Diesel or petrol boat for Med. cruising?

gavin_lacey said:
If you are determined to buy such a boat trhen use it in waters that are basically sheltered. People cruise the Ionion in ribs sleeping under the sunshades in the summer. Distances rarely exceed 20 miles. Offshore passages need 2 means of propulsion. If you carry a 6-8 hp outboard as your spare you also need fuel for it to cover more than half of any proposed trip. That is a lot of weight. Offshore boats have backup steering systems. Yours won't unless you substantially modify it. If you cruise the italian coasts in the summer you better put by a lot of money for marinas because with your limited range you will have to use them.
Click to expand...

That's exactly the plan.....go port hopping, two hour legs at say 15 kts. The only offshore passages would be between islands, using IFF navigation technology(I follow ferries), in light aircraft it's IFR, or I follow roads.

A 6 hp standby only weighs 30 kg.....but would it be powerful enough to make headway against wind/ chop?

I was also thinking that I could pull the boat out onto slips, to avoid high marina charges. A pair of dolly wheels on the rear transom would suffice, and a rope around the electric anchor drum.

It's all starting to make sense.
 
Its not your budget that is the problem, it is your choice of boat. 26ft contessas and folkboats have crossed the atlantic. Well within your budget and fit for purpose. Note my 38ft boat could cost up to 300euros per night in some italian marinas in summer. I pass through expensive areas out of season but to do this you have to be able to withstand poor weather at times. You made much of the abilty to tow your boat. A far better means of getting from one cruising ground to another, you can use the boat as a caravan whilst on passage down the motorway.
 
Ok let's compare some small semi- displ. boats:
Channel Islands 22'.
Seaward 23'.
Nimbus 26'
Mitchell 22'
Hardy 25'

Go around the world in any of these...and a Merry Fisher 625 is just a modern version of these iconic boats.

Round the Med. in a MF 625, no probs!
 
I don't see what all thye fuss is about1 I have a friend with a Merry Fisher who regularly takes it from Rothesay to Dunoon,no problem. All it needs to modify it for offshore is a lee-board (or two), a telescopic mast in a tabernacle,couple of triangular flappy things and self steeing gear . The Hydrophobia is the best one.
All the other bits( liferaft, dinghy,extra water, say 200litres,extra fuel,200litres ,radar, ,solar panels ,wind genny, generator+ fuel, 60 metres chain and a 25kg anchor) will hardly slow it down at all. Go for it I say! Better to have drowned than not have tried.:rolleyes:
 
Ludd said:
I don't see what all thye fuss is about1 I have a friend with a Merry Fisher who regularly takes it from Rothesay to Dunoon,no problem. All it needs to modify it for offshore is a lee-board (or two), a telescopic mast in a tabernacle,couple of triangular flappy things and self steeing gear . The Hydrophobia is the best one.
All the other bits( liferaft, dinghy,extra water, say 200litres,extra fuel,200litres ,radar, ,solar panels ,wind genny, generator+ fuel, 60 metres chain and a 25kg anchor) will hardly slow it down at all. Go for it I say! Better to have drowned than not have tried.:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I will take you too task about the lee boards, useless and dangerous in the chop(ie..Dutch barges)
Witness the Macgregor sail boat, very successful model. It has collapsible mast and triangular flappy bits etc etc, over 2000 sold so far!
Latest life rafts only weigh 10 kg(aircraft)
Battery water maker...5kgs
1100 kg boat only needs 3 mtr chain and 20 line.
Petrol 1 kw genny...20kg.

I make that about 50 kg total.
 
rustybarge said:
I will take you too task about the lee boards, useless and dangerous in the chop(ie..Dutch barges)
Witness the Macgregor sail boat, very successful model. It has collapsible mast and triangular flappy bits etc etc, over 2000 sold so far!
Latest life rafts only weigh 10 kg(aircraft)
Battery water maker...5kgs
1100 kg boat only needs 3 mtr chain and 20 line.
Petrol 1 kw genny...20kg.

I make that about 50 kg total.
Click to expand...

and you could always use freshwater for the ballast,than let it out when you want to play motorboats----oh,hang on you'd need a bigger watermaker to replace all that water,and a bigger battery to run it,and a bigger genny to charge it,and an engineer to service it all,and a cabin for the engineer,and one for the stewardess. AND a bigger boat to carry it----oh,hang on it's a MF----
 
rustybarge said:
Ok let's compare some small semi- displ. boats:
Channel Islands 22'.
Seaward 23'.
Nimbus 26'
Mitchell 22'
Hardy 25'

Go around the world in any of these...and a Merry Fisher 625 is just a modern version of these iconic boats.

Round the Med. in a MF 625, no probs!
Click to expand...

Coming to the conclusion that your "world" is very different from the one us ordinary people inhabit if you think any of these boats are suitable for anything other than what they (and your Merry Fisher) were designed for - estuary and coastal use in fine weather. And very good they are at that job.

BTW have you ever been boating in the Med?
 
Ludd said:
and you could always use freshwater for the ballast,than let it out when you want to play motorboats----oh,hang on you'd need a bigger watermaker to replace all that water,and a bigger battery to run it,and a bigger genny to charge it,and an engineer to service it all,and a cabin for the engineer,and one for the stewardess. AND a bigger boat to carry it----oh,hang on it's a MF----
Click to expand...

Whoops Ludd, forgot to tell you the MF 625 is the tender for my gin palace, a 625 meter multideck aluminium stabilised monohull with bathing platform and built in tender home in addition to the deck craned second tender with jet drive turbo boosted etc etc.

Life's hard in the recession!
 
Tranona said:
Coming to the conclusion that your "world" is very different from the one us ordinary people inhabit if you think any of these boats are suitable for anything other than what they (and your Merry Fisher) were designed for - estuary and coastal use in fine weather. And very good they are at that job.

BTW have you ever been boating in the Med?
Click to expand...

Yep I've been on the med a few times, lived on and off in S.France over a number of years. Best moments: on a Cassic Riva speed boat out of Antibes in with a friend of my sis.....very hard ride, not what you would expect.

Take the Channel Islands 22' as an example, operates in one if the roughest places in the world with 5 kts tidal rip.....wind against tide, breaking seas, no problem too the boat . It will go anywhere you point it, literally.
 
Keep up the good work rustybarge, you are gathering a fine crop of suckers so far - I see you have already been told a petrol boat will explode and the fumes will make you impotent. :D
 
lovezoo said:
Keep up the good work rustybarge, you are gathering a fine crop of suckers so far - I see you have already been told a petrol boat will explode and the fumes will make you impotent. :D
Click to expand...

It's straight up, no kidding!
I'm even considering converting my steel barge into a Thames sailing barge; now what size mast would I need for 60 ' length boat, and a single handed crew?

The real challenge: if sailboats are so good, why do they all have engines?

Me thinks they all really want Mobo's, but they're too stuck up too admit it.

I visited our local 'Royal'yacht club( second oldest in the world don't you know)......after I'd met the commodore etc and helped in the safety boat, I had to make excuses because they wouldn't let go home( free labour), so I said my son had telephoned to say the tv was stuck and wouldn't change channel ............they seems satisfied with the excuse. Never even offered me drink for all the effort!

Oh I forgot, didn't wear my regimental blazer, maybe that what the problem was.
 
Last edited:
I very seriously think that you answer is to base yourself in an idyllic island situation. You can lie in the sun and dream of all the beautiful places, which you are about to visit. The running costs will be minimal. You can use your wheels to haul yourself out of the water and the hull to shelter from the tropical sun. You could run on rum or palm oil both of which would serve to power you all fuel engine for the limited run time each day, when you set off to the reef to fish for your supper.

If you dream the dream, please make sure that it is the ultimate dream. No messing around for a day or two in dirty, rolly town anchorages and the motoring on to the next polluted estuary. Fly away to the emerald isles, where the wenches are nubile and the sand is white. The waters are crystal clear and th proa is king. Forget the plastic reality of GRP. Harness the natural resources build the ocean eating boat of your dreams and sail.
 
Frankie-H said:
I very seriously think that you answer is to base yourself in an idyllic island situation. You can lie in the sun and dream of all the beautiful places, which you are about to visit. The running costs will be minimal. You can use your wheels to haul yourself out of the water and the hull to shelter from the tropical sun. You could run on rum or palm oil both of which would serve to power you all fuel engine for the limited run time each day, when you set off to the reef to fish for your supper.

If you dream the dream, please make sure that it is the ultimate dream. No messing around for a day or two in dirty, rolly town anchorages and the motoring on to the next polluted estuary. Fly away to the emerald isles, where the wenches are nubile and the sand is white. The waters are crystal clear and th proa is king. Forget the plastic reality of GRP. Harness the natural resources build the ocean eating boat of your dreams and sail.
Click to expand...


Now thats an idea, tow the Emerald Isle to the south of France, and get rid of all those pesky frogs.

where are you based in France?
 
Frankie-H said:
I very seriously think that you answer is to base yourself in an idyllic island situation. You can lie in the sun and dream of all the beautiful places, which you are about to visit. The running costs will be minimal. You can use your wheels to haul yourself out of the water and the hull to shelter from the tropical sun. You could run on rum or palm oil both of which would serve to power you all fuel engine for the limited run time each day, when you set off to the reef to fish for your supper.

If you dream the dream, please make sure that it is the ultimate dream. No messing around for a day or two in dirty, rolly town anchorages and the motoring on to the next polluted estuary. Fly away to the emerald isles, where the wenches are nubile and the sand is white. The waters are crystal clear and th proa is king. Forget the plastic reality of GRP. Harness the natural resources build the ocean eating boat of your dreams and sail.
Click to expand...

When are you buying the house and moving back on land?:D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top