Hazard spot
North Sea
Short steep seas over shallow ground, plus autumn gales from the northwest. Ground tackle and mooring lines take harder punishment here than on any inland water.
- Cause
- Severe storms
- Main season
- October to March
- Position
- 55° 30,0' N 004° 00,0' E
On the map
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How the place works
Shallow ground and short wavelength turn force six into a sea that works harder than the same force in the Mediterranean. Add tide, gullies and shifting sandbanks, and autumn gales from the northwest running into the German Bight. The storm season starts earlier here than inland and ends later.
What breaks there
Ground tackle and mooring lines take harder punishment here than on any inland water, and groundings on the flats are rarely spectacular but expensive: rudder, shaft and keel root. At the berth there is the swell that reaches even sheltered harbours.
What this means for your policy
Two points are worth checking in the conditions: whether taking the ground is expressly covered, and what inspection is required and paid for after a grounding. Neither is an exception here; both are routine.
Read this in fullCruising range
This spot lies in the cruising range the calculator lists under this step: EU inland waters
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