foundational skills, but nothing beats local knowledge and a lifetime of experience - you convey both in a very easily accessible manner, hence the success of the channel. Thank you and keep sharing.

[@SailingGently]

@@stephenconway4976 Coming from a person with your experience I am very flattered Stephen... I actually really enjoy the planning and to some extent do it every time I take the boat out - but boating / sailing is the most pleasurable thing I know of!

[@petermorelli5925]

Thank you ! I'm looking to get into sailing and I'm absorbing all the information I can

[@SailingGently]

Peter I am thrilled if it encourages you - messing about in boats is the best thing in the world.. Learn a bit about navigation and maybe do a dinghy course then buy a small boat and - the world is your oyster or beneteau or Westerly

[@conyermud1]

Yet another great video, thanks.

[@SailingGently]

Thanks again! Almost exactly a year ago I got her into Boulogne and me into French Lockdown

[@lunis471]

Theses videos get better and better wowza Thanks so much 😄

[@SailingGently]

Glad you like them Liz - thank you for watching -

[@billtrue3017]

Love the channel theres no bullshit ,just the real deal

[@SailingGently]

Thank you Bill - So pleased you like them

[@verynearlyaboutsailing8114]

Nice one. I find it very interesting to see how everyone has their own take on passage planning - particularly in the 'new' electronic age. All my learning was on paper charts. And figuring out your location was a combination of DR plus taking bearings and checking depth contour lines etc. I almost always used to set a point to one side of the chosen port and then planned to follow the contour line in. - It didn't matter if you were a bit off, at least you knew which way you should turn when you saw a particular depth. Nowadays I tend to set a waypoint for a safe offing and another one for the port entrance. When I first came into Watchet with a strong cross tide (3 knots), I found I could actually use the line between the two as a sort of transit to work out the ferry glide - sounds complex, but in practice it is easy. I still do my basic planning on paper charts and only use Navionics (on a stand alone tablet with GPS) as a quick way of seeing progress. My waypoints get put into an old Lowrance unit - I don't use the chart on that. Oh and I write out the waypoints in full on my passage plan - usually a drawing. Oh and I also have a spare handheld GPS... And... So maybe I take it a bit too far - but I enjoy the passage planning and navigating bit of sailing. Have a safe voyage home and a good Christmas Paul

[@SailingGently]

We are similar generations and I too just adored paper navigation. taking bearings (I still have my electronic beacon finder thing on a shelf at home along with the sextant!) working out my DR on the chart and marking my position... I had a small pride in my ability to navigate and a real feeling of pride when I arrived more or less where I intended. All that fun and sense of achievement has vanished.. I have GPS everywhere - even one in a biscuit tin in case I get hit by lightning again - see next weeks video... I totally embrace all the electronic methods of navigating and the ease of finding tidal heights and and and by app... There is no choice - it's all there and our old skills are - well old - in my day I did multi-camera drama - unheard of today a real skill that is totally useless... But the sea is still the sea and I do not totally trust 12v nor the green blue stuff. Have a super festive holiday - Michael

[@dawsonmp123]

Brilliant thanks for your time

[@SailingGently]

My pleasure - I am glad you enjoyed it

[@hewittstevenson8300]

Hi, superb vids and very informative. Your comment on morse could get you into trouble though as I also had to learn morse, flags, etc during my courses up to Y/M ocean during the 80`s/90`s. I was going up the Clyde in the late 90`s two up on a westerly storm when a warship coming down the Clyde starting signalling dot dot dash at us. I immediately knew what it was and called `Tack NOW` to my surprised skipper who didn`t realise it was a minesweeper deploying his sweeps. As we pulled away I put the bins on him and there was his three balls at the end of the yards clear to see. Could have removed our keel! Keep up the good work.

[@SailingGently]

Hewitt I am so pleased you like the videos.... You are right of course that knowing morse and signals particularly is useful and I'm sad that the ability to use DR is pretty old hat but I suspect it made us more aware sailors as your experience with the minesweeper shows! Thank you for watching

[@Cptnbond]

Absolutely interesting, in particular since I will eventually sail along France (and the British) coast. Thanks.

[@SailingGently]

Glad you liked it - almost exactly one year ago that made that trip - if you are not European do you know about the 90/180 day rule that has come in following Brexit...

[@Cptnbond]

@@SailingGently I'm Swedish, thus huge tides is an unfamiliar experience. Therefore, watching (your channel), reading pilots books, studying charts and reading up on some of RYA's navigational material is such a great help. It is also very inspirational. This will at least build "some" confidence in sailing in both British and French waters. Since Sweden is in EU, French ports is not a problem visiting (once COVID is history), but there are some new rules (90/180?) for EU-visitors visiting British waters after Brexit. Thanks for the reply.

[@selkieericson2848]

@@Cptnbond I am sitting in Holland almost ready to depart. FYI, the French Ports are no problem. As uropean you need a valid PCR-Test to enter France and from then on you can go south, no problem. GB I am not aware since I do not plan to cross the Channel. Fair winds.

[@timharvey5089]

Very clear and relevant content - thank you 😊

[@SailingGently]

Thank you Tim. Glad you liked it

[@peterhampson269]

Another valuable video. Thank you.

[@SailingGently]

So glad you liked it Peter.. I was not sure if this one was really interesting so I am grateful for the feedback

[@SCCFORUM]

@@SailingGently Hi Michael. I agree with peter, a valuable video. Looking forward to the rest of your journey.👍🏻⛵️ Cheers, Paul.

[@SailingGently]

@@SCCFORUM Paul thank you.. I was not sure how interested folks would be in this so I am grateful for the feedback Fair winds Michael

[@RusstafaB]

Really good video and some excellent information thank you

[@SailingGently]

Russ hello - So pleased you liked it - that voyage was almost exactly one year ago... Actually the weather was better than this ....

[@chrisgraythereal]

Another lovely video, Michael. And great to see an old fogey like you using all that modern technology! :) It really does transform passage planning and navigation, doesn't it? If you're filming your computer screen, press windows-alt-R and it records video for you.

[@SailingGently]

Many thanks Chris - yes modern technology makes it so so easy - sad really to have learned a load of skills that are now totally useless.. thanks for the windows tip - I am off to try it!

[@chrisgraythereal]

@@SailingGently They're not useless when the electronics fail, as you mentioned! And even in normal circumstances, you'll have a better spatial/gegographic awareness and instinctive understanding of what's going on than someone who has always relied on the chart-plotter.

[@BernieTseTung]

Nice as always and very sensible advice.

[@SailingGently]

Thank you Bernie. Glad you liked it.

[@johannesbootsma]

Hello Michael, I recently did discover your channel. I watch one video every night. The videos contain very useful information (like a handbook) from someone who really knows what he is talking about. They are a great pleasure to watch. Great style too! I am also looking for a good ship. Have an eye on a ship built in woodcore. What do you think?

[@SailingGently]

Glad you like them Johannes, It is pleasing to hear that they work for you. I confess woodcore is something I have no personal experience of but understand they are popular in the Netherlands.. Strong but light... I suppose to some extent it depends where you are sailing - if it's locally seems like a good idea but I would want to know what the resale values are - if further afield then are there issues with getting repairs done if you prang it - All that is just opinion as I have no actual personal experience of boats constructed in woodcore

[@francoismychannel9114]

Great series, growing up along the Le Havre - Fecamp coast line, this brings back fond memories and cold sweats about the winter gales there... sailing a similar b323 swing keel in shalow Florida now, can you do a vlog about the CE categories? I've noticed the nameplate on ours starts at B max, is the swing keel a concern crossing the channel? Thank you

[@SailingGently]

You are right Francois. the gales and cold are impressive up here.. I've been in the Med for the last decade and a bit so it's all a bit of a shock! There are a few swing keel around but I get the feeling they have never really caught on in a big way except maybe on the East Coast where there are more drying harbours... Florida is probably the place to be for pleasant sailing - and living!

[@pierreberglund4059]

Thank you for an informative vlog. For this region along the coast Fecamp- Dieppe; how much wind over spring tide would you consider OK for a cruising couple with a boat similair to yours? Thanks

[@SailingGently]

I think much above 6 for small light boats like Golden Haze is pushing it - well not the boat - me! Also it depends where you are - off Portland Bill probably horrid wind over tide - out in the channel not so bad - Going into Fecamp really uncomfortable - going into Dieppe near by but much deeper and easier fine -- Also is it behind or on the beam - going into a 6 really horrid - from astern fine... Sorry not to be too definitive - I use weatheronline on my phone - excellent.. It is us that are weaker than our boats I think

[@pierreberglund4059]

@@SailingGently Thank you !

[@nickcole9611]

Hi, Recently found your videos....very informative! Which software are you using for your passage planning?

[@SailingGently]

Nick hello, I use OpenCPN to passage plan with Cmap93 both or which are Freeware... OpenCPN is frankly better than commercial chart plotter software as it has been developed by sailors who work in IT... I keep a version on the boat laptoop with a dongle as a back up for the plotter - and to passage plan whilst on my way

[@MrFlippymouse]

Super job with these videos thank you. Really helpful with my planning, sailing my Verl 900 from Cardiff, destination Med.. Stay nimble please 👍

[@SailingGently]

So glad it helps with the planning... I found the trip really cold and challenging but better than present lockdown! Have a great passage south

[@XXLaffinGravyXX]

Looking well Michael... do you use Windy for your weather forecasts ?

[@SailingGently]

No, I use Weatheronline... Coming up the Red Sea they gave a group of us free daily updates and I find their sailing forecasts really easy to understand. Seem to have pretty good forecasts generally.

[@stephenburnage7687]

We will check out the site you suggest (Weatheromline). FYI we use both Windy and Sail Flo. When we crossed the Tehuantapec last month (which can be a serious undertaking), however, we closely compared both. Windy told us we had a six day window and Sail Flow only 48 hours. Naturally we went with the more conservative and glad we did, as the window really did close that quickly. I know many use Windy but with that experience I am more cautious.

[@georgecumming760]

What time of the year is this focused on?

[@SailingGently]

George hi, I left Lymington last year on March 17th and arrived Boulogne 30th.. It was better weather than this year I think

[@georgecumming760]

@@SailingGently I've just passed RYA quals but live in MIddle East where the market is non existent. I'm looking to buy in Malaysia/Thailand when covid reduces, so am wondering if Suez or South Africa cape is best option ultimately when I'm happy with the boat and my experience after a year. Any recommendations?