Anyone for a week or 2's RIBing next year?

[Daniel]

I am starting to put together a plan i have been thinking about for some time, not least becasue i now have a boat more suited to it. Itenary might look something like:

Day 1: Margate/Ramsgate/Dover wherever > Brighton
Day 2: Brighton > Solent somewhere
Day 3: Solent cruise
Day 4: Solent > Channel Islands
(poss day in channel islands)
Day 5: Channel Islands > Heading north along french coast (cherbourg?)
Day 6: Further north along french coast (ouistreham?)
Day 7: Further north along french coast (dieppe)
Day 8: Further north along french coast (calis?)
Day 9: If required as day 8
Day 10: Calis > Dover > Ramsgate/wherever i started

Plus a couple of days incase we are delayed anywhere.

Proposed time: 10 - 14 days
Approximate sea miles: 550

Thoughts, other people interested etc. welcome - as i said this is very much conceptual, i've not done that much research into port access, fuel etc.

This would be very much an open RIB's adventure week, loads of food and drink in good restraunts and B+B accomadation although i might consider carrying equiptment to sleep on the RIB incase i had to. I'm quite confident i have two friends who will come with me in top-banana.

[Brian]

Daniel,
Might like to join you for days 4,5 and 6.
When are you thinking of?

[Daniel]

No preferance Brian - the warmer the better, July?

I'd welcome your company, particularly for the channel crossing and drinking aspects! I would say Mike Tapp and I will 90% do this or something similar, even if on our own, although an escort across to Alderny or wherever would be a prerequisite.

I'll post again when i have done some more homework... no one else with a 5.5 --> 7.5 open RIB fancy this?

[ribraff]

I'll be up for that, hopefully i'll have a happymax sorted for my 6m! Brian, would you be leaving from Devon?

[Daniel]

You, being in the industry, might be able to get a better deal but Mr Maddox of www.waynemaddoxmarine.co.uk has got a 150 Opti, 2004 model year, for a good price - £8k all inclusive, including nearly £1k's worth of instruments infact. It's so new it has not even arrived yet 'coz i was chatting to him today and he can't find any space in the shop, 23 new engines i counted.

[Phil]

I am thinking of being in the Baie de Seine in June when there will be D Day celebrations;however this does clash with Ribex.

I may well be interested in any event.

Last year I did Ipswich - Ramsgate -Boulogne-Dieppe-Honfleur-Cherbourg -Alderney -Solent -Ipswich. I would be more than happy to help you with planning ,fuel etc Let me know as and when you firm up

[Brian]

Ed
Yes, leaving from Torquay. Would make sense to go together.

Daniel
Cant do 4-6th June-RIBEX
Cant do 12-13th June-S/W Cruise
Otherwise all the rest of June plus all July free.

[Brian]

Or...............
if you wanted to get complicated...............

you could attend RIBEX and then on the Sunday afternoon, go Needles Channel to Alderney and onwards.
I can then pick my moment and go Alderney-Torquay.

Depending on Phil's agenda, we might bump into him too.

[Daniel]

another idea...

...we could completly reschedule the idea and leave from the SW the day after your SW cruise? (top banana will be there anyway) Just an idea - it would leave me (or your wife ) with a car and trailer problem though.

Phil - would appreciate some input, need to have a serious look at this myself which i will do after i've eaten too much some time this week. If we stick to my initial plan (Ramsgate > Ramsgate in July) then would you be interesting in some or all of the route?

My concern with either Brian or yourself joining me for a long period of time (please don't take this personally) would be the vast differance in boats. I'll need to pace myself for 10 days in a 6mtr open RIB, also my crew are less experienced than myself. Joining you big boys for a number of days is one thing but i feel we might have different agendas over the entire period - but i am open to persuasion on this one.

[Daniel]

I've got my RIB cruising cap on at the moment and am currently in the process of doing my homework for this trip. The dates are:

Depart Ramsgate Monday 12th July.

This puts us in the Solent for Wednesday 15th July + Thursday 16th if anyone wants to join us.

Travel to Alderney Friday 16th July, subject to Brian being able to make this?

Saturday 17th July Channel Islands...any locals about?

Then back to Ramsgate along the french coast, as long as it takes really!

[Phil]

Unfortunately I will be away in July with the family exploring France Germany and ultimately Lake Garda (where I hope to hire a RIB)

I went to Normandy last week by ferry and the following may help :-

1. Le Havre
all tide all weather port but the refuelling pontoon appears to dry out- not a major problem because the pontoon is linked to the garage on the road above

2.Honfleur
tidal lock but not to be missed.It is twee ,i is touristy but there is nothing to beat having your RIB in the innner harbour enjoying some fruit de mer .I managed to get the Humber under the road bridge out of raising times which helps in getting a berth

3.Deauville /Trouville
tidal ;petrol is available at the far end of the port de plaisance in Trouville but not on the bassin itself. From what I saw portage in cans would be straight
forward if you can get into the inner basin

4.Oiustreham
a ferry port all tide access but entrance to the marina is through locks and I was unable to confirm the petrol availabilty - you can at least tie up to a waiting pontoon outside the locks

5.Couselles Sur Mer
tidal ;I could not find a nearby petrol station

6.Port en Basssin
see Shell Channel pilot re. mooring again a near petrol station was not obvious

7.Grandcamp Maisy
tidal - Fuel not more than 100 metres from harbour in cans;Shell Pilot is un complmentary but I think the restaurants are ok plus it is a 3/ 4 point across the Baie

8.St. Vaast
another no miss although tidal and the approach looks worse on the charts than in reality.Dine and stay at the Cafe de Port if possible

9.Cherbourg

Petiol on the dock;everything else available. lots of UK raggies

Essentially the Baie is about 75/80 miles across and most ports are tidal so you have to time it right

Going north from LeHavre /Honfleur there is nothing in petrol on the
dock.Fecamp is relativly ok, Dieppe and Boulgne are painful (taxi / 20 minute walk)


But go to Dieppe - it has fine restaurants and reasonable hotels and is all weather all tidal


Please ask if there is anythng else I can help on

[Daniel]

Helpful is a huge understatment. I have, of course, extracted a huge amount of infomation from the Almanac but nothing beats firsthand experience Shame you can't join me for any of this.

[John Kennett]

Originally Posted by Phil

8.St. Vaast
another no miss although tidal and the approach looks worse on the charts than in reality.Dine and stay at the Cafe de Port if possible

Le Café du Port is OK but you really want to stay at the Hotel de France. Even if you don't stay there, you want to eat at its restautant Les Fuschias.

Fécamp is a handy stop with easy access, reasonable restaurants and the Benedictine Distillery. Don't know about fuel there though.

John

[Ribald]

If I may add my two euro's worth:

Honfleur: From what I recall fuel has to be obtained in cans from a garage at the end of a 1 mile up-hill walk. Try & "borrow" a trolley from the local supermarche.

Caen/Oiustreham: Very nice restaurants on the opposite side of the canal from the marina further into the town from the ferry port.

Grandcamp Maisy: Check access times carefully - An amazing view of the approach channel at low water when you are in there!!!

St. Vaast: A "must visit" and would agree with the Cafe du Port. Have to disagree with JK on Les Fuishias though - very expensive and a menu in English???

Cherbourg: Try Les Routiers for large portions of basic good food. Beware the grande pression in the yacht club - headache material. Brilliant showers.

Ormonville: There was a superb restaraunt there a few years back - in fact the only one.

and then onto Alderney........

[Phil]

John the petrol station in Fecamp is no more than a few minutes walk from the marina.

[Daniel]

For info, this thread was started in 2003, so my RIB road-trip for 'next year' is for this year - 2004.

[The Jackeens]

Originally Posted by Daniel

no one else with a 5.5 --> 7.5 open RIB fancy this?

Sounds a great plan Daniel!!!! Good luck.

Not for us at 5.05 ('the sea's so wide & our boat is so small'...Breton Fisherman's Prayer...)

There is (was?) a nice little 'caff' at Honfleur (La Chaloupe) where they serve ships.

i.e. sausage & ships (they had 'mussels with ships' too) or even incredibly
'a plate of ships' !!!!!!!!!!!!

The 'plate of ships' was really good value...only 20F....(old money!!!!)

Not sure if they do RIBS nowadays!!!!!!!

(I confess I nicked the menu !)

Missus