Diesel or petrol boat for Med. cruising?

Hello rustybarge. I too am planning to motor to the med. I have bought a project boat from the great auction site. Unfortunately it does not come with an engine but has the capability of taking up to a 5hp, (what ever that means),

Anyways, a friend of a friend has offered me a seagull that is promised to run for ever on a litre of fuel based on a 50 50 mix. He says this is good and I trust him.
I have a reserve tank of 5L which should get me anywhere I want based on friends 1 liter per 100m. I'm not stupid as I have bought a halfords 5l can of oil so wont be caught out.

My project boat is sound as long as it is kept on its trailer. I'm wondering if I launch it at Lands End and quickly get to Gibraltar then into the med, we could meet up and cruise the med together.
 
cliffdale said:
Hello rustybarge. I too am planning to motor to the med. I have bought a project boat from the great auction site. Unfortunately it does not come with an engine but has the capability of taking up to a 5hp, (what ever that means),

Anyways, a friend of a friend has offered me a seagull that is promised to run for ever on a litre of fuel based on a 50 50 mix. He says this is good and I trust him.
I have a reserve tank of 5L which should get me anywhere I want based on friends 1 liter per 100m. I'm not stupid as I have bought a halfords 5l can of oil so wont be caught out.

My project boat is sound as long as it is kept on its trailer. I'm wondering if I launch it at Lands End and quickly get to Gibraltar then into the med, we could meet up and cruise the med together.
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Just a little advice........follow the ferry to Calais, turn right and keep land to your left......eventually(after a few days, I admit) you will see a big rock(Gib) and hey presto.....welcome to the Med. No need for fancy nav stuff like compasses.
 
Thanks Taz. I cant take your advice as my friend say I will be on a plane, and since the calais ferry cannot plane,(I have googled this and it is correct), I reckon you are trolling me and take offence to this.

I have my navigation in order and if I leave lands end behind over my shoulder, I will be in Biscay in no time at all. my friend said if you watch the echo sounder, (as long as it keeps spinning), when it suddenly jumps 1000m turn left.

I have taken on board a pp3 battery and a torch, so dont think I am equipped to get their!
 
cliffdale said:
Thanks Taz. I cant take your advice as my friend say I will be on a plane, and since the calais ferry cannot plane,(I have googled this and it is correct), I reckon you are trolling me and take offence to this.

I have my navigation in order and if I leave lands end behind over my shoulder, I will be in Biscay in no time at all. my friend said if you watch the echo sounder, (as long as it keeps spinning), when it suddenly jumps 1000m turn left.

I have taken on board a pp3 battery and a torch, so dont think I am equipped to get their!
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My mate said you can see Whales in Biscay, I do not believe this as Whales is around the corner and to the left a bit.

Have a safe journey and don't forget your maps. These I believe are useful for when you hire a car and dont forget they drive on the right..
 
Dont be so stupid. I have Googled wales and there are no sheep in biscay.:rolleyes:

I'll get the bloooody christmas dinner over and then i'm off. last laugh on you when i am sunning my self next week!
 
rustybarge said:
That's an interesting point.......it's all down to money, or the lack of.

Here's my budget: got refund from ex of £80k overpayment in div. settlement.
Planned trip: 2 years. Say £250/ wk food etc= c.£25k
Fuel at 2hrs day= £40/day about £30k:eek:
Boat purchase £15k

Yikes............it does add up quickly.
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Is that maths correct? I make it £25k for the boat. Anyway, you'd probably be better off putting this thread on the mobo forum as nearly everbody on the Liveaboard forum has a sailing boat and therefore will tend to be dismissive of your idea. Having said that I do agree that if you really do plan to do this kind of journey, you would be better off doing it in a sailing boat both from the point of view of fuel consumption but also because a sailing boat is ultimately more seaworthy than a motorboat and sea conditions in the Med can be just as horrible as the UK if you get your timing wrong.
IMHO, you haven't got the budget to do this kind of trip because you're going to be spending days in harbour waiting for good weather conditions to go on to the next harbour and visitor mooring charges in the Med are usually very expensive, especially in summer. You could probably reckon on £30-40/night and that eats up a lot of your budget. Yes you may be able to spend some nights at anchor but many anchorages in the Med are subject to swell from passing traffic so they will be uncomfortable in a small motorboat (another argument for a sailing boat). You also need to take account of maintenance and insurance costs.
IMHO, you need to rethink your plans a bit. There's nothing wrong with the basic idea of living on a small motorboat in the Med but with your budget, it would be cheaper to base yourself in one marina for a year and then go cruising from there as the fancy takes you. For example, you could base yourself in a Majorca marina for a year for maybe, £3-5k in annual mooring charges and you could then cruise the fabulous cruising area of the Balearics from that base. Being in one location would also give you the chance to pick up casual work to supplement your budget. It would also give you an opportunity to learn about Med boating life before venturing off on longer trips. It also changes your budget calcs too. Spending less on fuel and far less on mooring charges could possibly allow you to spend more on buying your boat. It also may mean you could extend your time in the Med from 2yrs to a lot longer if you spend your money carefully
 
Deleted User said:
Is that maths correct?
.....
[Lots of sensible stuff snipped]
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Mike, this guy is either a troll and winding us all up or so unbelievably naive and inexperienced of what is needed to accomplish his dream and just how big the Med. is and how nasty it can get at times. I came to the conclusion it is a bit of both. As he seems intent to drag in a mobo vs sail argument from misinterpreting genuine advice, this is my last posting on the subject.
 
rustybarge said:
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?
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Port Napoleon, Pt St Louis Du Rhone.

Sadly not for much longer. After 17 years as full time liveaboards. It is time to accept responsibility, health care and a reasonable hot water system.

However the memories and dreams still linger in the twilight. :D
 
Barnac1e said:
Mike, this guy is either a troll and winding us all up or so unbelievably naive and inexperienced of what is needed to accomplish his dream and just how big the Med. is and how nasty it can get at times. I came to the conclusion it is a bit of both. As he seems intent to drag in a mobo vs sail argument from misinterpreting genuine advice, this is my last posting on the subject.
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We all have dreams, Barnacle1, and often the dreams are better than the reality so who are we to try to puncture them:)
 
rustybarge said:
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.
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Common you mad bu*gers - hie is taking the pi$$ and you are all falling for it
 
davidej said:
Common you mad bu*gers - hie is taking the pi$$ and you are all falling for it
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RU sure
smiley_emoticons_doh.gif
 
Even as a diehard petrolhead who loves hundreds of gee-gees at the blunt end, I do not get this at all. It would be far better and safer to get a yacht; you have two forms of motive power for safety and they are much cheaper to purchase, so you get much more space and comfort for your buck.

Lakes? Really? I didn't think that mobos were allowed on fresh water lakes (fresh being the operative word here). As for inland waterways, a yacht is just the thing. Unstep the mast and potter along to your hearts content for very little money. You don't need a trailer.

I never thought I would be on YBW standing in defence of blow-alongs but hey it's Christmas! :D
 
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