"From England with that!?"

[rael dobkins]

If u don't do it, no one will........
So, we bought a boat on ebay for 1750 pounds.......
A 22 footer that no insurance company agreed to insure.........
A captain that was never a captain, a crew that never sailed, and a dream to just do it!!!

hope you enjoy, Thanx for your time.
Rael.

https://fromenglandwiththat.blogspot.com/

 

[25931]

https://fromenglandwiththat.blogspot.com/[/url]

No problem as long as you have third party insurance otherwise you may face serious problems in Europe.

 

[sailaboutvic]

I think it could be quite a big problem if he hit another boat and damage it at some cost .
Hopefully he now manage to get third party ins

 

[OldBawley]

Well written. Very recognizable to me.
Our boat is a little bigger but I had to restore our wooden boat before setting of for almost the same trip.
Before leaving I attended a “sell up and leave “ day in the Netherlands and my wife says folks laughed behind my back. “A trip like that in such a small old wooden boat is nuts.” Some guy told her.
He had a 50 feet custom build yacht and his biggest contribution to the evening was his story of how he found a guy who could fit a washing machine in his pantry for very little money.

Now 19 years of Med sailing ( summer and winter ) further I am pretty sure to be the only one of that “leaving” meeting still sailing the dream.

We left from Holland by sea, up the Seine, past a year on the French canals, ( Heaven ) masted on the end of the Rhone. Our first Med stop was Carro, ( not far from La Redonne ) indeed to sit out a Mistral. And Othenoi, we ware storm bound there for two weeks in December 2001.

Some differences : We left with a very healthy amount of money, but to get that had to work 35 years and save almost every penny. Last 12 years before leaving living on board and saving all money I could earn with working 12h /day seven days a week. We also had insurance, don´t ask me how I got that.

You did it the smart way. Start sailing younger.

A small boat is not only more difficult to sail and a lot more dangerous, ( Lots of trips I spend double the hours on the water compared to modern big yachts ) it is also less comfortable.
But then a small yacht can get into nooks and crannies where the big boys can only come with their dinghy. End then our boat is more comfortable.

Just an example : I was anchored deep into a bay in Göcek Turkey. A huge beautiful sail yacht anchored in the middle of the bay. I went to get water from a well on a small beach and rowed very close to the big yacht. I heard Dutch speaking, so lingered a bit rowing under the stern. A woman was praising my little wooden yacht anchored so idyllic in the corner of that bay. I grew two inches, then the woman asked someone ( probably the captain ) why they could not go there. Safety and depth was the answer. Then the women looked over the rail and I recognised her. She was not wearing her crown.

 

[Kukri]

That's a lovely tale!

In 1976 my girlfriend and I sailed to Holland and spent a couple of weeks there in an 18 footer. We didn't spend much because we didn't have much but we did enjoy the cries of "You crossed the Nordzee! In that! Let me buy you a beer!"

 

[multihullsailor6]

If u don't do it, no one will........
So, we bought a boat on ebay for 1750 pounds.......
A 22 footer that no insurance company agreed to insure.........
A captain that was never a captain, a crew that never sailed, and a dream to just do it!!!

hope you enjoy, Thanx for your time.
Rael.

https://fromenglandwiththat.blogspot.com/

Hi Rael,

Don't let the size of your boat ( what is it actually? ) deter you!

Back in 1971 (when I was young) I bought a 50% share with a friend in a Waarship 600, a 20' Dutch built sailing yacht. Despite being the smallest boat in the club we sailed this little "tub" inland down the river Rhine from Cologne to Rotterdam and on to Vlissingen and then on the open sea to the Isle of Wight and around it and back to Holland. That summer we went further than any of our club members in much bigger boats!
Happy sailing in your small boat!

 

[James Marinero]

Just do it. If you don't you'll always look back and wonder 'what if?'

 

[saxonpirate]

Just do it. If you don't you'll always look back and wonder 'what if?'

Yes.. I wholeheartedly agree. Have done it myself with very little money when I was a young man. I'm going to do it again soon too with very little money as an 'older' man. Life really >isn't< a rehearsal.. its for grabbing by the b#lls and going for it.. :encouragement:

 

[LittleSister]

The title reminds me of Shane Acton's tale of being in the Med with a red ensign on his 18' plywood bilge keel Caprice.

People were amazed that he'd sailed all the way from Britain in it, and asked if he'd come down through the canals, or sea sailed all the way via Gib. He had to tell them neither, he'd come via Atlantic, Pacific, Indian Ocean, etc!

 

[rael dobkins]

Hi Guys,
Don't know why I didn't get nitified by mail..... anyway.....
It's a good energy charge to know that others like one's effort. Thanx.

I too don't think it's very wise cruising without insurance. Just that at the time, someone had to do it........

OldBrawley, Good On You, keep livin'!!! Small boats have huge advantages, Baby Mana had a draft of 1 meter, not great but still better then the others... with her 30 mm fiberglass hull ( I could't believe my eyes when I measured the hull after removing her old inboard...) and cast iron fin keel I would clonck her in and out of the tiniest fishing ports.... Sometimes small is big!

Minn, love your accent....... Small boats do that! With us it began in France, then Italy, then Greece and finally Turkey.... Fisherman would come in early morning.... Their jaws drop at the sight of a boat with a pole rising skyhigh, parked in their tiny port.... They would come by.... A chat with all my hands and feet and the 5 words had learned..... soon enough we were eating fresh catch grilled on the beach. So Good!! I think the Turkes were the most hospitable of the lot, still, it was just happening everywhere.

multihullsailor, somebody has to do the dirty work..... It feels good pretending to have a 50 footer...... don't it???
By the way I sold Baby Mana 5 years ago in the Black Sea, since then I too have moved over to Multihulls, Pacific Proas are my boats, hoping to Launch my third proa "Make O'Break" by the end of summer, 15 foot, micro cruiser and junk rigged....

James, looking back at an empty life, with dreams that never got off the drawing baord is a common problem that many have.....

Saxonpirate, Cool name! the sooner the better!!! Will see ya out there..... wish ya a foot under the keel wherever you go.

LittleSister, Amazing hey? It's people like Shane (which I didn't know of, though I know of many others...) that inspire me!!!! Big time.

All the best people, and thanks again for sharing good energy.........