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North Sea Crossing | Sailing Florence - Ep.234
June 26, 2026 · 23 min · 43K views · River Orwell
What this video covers
A three-day North Sea crossing from the River Orwell, England, to Cuxhaven, Germany, aboard the Oyster Marine 37 Heritage Florence, taken as a weather window opened after a week of northeast winds blocked the planned route around northern Denmark.1:20 The revised plan routes through the Kiel Canal instead.1:56 Departing on the tide, Matt and Amy motor down the Orwell before picking up wind offshore for a downwind reach — but conditions shift repeatedly: confused seas on night one, a wind hole forcing a 90-degree motor crossing of the shipping lanes, then a wind reversal that puts Florence hard on the nose, tacking through a narrow corridor between shipping lanes, inshore traffic, oil rigs, a drilling ship, and fishing boats along the Dutch coast through the night.2:11 AIS on the chartplotter is used to time gaps in shipping traffic during the lane crossing.9:53 By dawn on day three the wind shifts favorable again, and Florence arrives at the River Elbe mouth against two-plus knots of foul tide, making seven knots through the water to force entry.16:25 Check-in at Cuxhaven Marina takes ten minutes with no queue.22:43 The next leg is the Kiel Canal to Brunsbüttel.23:00
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