Homer J
Well-Known Member
The solution is simple. Buy an Axopar for use as a tender. Warm, dry and fast whatever the weather. OK it’s longer than the yacht and you need to write a cheque for £150k but otherwise the plan is faultless.
Crossing to IOW in a tender
- Thread starter GrantD
- Start date
prv
Well-Known Member
Like the dinghy, doable as a oner in the right conditions - a friend of mine has crossed to the island and back on a paddleboard - but not a practical means of regular transport.
Pete
Concerto
Well-Known Member
Two thoughts.
You could probably use one of these on a regular basis except in high winds. For Sale 2016 Williams Turbojet 385 - Boats.co.uk
Why not be foot passenger(s) on the ferry.
You could probably use one of these on a regular basis except in high winds. For Sale 2016 Williams Turbojet 385 - Boats.co.uk
Why not be foot passenger(s) on the ferry.
Greenheart
Well-Known Member
I'm appalled and ashamed that it didn't occur to me. ?
If Grant had asked anywhere except on a boating forum, it would have been the first reply.
GrantD
Well-Known Member
Incredibly, that is really pricey too
First thought I had with my e-bike
Too pricey
Nope gonna have to be
Title: Inflatable Kayak - ALDI UK
ashtead
Well-Known Member
Buy yourself a motorbike and ride to Lymington via the Ringwood race track with the blow up Sevlor canoe on the back -both options then available. I suspect most times you will take the bike on ferry though. Bike with 2 passengers cheapest way to do this I suspect compared to a nice rib.
GrantD
Well-Known Member
ProDave
Well-Known Member
Don't rule it out.
We were sailing last week in very light wind, making about 3.5 knots and were overtaken by two kayaks.
ashtead
Well-Known Member
Quicker route to paddle from Lymington plus quicker ferry than RF . I can see the 650 parked up at yacht haven or the royal Lym car park and I’m sure someone would even give you a tow across in the canoe . I won’t leave a 650 anywhere near Portsmouth ferry but in Lym plenty of other bikes to mingle with of a weekend.
Catalina36
N/A
And no more than a hundred quid on fuel...It's a bit of a stretch from Grant's original post, but the greatest danger I encounter when I look at this question, is how tempting it would be to lay out a few thousand on a RIB (or more likely, a bigger old Fletcher or Boston Whaler) that can be on the island in 15 minutes without trying, and thereby getting drawn into a very different sort of boating. ?
Really, think of what would be entirely possible on any ordinary summer day...cooked breakfast at Cowes, a leisurely glance at what's going on along the river, then down to Seaview for a seafood lunch at The Old Fort restaurant, then a walk, then buzz round to anchor at Ventnor by late-afternoon, for a dip before a big dinner at The Spyglass...and still be back on the Hamble, tying up before 11pm.
Plenty of miles at sea, happy SWMBO and no waiting around, ever.I'd love to say it isn't very appealing, but it is.
jbweston
Well-Known Member
It's still open - called On the rocks.
Concerto
Well-Known Member
Greenheart
Well-Known Member
Hmm...but I really think the cost-versus-horrible inconvenience of slowly sailing between those places over perhaps three days, (or planning to get to them but not quite making it), getting held up by tides and calms and beastly headwinds, and finally returning bedraggled as a rainstorm ruins the last day - which I bet we've all experienced - makes the speedboat solution look like value. I'm on the turn.
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TernVI
Well-Known Member
Even without the actual issues afloat, there are very few low-hassle low-cost options for launching the tender on the mainland.
I would imagine there are equally cheap moorings to be found Fareham, Langstone, Itchen etc, with quicker and easier access.
I sort of look at the total time from leaving my front door to the boat being in 'open water' as the name of the game. As well as the cost. The best solution will depend where your front door is, unless you are looking to move house to facilitate the sailing.
A yacht in the Medina works well for a chap I know, he lives in Gunwharf, Portsmouth and keeps a RIB there 3 minutes from his front door. Parking at Goonwharf costs his crew a fortune though! And the RIB mooring won't be cheap.
Even then, it turns a Sunday morning race into an all day engagement.
I'm tempted to suggest getting a tender with sails and basing it at a club on the mainland, I've done Lee on Solent to IoW a fair few times, I'd rather be in a Laser 4000 than a little rubber boat when there is more than F2.
I would imagine there are equally cheap moorings to be found Fareham, Langstone, Itchen etc, with quicker and easier access.
I sort of look at the total time from leaving my front door to the boat being in 'open water' as the name of the game. As well as the cost. The best solution will depend where your front door is, unless you are looking to move house to facilitate the sailing.
A yacht in the Medina works well for a chap I know, he lives in Gunwharf, Portsmouth and keeps a RIB there 3 minutes from his front door. Parking at Goonwharf costs his crew a fortune though! And the RIB mooring won't be cheap.
Even then, it turns a Sunday morning race into an all day engagement.
I'm tempted to suggest getting a tender with sails and basing it at a club on the mainland, I've done Lee on Solent to IoW a fair few times, I'd rather be in a Laser 4000 than a little rubber boat when there is more than F2.
ShinyShoe
Well-Known Member
Late to the party but here are my thoughts:
3m is doable on a day you wouldn't be able to sail when you get there! 4m inflatable - there are people who cruise west coast of Scotland islands in these. To some extent they pick their weather. But so may you? Would you want to sail out of the Solent in F8? But if you are keeping it inflated - its a PITA and you may as well have a RIB which would behave better, if you are inflating it - its also a PITA because now to get to the boat you have X travel time, Y boat set up time, Z passage time, and finally X+Y+Z time later you reach your boat and you have all that the other way.
Planning weather for departure may be easier than return. What happens if by the time you are ready to return from the island to mainland, its getting dark, the visibility is poor because of the driving rain, the wind is now F6 gusting 7-8. Do you have the life that allows you to stay aboard for better weather? Would you have to get the ferry and leave the tender (and likewise then ferry back).
A 4m+ RIB is up to the challenge in most weather you'd think the journey not unpleasant. But probably with 2 POB and some gear. A family of 5? Different story.
A 5m GRP clinker with a good engine - might be just as capable *but* think about emergencies, stability etc.
For a foot passenger? Why would you need a car when you get there? There is public transport! You'll just end up having to find places to park!
But depends if travelling alone.
Scotland's subsidy makes this seem so unfair!
It would also be possible on the odd day in a 6ft pram. Which is where the advice is going to get messy... because only the OP knows what conditions they may set out in.
The tidal stream would be the issue - you are going to have to run with it!
A lot of that is stuff you have - you just don't take it in the tender routinely.
Do you need an engine and oars and a spare? Where do you draw the line? Spares for the Spare?
Thermos and Rations? How long will the journey take. 7NM, in a planing RIB - 30 minutes? If it all goes wrong and you are rowing... you go where you need to rather than where you want to. Maybe an hour of rowing? Lost the oars and the spare... you are calling for help. In the Solent thats not an all night sit and wait... Doubtful you'd be out more than 2 hours. A bottle of water and a cereal bar maybe.
Flares - are they needed in the Solent, if you have HH VHF, and a Mobile Phone? If you have a PLB you'd obviously bring it too
Compass - should you have a chart? Not for the routine journey once you've done it a few times but for the - "outboard is playing up, would I be better to change to somewhere safer etc" I'd copy the relevant bit and laminate it and then never look at it. But my waterproof mobile has some basic nav software on it.
SR4's are still made. But £++++ compared to others in the market at that size. The only additional selling point they have is a flooding hull which makes them more stable at rest. If you were keeping it in the water thats just going to be filled with sealife!
A SR4 driven well by someone who knows what they are doing would be fine in anything but silly weather. You'd have a battery, so lights, with 40-50HP on it you'd clock up 20-25knots without a thought on all but the most hideous days. That 7NM commute becomes quite short. 2 crew and enough space for stores. Or 4 or 5 crew slower if you dont think sitting on tubes is dangerous.
A decent second hand SR4 will cost ~£4k. How much you saving on the berthing? Even if you trash it, you'd sell it for £1.5k. But either youd need to launch it (more hassle) or pay to moor it. Plus service it etc.
Which journey and where you store the tender at both ends would be my starting points...
What is a well founded tender? A <3m inflatable with a 2HP egg whisk? A 4m inflatable with 15-25HP OB? A hard boat?
3m is doable on a day you wouldn't be able to sail when you get there! 4m inflatable - there are people who cruise west coast of Scotland islands in these. To some extent they pick their weather. But so may you? Would you want to sail out of the Solent in F8? But if you are keeping it inflated - its a PITA and you may as well have a RIB which would behave better, if you are inflating it - its also a PITA because now to get to the boat you have X travel time, Y boat set up time, Z passage time, and finally X+Y+Z time later you reach your boat and you have all that the other way.
Planning weather for departure may be easier than return. What happens if by the time you are ready to return from the island to mainland, its getting dark, the visibility is poor because of the driving rain, the wind is now F6 gusting 7-8. Do you have the life that allows you to stay aboard for better weather? Would you have to get the ferry and leave the tender (and likewise then ferry back).
A 4m+ RIB is up to the challenge in most weather you'd think the journey not unpleasant. But probably with 2 POB and some gear. A family of 5? Different story.
A 5m GRP clinker with a good engine - might be just as capable *but* think about emergencies, stability etc.
For a foot passenger? Why would you need a car when you get there? There is public transport! You'll just end up having to find places to park!
But depends if travelling alone.
Are you buying the ferry? Is that a social distancing thing?
Scotland's subsidy makes this seem so unfair!
I thought the second outboard in the Solent was always on another 'passing boat' ;-)
It would also be possible on the odd day in a 6ft pram. Which is where the advice is going to get messy... because only the OP knows what conditions they may set out in.
Depends if you are rowing to your destination or just a place of safety.
The tidal stream would be the issue - you are going to have to run with it!
Thats quite a list! And again depends on the journey. 10am Saturday morning F1, gusting 2, middle of summer. You can delete quite a bit of that! F6, 2am, in October. You may want more.
A lot of that is stuff you have - you just don't take it in the tender routinely.
Do you need an engine and oars and a spare? Where do you draw the line? Spares for the Spare?
Thermos and Rations? How long will the journey take. 7NM, in a planing RIB - 30 minutes? If it all goes wrong and you are rowing... you go where you need to rather than where you want to. Maybe an hour of rowing? Lost the oars and the spare... you are calling for help. In the Solent thats not an all night sit and wait... Doubtful you'd be out more than 2 hours. A bottle of water and a cereal bar maybe.
Flares - are they needed in the Solent, if you have HH VHF, and a Mobile Phone? If you have a PLB you'd obviously bring it too
Compass - should you have a chart? Not for the routine journey once you've done it a few times but for the - "outboard is playing up, would I be better to change to somewhere safer etc" I'd copy the relevant bit and laminate it and then never look at it. But my waterproof mobile has some basic nav software on it.
Are you going to patch a leak mid solent? DUCT TAPE.
SR4's are still made. But £++++ compared to others in the market at that size. The only additional selling point they have is a flooding hull which makes them more stable at rest. If you were keeping it in the water thats just going to be filled with sealife!
A SR4 driven well by someone who knows what they are doing would be fine in anything but silly weather. You'd have a battery, so lights, with 40-50HP on it you'd clock up 20-25knots without a thought on all but the most hideous days. That 7NM commute becomes quite short. 2 crew and enough space for stores. Or 4 or 5 crew slower if you dont think sitting on tubes is dangerous.
A decent second hand SR4 will cost ~£4k. How much you saving on the berthing? Even if you trash it, you'd sell it for £1.5k. But either youd need to launch it (more hassle) or pay to moor it. Plus service it etc.
4m, 40HP would be fine. There are some 3.8m semi decent boats with 20HP tiller steers that would cope in F4-5 if you don't push them too hard.
Which journey and where you store the tender at both ends would be my starting points...
ShinyShoe
Well-Known Member
DanHmm...but I really think the cost-versus-horrible inconvenience of slowly sailing between those places over perhaps three days, (or planning to get to them but not quite making it), getting held up by tides and calms and beastly headwinds, and finally returning bedraggled as a rainstorm ruins the last day - which I bet we've all experienced - makes the speedboat solution look like value. I'm on the turn.
Beware the costs! An engine service can cost 100's or 1000's depending on size
Do you moor or launch. Launch is now adding your new headaches. The best solution is to dry stack. But the service is now an inconvenience.
Fuel - less of an issue in the solent, but elsewhere berth side petrol is harder to come by. Depending on your boat and engine size you can guzzle a lot. Some numbers to work on that seem fair consistent across most outboarding!
1 - 1.2L / NM at cruising speed.
1L / HP at Wide Open Throttle
Cruising speed varies from ~20 - 30knots for most hulls
Optimal engine size probably something like 0.5 x (3 ^ length[m])
You really want a non-tube seat for every passenger
There is no shelter or galley or heads unless you add a lot of extra gold bars
Greenheart
Well-Known Member
I think Grant only hoped it might be clever to benefit by using what is a practical tender for his yacht, over a much greater distance than such boats are customarily intended for.
So the short answer is no, because fair weather and light winds aren't dependable in the Solent, and even in a warm calm spell, the clutter of kit required in anticipation of potential emergencies would begin to outweigh the stuff carried for the eventual yacht-trip.
So the short answer is no, because fair weather and light winds aren't dependable in the Solent, and even in a warm calm spell, the clutter of kit required in anticipation of potential emergencies would begin to outweigh the stuff carried for the eventual yacht-trip.
Greenheart
Well-Known Member
Thanks Shiny. I'm surprisingly conscious of costs; not only of those lying in wait for would-be motorboaters, but those that get absorbed into every sailing-yacht owner's accounts, even if his boat travels no miles per season.
I haven't looked very hard at the question, I admit. But I seriously doubt that a sailing cabin-boat moored, insured, antifouled and used only when the wind looks agreeable, typically rewards her costs-per-year with more miles travelled than an equivalent motorboat.
I can spend the winter dreaming and doing sums, but I'll be surprised if money spent on a motorboat with a reliable engine is less rewarded than the same money spent on a sailing yacht that often won't be used on account of unappealing weather.
Apologies for the drift, but this thread has turned my head towards possible gains in terms of boats that are attractive to use when I'm available to go out, rather than my current situation as a sailing man, routinely reflecting dolefully that once again, conditions aren't favourable this weekend.
And, regarding a place to relieve oneself, I'd be looking for a boat with such a compartment included.
GrantD
Well-Known Member
Yes Dan, I think that sums it up.
My vision was potter across in a quickish tender, semi planing, new Honda 6hp outboard, 2 people max, lifejackets, handheld vhf, can of coke and a cereal bar, maybe in shorty wetsuits, maybe join Seastart....... ; leave it at pontoon where the mooring is £900 pa by Old Folly Inn while I cruised for the weekend, pottered back Sunday pm, deflate, boot of car, home. Repeat when weather forecast allowed. Weather forecasts are very accurate these days.
I think I overestimated the speed, imagining 10 knots and 25 minute crossing. And of course the sea is a cruel mistress.
To a layman newby's eyes the trip across the Solent looks easy and manageable.
"I could swim across" pops into one's brain
But I also know that I don't know what I don't know.
And these questions clearly have a habit of throwing up all sorts of fascinating peripheral wisdom.
So I'm glad I asked.
Ultimately, I think you could do it. But you are relying too much on the sailing community to dig you out of the shit if (when) it goes wrong, and thats too selfish.
coveman
Well-Known Member
How about these - if one gets punctured on route you have a spare!!
2 PACK Pink Inflatable Flamingo Rider Swimming Lounge Float Pool Lilo 6.5' x 55" | eBay
2 PACK Pink Inflatable Flamingo Rider Swimming Lounge Float Pool Lilo 6.5' x 55" | eBay