Going to France with a 50hp Mariner Outboard?

[TheDaintySload]

Hi everyone, I've just got my first boat, a 15 foot fishing cruiser. It has a 50hp outboard.
Ive got all the radios and plotters and safety gear. I'm just concerned how the 50hp will cope out at sea, as so far Ive just been staying around the solent.
Asking for any experienced motorboaters to let me know, is it possible to cross the English channel with 50hp?

 

[Hot Property]

Hi everyone, I've just got my first boat, a 15 foot fishing cruiser. It has a 50hp outboard.
Ive got all the radios and plotters and safety gear. I'm just concerned how the 50hp will cope out at sea, as so far Ive just been staying around the solent.
Asking for any experienced motorboaters to let me know, is it possible to cross the English channel with 50hp?

It is possible but on your own highly risky.

Join a club or a Facebook group with other motor boaters.

Ask the same question in 2 years time....

 

[westernman]

Hi everyone, I've just got my first boat, a 15 foot fishing cruiser. It has a 50hp outboard.
Ive got all the radios and plotters and safety gear. I'm just concerned how the 50hp will cope out at sea, as so far Ive just been staying around the solent.
Asking for any experienced motorboaters to let me know, is it possible to cross the English channel with 50hp?

15ft seems small to be more than a few miles from the coast.
What category RCD is it? I certainly would not even consider trying the trip in anything other than RCD A or RCD B (at a pinch, with a good stable forecast).

Also, check very carefully how much fuel you will use when faced with strong head wind which was not forecast, and also how much extra distance you are likely to travel due to not being able to steer accurately for the whole time.

I think you will find you need a lot more fuel than you think. And what happens if you run out mid channel?

 

[ChromeDome]

Outboards are rugged if maintained properly.

Going to sea, at all times and anywhere, depends 100% on the weather.

15' will feel like a bottle cap in the rough and you will have little use of the 50 hp speed capabilities, so look for a perfect weather forecast.

Could you go in company with others?

 

[Mark-1]

Weird question. If it's a day where the weather is good enough that the boat can cope and you can carry enough petrol, then yeah, no problems.

Will there often be days with weather settled enough that 70 miles in 15ft boat with an outboard makes sense? Perhaps not.

Should probably consider a backup 5hp engine just in case the 50 breaks down terminally.

 

[TheDaintySload]

Thanks guys for the great info. I'm glad I posted instead of just setting out!

 

[TheDaintySload]

15ft seems small to be more than a few miles from the coast.
What category RCD is it? I certainly would not even consider trying the trip in anything other than RCD A or RCD B (at a pinch, with a good stable forecast).

Also, check very carefully how much fuel you will use when faced with strong head wind which was not forecast, and also how much extra distance you are likely to travel due to not being able to steer accurately for the whole time.

I think you will find you need a lot more fuel than you think. And what happens if you run out mid channel?

I don't think my boat has an RCD rating, as its quite old.
I haven't worked out who the manufacturer is yet either

Ive attached a picture of the old girl.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

15ft seems small to be more than a few miles from the coast.
What category RCD is it? I certainly would not even consider trying the trip in anything other than RCD A or RCD B (at a pinch, with a good stable forecast).

Also, check very carefully how much fuel you will use when faced with strong head wind which was not forecast, and also how much extra distance you are likely to travel due to not being able to steer accurately for the whole time.

I think you will find you need a lot more fuel than you think. And what happens if you run out mid channel?

RCD b at a pinch? We’ve done it many times in RCD B boats, various. Up to 200 miles offshore, it says. It is entirely safe to take such a craft across the channel, of course with the same clause as any other boat regardless of RCD category, the competence of the skipper/crew.

 

[lustyd]

If you're Solent based, try going to Weymouth in a single hop with no stops. It's about the same distance as France and if you keep a mile or so off shore you ought to get a feel for the swell. That will give you some confidence that you can manage for long enough and carry enough fuel. Then it's just a case of understanding the weather and navigation.

Small boats have done this journey for centuries, but make sure the skipper is capable and trained.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

If you're Solent based, try going to Weymouth in a single hop with no stops. It's about the same distance as France and if you keep a mile or so off shore you ought to get a feel for the swell. That will give you some confidence that you can manage for long enough and carry enough fuel. Then it's just a case of understanding the weather and navigation.

Small boats have done this journey for centuries, but make sure the skipper is capable and trained.

Even small-ish soft inflatables with crappy cheap Chinese engines make the crossing regularly.

 

[rogerthebodger]

If its a single 50 hp it possible but if the engine fails, you are stuck.

Motorboats that go to sea need INHO 2 means of propulsion.

I motored 80 nm on my sailboat using a 63 hp inboard without using the sails but I did have sails and a backup 25hp outboard.

It's about having a plan B

 

[st599]

In a flat calm with the Azores high, you'll love it. In 40 knots with wind against tide, you'll hate it. The channel isn't the Solent

It's all about preparation, picking your day, making sure you know what to do if it goes wrong. As others have said, well maintained outboards work well but you need a back up (not least because if you end up getting a tow from SNSM because you broke down or ran out of fuel, the bill will be eye watering).

Personally, I'd aim for Poole. Then a couple of weeks later, Weymouth or Portland. There are places you can dip in to and anchor and you'll learn what you need prior to a channel crossing.

 

[Laser310]

if you run out of fuel, or the motor stops running for any reason.., and the wind gets up a bit.., you will be miserable very quickly.

a stranded 15ft boat, with low stability, will not be a fun place in even moderate seas

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Do the trip to Weymouth.
Calculate your fuel usage then double it, assess whether you can carry that amount of fuel.
Calculate the time it took per mile, then double it, do you want to be on the boat for a significant part of the journey out of sight of land for that length of time.
When you have done that and still think you want to do it buy another 50 horse outboard and run twin outboards at least one will survive the journey.
Be prepared to ship your trailer and car for the return leg.

 

[LittleSister]

Hi everyone, I've just got my first boat, a 15 foot fishing cruiser. It has a 50hp outboard.
Ive got all the radios and plotters and safety gear. I'm just concerned how the 50hp will cope out at sea, as so far Ive just been staying around the solent.
Asking for any experienced motorboaters to let me know, is it possible to cross the English channel with 50hp?

Lots of good advice above, especially the importance of a second means of propulsion, and building up experience (and also the value of doing a cross channel trip like that in company if you've little experience and/or a small boat).

It's your first boat, you say. I think you are focusing far too much on the capabilities of the outboard, let alone the boat, and overlooking the value, and importantly the fun, of getting to know your boat and building up your knowledge and experience. You don't yet know what you don't know. It's all too easy to look at an atlas and think you need to do a long trip, when there's so much fun to be had on local outings.

There are lots of interesting and varied places to visit around the Solent - it's one of its major advantages. I'd strongly suggest you spend at least a year getting to know your boat and sea conditions around the Solent and further along the English coast before heading across the channel. You won't want for fun and adventure doing that.

I'd strongly recommend you do a Day Skipper or similar course. It will be fun to do in itself, but likely add hugely to your enjoyment, safety and confidence in your subsequent voyaging.

On the outboard itself - you don't need 50hp to cross the channel. A 4hp would do it. I doubt the advice would be any different if it were 40hp or 60hp you were talking about, rather than 50hp.

The skipper's knowledge and experience of boat handling, navigation, weather and sea conditions, safety, his/her own boat's capabilities and limitations, and keeping a crew happy, is far, far more important than the size of the outboard, or the boat, or indeed any other consideration.

Enjoy your new boat!

 

[Dellquay13]

Get the coastal skipper handbook from the RYA to learn how to plot a course out of sight of land allowing for tidal ebb and flow, most motorboaters forget tides go sideways as well as up and down.
On a flat calm day plan your trip at 14kts for gentle planing, and at 4kts if it turns snotty, don’t forget in swell you will be zigzagging to quarter the crests instead of crashing over them. Don’t plan or try the trip at full throttle all the way, you’ll not manage to keep the pace and you’ll be pouring the petrol in by the bucketful.
On a good day you will burn about 1 litre per 1.6miles, on a bad day 1 litre per mile. Keep another 25% at least as a backup. Plan where you will refuel on the other side, you might be taking lots of 25l cans to a supermarche by taxi, not all harbours have waterside petrol.

It’s not a Shetland I have ever seen btw

 

[Chiara’s slave]

However, a 4hp and a 50hp might be a decent enough combination. The 4 just for emergencies of course.

 

[Dellquay13]

duplicate deleted

 

[wrr]

Just to add to the warnings....
1. As already pointed out, even large powerboats frequently have to cross the Channel at speeds well below planing speed because of the sea conditions. This can mean a long and arduous passage which is tiring for person(s) on board. Small craft are slower at displacement speeds because of the effect of hull length, need careful management of throttle and steering and can be very uncomfortable. In such circumstances , the humans are the most likely first failure, due to sickness, fatigue etc.
2. Small power boats, yes 15ft is small, like yours are particularly vulnerable to swamping when pooped by a wave over the transom. The low transom and the weight of the outboard(s), plus the required amount of fuel, combine to provide little freeboard or reserve buoyancy when dealing with a wave coming from astern, be it generated by wind over tide or by wash. The amount of water that can enter the relatively large cockpit can quickly result in capsize or sinking.
3. Even in a moderate sea, the boat will be invisible in the trough of waves and may lose vhf and AIS communication, rendering you vulnerable to collisions.
4. The return journey may be consideraly delayed because of the need for near perfect conditions for a safe passage.
5. You may cross the Channel in her but the experience may cause you to lose any further pleasure from your boat because of worry, bad memories etc.

In summary, take the advice already given and learn to enjoy your boat in local waters, suitable to her type.

 

[Dellquay13]

I had a couple of perfect 14 day holidays in N Brittany onboard my little 5.5m Shetland. A quick 2 hour crossing every time with the boat on the trailer on DFDS ferrys
Stress free, safe, and the car nearby when we wanted a day ashore