[Closed] Questions for boat people

Take a handful of tenners and burn them one by one. Did that make you feel sick? Yes? Then forget about boats.

Here's a good story about what what's possible, but inadvisable in an insubstantial boat.

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/jun/21/sailing-into-hell-two-men-dingy-dangerous-journey

Really? How come?

I know it's a complete fantasy, but I love the idea of having a boat and being able to make runs along the coast of the Bristol Channel, or even to cross over to Cornwall.

Anyway, I know there is the whole question of training and a person actually knowing what they were doing on open tidal sea water, but I'm just wondering about equipment.

km79 - Member
Take a handful of tenners and burn them one by one. Did that make you feel sick? Yes? Then forget about boats.

The easiest way to make a small fortune out of boats is to start with a large fortune.

Re the Channel - Good weather and good seafaring skills, a 13ft Dory with a 25hp outboard would do it. Bad weather and fists of ham? Hmmmm.

Or, just take a Hilux.
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[quote=SaxonRider ]
1. What size of motorboat would a private citizen need in order to safely cross an open body of water like the channel?define safely. Not much if it is a very clam day Narrowboats cross the channel for example. Legally I think you can still take any old piece of crap to sea.Practically I guess 20- 30 foot ish

2. What would be the standard range of something like a 20-ish foot motorboat? In other words, how far can a person go on a tank for fuel?

really depends on the size of the engine and the size of the tank

My narrowboat range was thousands of miles at a maximum speed of 6 mph!!!

 

the long term costs never justify the short time usage.

You could afford quite a nice cruiser, based on the going rate for bringing back a couple of asylum seekers.

Chatting to a friend this morning some insurers are now stipulating RYA powerboat level 2 or above to validate your insurance. Bit of a back door driving license.

The channel is 'only' 20 miles.

My old outdoor centre 4.5m RIB with 60hp would (did) regularly do that for a day or nights work, on one tank as long as you didn't go silly. We carried two tanks. Depending on the sea state it wouldn't be comfy.
We also had a Drascombe gig, that would again easily sail or motor that, in more 'comfort'.

I have a 20ft inflatable you can have for a very sensible price if you are interested. (Avonmouth)
Short shaft outboard required, goes well with a 25hp.
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Good for coastal stuff, wouldn't get you to Ilfracombe without some good planning and a bit of experience.

OP the design of the boat is more important than length in terms of seaworthiness. People race across the Atlantic in 18ft sailing boats. Also of course weather and sea conditions make a huge difference. Plenty of inexpensive boats available and if you are reasonably practical you can do the maintainence yourself, so assuming you can find a cheap mooring / place to keep the boat getting afloat need not be expensive. Finally going "accross the channel" is an adventure but generally there is a lot more fun to be had going up and down the coast, stopping in small bays and maybe spending a night at anchor. Whilst Dover / Calais is 20 miles most of the channel is more like 80-100.

Our boat has a 256hp V8 inboard (pretty substantial for a small craft?), would probably get about halfway to Calais before it ran out of fuel, the waterskiing would be shit as well, so we wouldn't bother trying tbh.

As per others above,the size of boat needed to cross the channel will vary depending on the weather at the time and your attitude to risk.assuming were talking about planing boats, On a good day 20 foot or a bit less will do it,on a bad day 70 foot or more will be needed.

Range depends on two factors, fuel consumption and size of tank.if you assume 4mpg (which would be considered quite efficient for a planing boat, most in the 20-30 foot range are prob more like 2.5 to 3 mpg) then you can start to estimate the range. My boat would prob do 200-250 miles between fills,it has a 300litre tank.

Bit of choppy weather & the luftwaffe didnt stop loads of little boats popping over to Dunkirk & returning overladen 70 odd years ago so the OP should be fine in anything

🙂

I know two people who rowed over from Burnham on Crouch after the pub shut...

That's not 20 miles !

people have taken narrowboats over. You'd want a calm day.

The only real issue crossing the channel (if anyone wants to attempt it) are the sheer amount of shipping and the shipping lane convergence zones.

Have fun, don't sink.

Have fun, don't

sink

My pal cruises all around the inner Hebrides in his Swallow Boats Bayraider. Last May I crewed for him for a week's tour of the Sound of Jura; it's a very capable little boat that can go almost anywhere:

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Read this.

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my parents had a drascombe lugger or dabber or something, which was a very capable boat, would take a phenomenal amount of wind before it was overpowered, but would also take a phenomenal amount of time to get anywhere. I cruised a little on an old Etchelles, which was almost perfect as a short handed cruiser, not a lot of sleeping room, but at least it was fast.

We have a 21' boat with a 225hp outboard which, when run at it's most efficient (about 3800rpm), will do about 3 mpg. Boat has a 90 gallon tank so 'theoretically' about 250 miles.
Fuel usage depends on loads of factors, number of people and gear on board, water conditions, wind, hull condition, etc.

Swallow Boats Bayraider

I had started persuading our old outdoor centre to save and buy a Swallow Baycruiser 23. Swallow were happy to make us an open cockpit, just like the old Drascombe Gig, but with water ballasting and a higher performance rig. I think it would have been a stable, easy handling but fast blast of a boat....

A friend of mine in Helsinki once told me about her four week holiday that she took to sail to Pori jazz festival. After a pause, as if just realising it for the first time, she said ".. it's a two hour drive.."

You need a Wayfarer

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/jun/21/sailing-into-hell-two-men-dingy-dangerous-journey

or a windsurfer

http://windsurfroundeurope.eu/

I had a lugger on the solent and then med. V capable boat, in fact better in the chop than the 5m rib that replaced it. Best thing is if u buy one in winter and sell in summer you will mke money.

Actually tempted by another, that swallow above is lush.

I don't really agree with the notion of all boating being like burning money. Yes obviously you can buy expensive boats, yes obviously you can pay a lot of money to store them but it doesn't HAVE to be expensive.

I have a Honda Honwave inflatable that, as a package, cost me £1700. Yamaha 15hp outboard, came with anchor, fuel tank, lock, tow rope, etc etc, everything you need to get out on the water (other than a lifejacket).

Costs me about £5- 8 in fuel for a day out, stored in the garage and the engine costs about £50 in parts to service. Launching is either free or a tenner, depending on where I go.

Admittedly it's 3.8m long so not something you would necessarily want to cross the channel in, but on a calm day that's not to say you couldn't.