I have a green light to go.......

[BarryH]

Long and short of it is that I have had enough. I could, at a pinch, take 18 months of work to bugger off in the boat. Now I only have a Leisure 23 so my options are limited. I was thinking the french canals to the med and then bumble around there for a while.
If it were you, apart from the usual gear on board, what would you put on the boat?

I'd look to do it on a budget, so anchoring as much as poss and avoiding the fleshpot marinas. What sort of areas would you head for?
There is probably loads of stuff I haven't even thought about, have you got any pointers??

 

[Rigger Mortice]

A hot blonde who can cook may be useful.

 

[dylanwinter]

baltic

and

ireland

 

[BarryH]

baltic

and

ireland

Ireland is full of "her" relatives, probably not a good idea!

 

[Seajet]

French canals, definitely !

I worked on a hotel barge in Burgundy and loved the area, vowed I will return in my boat.

I met two British boats doing it on an absolute shoestring, A young couple in a Hurley 18 and a middle aged couple in a Magyar 7; everyone was having the time of their lives.

One trick they employed was for the husband to tow the boat on a long line from the towpath, line over his shoulder; fine once the boat is moving, on quiet stretches.

Make sure you have, or get, the certificate now required - CEFNI ? - which means a little study of the rules on the canals.

Solar panels and 12v cooling fans are two things it would be hard to have too many of...

Also if you haven't already, grab a copy of ' Narrow Dog To Carcassone ' by Terry Darlington - very funny and does impart the spirit of the canals and some info, but most definitely not a guide book.

Tyres as fenders is frowned on, so have plenty of good sized yottie ones, and a plank.

There's a chap on these forums who specialises in info re the canals, someone will remember his name, I have brainfade as usual...

View attachment 40926

 

[ripvan1]

Hard work if solo as your post suggests.

 

[Sailingsaves]

Sorry to hear that.

Glad you are going to have an adventure though. Can;t help with areas as I have no experience.

Read a bit of Shrimpy (I will find the free pdfdownload link in a moment). If he got to Oz in an 18foot plywood boat, you can do anything in luxury.

Those little solar panel charger things for AA batteries? Tins of favourite food for special treats. An old Kindle that is black and white. I can give you 2 dvd's that have loads and loads of good quality books of different genres so you have something to read. Camera. Whatever paperwork is needed. Good first aid kit.

Hope you have a good time wherever you go. Very envious. Redundancy forced me out and I don't have a cruiser anymore.

 

[Sailingsaves]

Shrimpy free download

Not the link I was looking for, but readable and gave me a lot of enjoyment and hopefully will give you the confidence to know that your lovely boat will do even more for you than Shane's (called Shrimpy).

http://www.bluemoment.com/pdf/shrimpy.pdf

 

[TradewindSailor]

Apart from fenders, don't buy anything until you absolutely need it. Your boat is too small for carrying junk and come in handies ...... in fact any boat únder 15m is too small for that stuff!
Have you got an inboard diesel .... if so it will be economical enough to charge you batteries, otherwise consider a 1000w honda generator, although the noise is a PIA. Alternatively 2x135W solar panel rigged outside of the guardrails aft will run a small fridge and keep say a 400 Ahr battery bank. Don't bother with a wind generator : too noisy and not cost effective.

Ice boxes are okay at a push but the ice takes up a lot of space.

Sail repair tape, sail needles and thread. Epoxy glue. Spanner set, two sizes of cross-head and flat screwdrivers, hammer, crimp pliers and selection of terminals, electrical tape, and mole wrench ..... wd 40, whipping twine.

 

[Blueboatman]

Yup, go small, go south , but go!

Northern Europe lovely but weather dependent.

Amsterdam though....?

Canals have free, calm moorings and you can still move along in bad weather..

Best luck whichever route you decide.. I went off to France, then Spain, then Portugal then and then and... But if you tell everyone or do the big fanfair you just add pressure for later IMHO

And it takes 18 months to stop thinking like a native/weekender/landlubber on holiday, but once you do..wahaaaay matey!

 

[Jaguar 25]

Need to understand the issues related to taking a small boat across the channel single handed. Seems a bit of a challenge to me.

Good luck.

 

[LadyInBed]

In a smallish boat, French canals definitely.
What do you draw? Doing a circular trip, you have to watch your depth coming back on the Midi.
I did it in a 22 footer in 95, I enjoyed it so much that I did it again in 98.
95 trip write up here: http://www.kahawi.co.uk/Baker/

 

[Seajet]

Need to understand the issues related to taking a small boat across the channel single handed. Seems a bit of a challenge to me.

Good luck.

Like a lot of sailing there is only one real enemy; fatigue.

This can of course be very powerful in its' effect even in light conditions, when apprehension and lack of sleep come into the equation.

Barry I know you have an autopilot to fit, but if this getting across the Channel is any problem I'll happily crew for you then get the ferry back, have done it a couple of dozen times in my boats ( and am not complacent ! ).

 

[Tranona]

18 months is not really long enough to get to the lower cost parts of the Med. Remember sailing is still seasonal, so you can't do much between October and March, although it is quite feasible to live on board in the Western Med in that period. However, living on board such a small boat is only just up from camping. OK when you are on the move, through the canals for example and then an advantage if you are singlehanded. Getting there is the easy part, but returning is a struggle as you have to contend with adverse currents on the inland route or a long haul round the outside against the prevailing wind.

A circular route south starting in April through the main canal system, a winter in southern Spain and return through the Canal du Midi the next summer would be feasible as you can coast hop from Bordeaux back to UK in late summer before the weather closes in. Alternately, if you can get 3 summers you could make it as far as Greece for the middle summer.

One thing you should avoid is being too ambitious and doing things in a rush. Better to be more modest and enjoy than to constantly be under pressure to get somewhere.

 

[ronmarson]

Do it. Just go. Don't listen to all the advice from those that haven't the b**ls to do it, just go.
I did Southampton to Galway, it took all last summer. Many said don't do it, best year of my life.
Get a bigger anchor if you are going coastal. Nothing like a big hook stuck into the bottom when the wind starts to blow.
Capt. RoN

 

[GHA]

Yup, go small, go south , but go!

Do it. Just go. Don't listen to all the advice from those that haven't the b**ls to do it, just go.

+ a big 1!

Its all nice, go for it.

And don't get too hung up about planning, very overrated IMHO, a general direction and the rest will sort itself out along the way.

As for kit, a Kindle, mile or so of kitchen roll and a few hundred ziplok bags should be enough to be getting on with
Maybe some solar.

 

[ripvan1]

Do it. Just go. Don't listen to all the advice from those that haven't the b**ls to do it, just go.
I did Southampton to Galway, it took all last summer. Many said don't do it, best year of my life.
Get a bigger anchor if you are going coastal. Nothing like a big hook stuck into the bottom when the wind starts to blow.
Capt. RoN

Dont think anyone has posted any negative replies captain

 

[Pye_End]

Baltic for summer. Head south for winter? Perhaps trail her down?

 

[sarabande]

you may well bump into Trouville, a much loved former forumite. In which case your life will be immeasurably rewarded and enlightened.


Go ahead, make the trip.

 

[charles_reed]

Need to understand the issues related to taking a small boat across the channel single handed. Seems a bit of a challenge to me.

Good luck.

Did it several times, single handed in a 22' - usually from Poole. That was in the days before GPS, the yellow/black ro-ro to Cherbourg was a most welcome WP.