Advice needed for crossing the Irish sea (charity fundraiser)

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Sdev2004

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Hi guys! I'm new to the forum and I'm looking for some advice please.

On the 28th of May we're going to be crossing the Irish sea for the charity Marie curie.

We will be leaving Cairnryan and arriving at Belfast (similar route the ferry takes)

The approx journey is 37 miles and should take around 2 hours depending on wind speed etc.

I know its been done before but do you guys think its possible in our 18ft Glastron deep V-Hull speedboat (not a bowrider)?

We have taken all the nessasery safety precautions ie:

Life jackets, fire extinguisher, first aid kit, aux outboard, plenty of fuel and water, flotation devices, spare battery's.

The boat is very stable and has been previously swamped ( test from previous owner) and it does not sink due to the foam it only swamps, the boat has 4 Beige pumps as well as a transom jack plate that helps keep the outboard out of the water should the worst happen.

When the boat was swamped the previous owner switched on the beige pumps and jacked the engine up he was able to jump the boat on a plane and empty the water.

Also water conditions is another concern, does anyone think the water would be really rough? Or just choppy.

We are going to do this regardless but would like any advice that could help us with our trip.

Thanks in advance guys!
 
you cant do it regardless that is a stupid thing to say ,even the ferry does not do it when the weather does not allow ,if the weather is good and sea state right you could do it in a tin bath so plan and check the weather and you could do it ,BUT DONT RISK LIVES .
 
Sdev2004 said:
Hi guys! I'm new to the forum and I'm looking for some advice please.

On the 28th of May we're going to be crossing the Irish sea for the charity Marie curie.

We will be leaving Cairnryan and arriving at Belfast (similar route the ferry takes)

The approx journey is 37 miles and should take around 2 hours depending on wind speed etc.

I know its been done before but do you guys think its possible in our 18ft Glastron deep V-Hull speedboat (not a bowrider)?

We have taken all the nessasery safety precautions ie:

Life jackets, fire extinguisher, first aid kit, aux outboard, plenty of fuel and water, flotation devices, spare battery's.

The boat is very stable and has been previously swamped ( test from previous owner) and it does not sink due to the foam it only swamps, the boat has 4 Beige pumps as well as a transom jack plate that helps keep the outboard out of the water should the worst happen.

When the boat was swamped the previous owner switched on the beige pumps and jacked the engine up he was able to jump the boat on a plane and empty the water.

Also water conditions is another concern, does anyone think the water would be really rough? Or just choppy.

We are going to do this regardless but would like any advice that could help us with our trip.

Thanks in advance guys!
Click to expand...

Don't know. The area well but believe it could be an area of over falls, if so it needs studieing with care. Do not pass in any time that they are active.
 
Sdev2004 said:
On the 28th of May we're going to be crossing ...
We are going to do this regardless ...
Click to expand...
I've crossed that bit of water once and my brother has done it many times, in a 52 footer. An 18 foot boat is TINY against the size of waves you OFTEN get there. I wish you a calm crossing and you could be lucky and get a millpond, but please don't underestimate the probability of getting big waves. Make 100% sure that in the 4 hour window during which you'll cross you have the wind in the same direction as the tidal flow. If you have wind against tide the sea state could be too much for an 18 footer (the wave faces will become closer to vertical). Main issue is that you need to be prepared to postpone if weather is bad - hence the bits I quoted above worry me but I hope you didn't mean it so literally
 
Hi are you doing it in Company of Larger boats which will cruise with you? The main issue is the speed when weather gets bad and the capability of the crew. I have done Poole to Alderney in a 19.5ft cuddy and Barcelona to Menorca (Cuitadella) in a 20.5ft cuddy. Both times I cruised with 28ft boats and I waited for a safe weather window. Both times when it got bad I had knowledge and experience to get through it but slowing down meant that the bigger boats fell off the plane which made it uncomfortable for them.

Is it possible, yes. Is it probable on a certain date and time, I doubt it. However you can plan and get ready and if the weather not right be strong and say no,

The Glastron is not a deep V sea boat BTW. I had an 18ft Glastron and it is a shallow V lake boat by the way. I did my trips in Chaparrals which had better sea hulls. Glastron still capable, just doing that may make bits fall off and break (from experience)

Cheers

Paul
 
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Nautorius said:
. Glastron still capable, just doing that may make bits fall off and break (from experience)

Cheers
Paul
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Seats, locker doors, windscreen, and that was just crossing Bowness Bay :-)

Ive done a lot of sea passages in what people on here would class as small boats, and as said above, the very last thing you should do is plan a definite time.

With an 18ft lake boat, I would only do it in company of a more capable boat and crew, with a max F2 (decreasing) and sea state slight. If it gets rough and you have to drop to displacement speed, you will be lucky to do 1mpg, can you carry 200 + litres ?

Ive been trying to cross the Irish Sea to the Isle of Man for the past 15 years but time off never seems to coincide with the right conditions.
 
Done properly you can reduce the risk to an acceptable level. I'd borrow an in date life raft and tell the coastguard what you're planning to do. Most importantly he prepared to postpone or we'll be reading a MAIB report about you in a year's time.
 
A taster of what the Irish Sea can produce in just an F4 so the words of wait for the right weather conditions and sea state mentioned above cannot be overstated.

 
Sdev2004 said:
Hi guys! I'm new to the forum and I'm looking for some advice please.

On the 28th of May we're going to be crossing the Irish sea for the charity Marie curie.

We will be leaving Cairnryan and arriving at Belfast (similar route the ferry takes)

The approx journey is 37 miles and should take around 2 hours depending on wind speed etc.

I know its been done before but do you guys think its possible in our 18ft Glastron deep V-Hull speedboat (not a bowrider)?

We have taken all the nessasery safety precautions ie:

Life jackets, fire extinguisher, first aid kit, aux outboard, plenty of fuel and water, flotation devices, spare battery's.

The boat is very stable and has been previously swamped ( test from previous owner) and it does not sink due to the foam it only swamps, the boat has 4 Beige pumps as well as a transom jack plate that helps keep the outboard out of the water should the worst happen.

When the boat was swamped the previous owner switched on the beige pumps and jacked the engine up he was able to jump the boat on a plane and empty the water.

Also water conditions is another concern, does anyone think the water would be really rough? Or just choppy.

We are going to do this regardless but would like any advice that could help us with our trip.

Thanks in advance guys!
Click to expand...


You seem to be asking the question to justify what might turn out to be a foolhardy venture. I gather from earlier posts that, quite rightly, nobody is willing to give you carte blanche. On the day it will be your decision and yours alone. Laudable though the idea is, it is contrary to good seamanship. My invariable advice is not to have deadlines or predetermined dates for any sea passage.

Of course, it would be possible if you could pick and choose your day. The Irish Sea might be like a mill pond. Equally it might be horrendous with gales and a sea to match. You must be prepared to call it off should the weather and sea state so dictate. No respectable charity would want to benefit at the cost of life.
 
You don't mention charts or GPS. Can you navigate? The tides run at 4 to 6 knots in the North Channel. With a 'speed boat' they may not be a problem but you must take them into account. Make sure you identify the 2 buoys outside Larne and do NOT go between them. At springs there are overfalls at the northern end of the Mull and at the northern headland at the mouth of Belfast Lough. Try it on a day with a good weather forecast! Decide in advance which route you will take. I would keep at least 3 miles off the shore of the Mull until off Portpatrick when in good visibility you will see Belfast Bay to your right. Turn west and BB is only 12 to 14 miles away. This is probably a few miles longer but is easier navigation.
 
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You didn't mention a VHF!!!

I'd learn to use it properly and practice emergency radio procedures! Have an emergency procedure card onboard and train all your crew to be able to use the VHF in an emergency. Don't rely on mobile phones. Also have more than more VHF onboard, preferably a fixed VHF at the helm then a handheld and waterproof VHF incase you end up in the water!

Let the coastguard know before you begin.

Have appropriate lines, and cleats fitted incase you need a tow.

Make sure you have appropriate clothing - eg proper costal or maybe offshore gear!

Make sure you have horseshoe lifebuoy with a light!

All of the above costs £££ and it may be cheaper to hire a boat or RIB that already has all of the above gear? Plus if the weather does turn, a RIB will make for a more comfortable ride.
 
Not the same route taken as you're planning, but take a read of the below regarding an event in 2013 where someone experienced in a RIB was tossed overboard and was left in the sea for three hours awaiting pick up. His handheld VHF was destroyed in the process, thankfully he was carrying a PLB and wearing an immersion suit so could take the three hours in the sea.

general news report:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-23469810

from the man himself

"The crest that caught me out looked no different to those I had been crossing on the journey, except this had the mother of all holes on the other side."

http://www.rib.net/forum/f8/round-ireland-2013-a-51639-36.html#post557789
 
Is it possible? Of course it is. It is also possible you will die doing it.
You have taken all 'necessary safety precautions' you say yet you don't mention a life raft, an EPIRB, a survival suit, flares and a DSC VHF, which are all in my view necessary for that trip in a little open boat.
Would the water be really rough? Well, could be, might be flat calm too - the weather forecast for the 28th May is too far off innit.
'We are going to do this regardless..." Seriously - in your blue water boat, of course you are Cap'n Sensible! Now I think I can smell one of these:
Troll.jpg
 
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