17 foot boat across the channel...Possible?

[Major Catastrophe]

I must have a look through the back issues of MBM, I am sure it wasn't a 1st April edition, but there was a great article about a family who decided to take a small rib (3.80m sort of size and 9 or 10hp engine) from was it York? to the Black sea...this is where my memory is a bit hazy, but didn't they travel through the canal network to the Thames, then coast hoped round to Dover and did a channel crossing, continued through the canal network across Europe to the Black Sea... father and 2 sons and I am sure they all suffered from Asperger syndrome. Anyway it was a most wonderful article and just goes to show what can be done. I will have a look and try and find the article... Unless anyone in IPC towers would confirm!

Now just imagine if the OP's thread had read, ..."I have a small rib and plan to travel from York to the Black Sea with my 2 kids...."

If he was going to do it in a RIB, I'd volunteer to go with him. As a RIB driver myself, I have every confidence in my 5.5 Humber destroyer and always look at the HIN plate in disbelief where it states that the boat is coded for 12 persons.

Until I get the strap hangers installed, I'll stick to a safer load of five maximum.

 

[gunman]

completely different boat from the Marina 17

which has a fully planning hull and quite deep v

I'd prefer the 16 shown with a 9.9hp - or the 17 with 50hp

I'm pretty sure the boat shown isn't a 16, having owned one for about 5 years, its about 18ft. The one you show is very different right enough.

 

[KevB]

Not saying you should do it and if you did you should go in company with a bigger boat but.... A few years ago when on a friends boat coming back from the channel isles we saw a guy in a 10ft dinghy cross back to the uk. Not sure where he was heading cause he went left and we went right at the isle wight.

If everything goes right then it's an easy journey in your boat but it only takes one thing to go wrong to make it a disaster...

 

[Searush]

Not saying you should do it and if you did you should go in company with a bigger boat but.... A few years ago when on a friends boat coming back from the channel isles we saw a guy in a 10ft dinghy cross back to the uk. Not sure where he was heading cause he went left and we went right at the isle wight.

If everything goes right then it's an easy journey in your boat but it only takes one thing to go wrong to make it a disaster...

10 foot? WTF was that then? And how did you know it had come from France? - Bearing in mind that the Fench are heavy on regulating how far offshore one can go depending on the CEE rating for the class.

I'm not saying its impossible, as others have said, bathtubs, windsurfers & water skis have been used, but they will have supporting safety boats.

Oh, and I forgot Alain Bombard crossed the Med & the Atlantic in an inflatable without food & water - just to prove it was possible!

 

[jimg]

This is a windup surely


rolleyes:

No, I am sure he "exists", he appears on another forum :- http://boatmart.co.uk/newforum/index.php?f=4&t=1259&rb_v=viewtopic#p1643

 

[Searush]

No, I am sue he "exists", he appears on another forum :- http://boatmart.co.uk/newforum/index.php?f=4&t=1259&rb_v=viewtopic#p1643

Now I know why he needs so many passengers - to pull the boat & trailer up the slipway for him!

 

[Major Catastrophe]

lets not loose sight of the fact that they would all be under the close eye of Dover HM and launch, if they make it 1 nm out the harbour then the CG will have a birds eye view and there is the all weather Dover life boat .

I like to think of the rescue services as a last resort, in case I get into trouble, rather than as standby in case one of my hair brained ill prepared adventures gets out of hand.

As I posted on another thread, last week a fully experienced, dry suited, lifejacketed Kayaker died off Anglesey, because she underestimated the sea.
In her case radio or a mobile phone with one of her companions probably would have saved her life, but communications was the one element they decided they didn't need.

In Jeepster's case, that missing element may be a combination of many things.

 

[Smeghead]

Jeepster! Video the whole voyage and prove these Doubting Thomases wrong!

People swim across, someone did it in an inflatable tube, in a pickup truck, in a row boat.
Yoooo can doo eeeett!*











*advice given by ignorant noob undertake crossing under own risk

 

[Firefly625]

No, I am sue he "exists", he appears on another forum :- http://boatmart.co.uk/newforum/index.php?f=4&t=1259&rb_v=viewtopic#p1643

wow, good investigation work...

Lets hope he goes this weekend... I can't wait to hear what happens!!

 

[Searush]

wow, good investigation work...

Lets hope he goes this weekend... I can't wait to hear what happens!!

You'll need ch 0 on your VHF . . .

 

[duncan]

ah ha..........leads us to

I'm beginning to understand where the OP is getting his ideas from - it's a nice looking, somewhat classic, boat and clearly has good freeboard and some protection. It's only really the loading that's a fundamental issue (related to the proposed trip)

on balance I change my earlier view and would rather be in this one with either engine - but this with a 50 and the 9.9 as back-up would be a nice set up.

 

[jimg]

ah ha..........leads us to


I'm beginning to understand where the OP is getting his ideas from - it's a nice looking, somewhat classic, boat and clearly has good freeboard and some protection. It's only really the loading that's a fundamental issue (related to the proposed trip)

on balance I change my earlier view and would rather be in this one with either engine - but this with a 50 and the 9.9 as back-up would be a nice set up.

Blast, I should have dug a bit deeper into that site for the photo! I agree that it would not be too bad with a decent engine.

 

[bendyone]

Perhaps to prove he's British he show fly a "Blue Ensign" that will impress the frogs no end.

 

[Major Catastrophe]

What a great looking boat.

Put a decent engine on it and restrict the loading to three (You can count me in as one) and it is a goer.

 

[Smeghead]

Do you think I can make it across on one of these?

 

[Major Catastrophe]

Do you think I can make it across on one of these?

Probably, if you got rid of the bike and the floats.

 

[azman]

Dunno, can she swim?

 

[Smeghead]

If she was waiting for me in France I would try

 

[iangrant]

More apt names than Jeepster?

Sinker of London

Swamped

Are we nearly there?

Ocean Drifter

Swamped

Sea Dweller

Swell Warrior

Pooped

Breaking waves

Roller

 

[NeilT]

Probably, if you got rid of the bike and the floats.

if you get rid of the bike and floats - what use it the pedal cycle left ?

.............................................gettin me coat