Shrimper 19 for channel crossing

[Chiara’s slave]

Nothing that I recall. Ours wasn’t an inboard. They are great boats, the cockpit is huge and great for day sailing and creek crawling. I think for going further afield I’d be looking at spending similar money on a Sadler 25/26.

Sound advice. The seaworthiness of the boat isn’t in doubt, its the ability of the crew to keep going, on a prolonged (very prolonged) trip in a very wet, exposed essentially open boat. The Sadlers are built for that, the Shrimper is built for days out, camper cruising in sheltered locations, and the odd coastal trip.
Its the same with all boats, they’re only as seaworthy as the crew. Bigger boats keep the crew more comfortable, and hopefully able to take action when necessary, for longer. Long trips on small boats require tough individuals with fortitude and reserves of physical strength and resolve.

 

[onesea]

Long trips on small boats require tough individuals with fortitude and reserves of physical strength and resolve.

Or just stupidity, I can never decide.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Or just stupidity, I can never decide.

I Know some smart people who’ve done such things, including an Atlantic crossing on a cat I’d think daring to cross lyme bay. But he was a little ‘different’.

 

[stu9000]

Sailing a smaller vessel has many advantages.
Costs go up a lot for every foot in length.
Just the effort to get the bloody thing ready for the season is a lot more back breaking with a bigger boat.
I have very fond memories of sailing my lifting keel snapdragon 23 up creeks and onto the mud for a peaceful night away from the crowds.

However it is MUCH more exhausting to bounce around in a little boat that has no mass to punch through a chop.
You are more exposed, go slower and get tired more quickly.
In spite of my moaning about workload and costs a bigger boat is more comfortable and safer, not least because you get there quicker.
It's quite nice to be able to stand up to get dressed as well.

You mentioned the Blackwater. I keep my boat on a swing mooring near Blackwater Marina.
This is a great sailing area with many great rivers within a few hours sailing.
It can kick up nasty though with wind over tide and I remember one memorable attempt to get to Bradwell in the Snapdragon. She just was too light for the conditions and I had to turn tail before she sank or blew onto the lee shore. An inboard engine, or outboard well, is important as having the prop sea saw out of the water when you are trying to make way is frustrating and scary.

Going way back, I had a Caprice 19. She sailed beautifully but the cabin was essentially the size of a a 2 man tent.
I sailed her to Alderney from the Exe!

If you were considering a vessel you could tow the Shrimper might be a brilliant option. And to be able to work on the boat while parked on the drive at home is pure gold. But I believe you said you do not drive so I wonder if something a little longer might give you a more comfortable seaworthy vessel without getting into big boat territory.

Whatever you decide, good luck and let us know. Ill look out for you on the Blackwater.

 

[ProDave]

Good point about bigger boats are more work. Our first boat we could put the mast us jist me and SWMBO. so we were completely "self contained" in respect of preparing the boat for the season.

Now we have a larger boat, we still manually raise and lower the mast at the ends of the season, but it takes at least 5 people. Of course there are plenty of people in the harbour in the same position, so we have a communal masts up and masts down day at the ends of the season where we all help each other. So to own a bigger boat needs you to know more people of be part of a club or association to get to know how the self help groups work. Not so easy if you are not in a harbour or marina.

 

[mrming]

An outboard powered Shrimper 19 just went past me in our tidal marina, sneaking out for a sail in one tide. Lovely little boat but I can’t imagine a 30 hour channel crossing in it. I would gradually hop down to Ramsgate or Dover and cross from there, or pay someone to tow it across.

 

[johnalison]

An outboard powered Shrimper 19 just went past me in our tidal marina, sneaking out for a sail in one tide. Lovely little boat but I can’t imagine a 30 hour channel crossing in it. I would gradually hop down to Ramsgate or Dover and cross from there, or pay someone to tow it across.

I remember the nightmare of towing the children's Cadet down the Blackwater. I can't begin to imagine towing a Shrimper across the shipping-lanes to Calais.

 

[mrming]

I remember the nightmare of towing the children's Cadet down the Blackwater. I can't begin to imagine towing a Shrimper across the shipping-lanes to Calais.

I was thinking by road, on a trailer.

 

[gwingn]

I was thinking by road, on a trailer.

Last time I checked we didn't have any roads going across the channel

 

[DownWest]

Last time I checked we didn't have any roads going across the channel

After flying to NYC on TAP, we were all in the bus into town, and I earwigged a Portuguese couple talking about the new 'Channel Tunnel' from France to UK, they couldn't imagine driving a '22 mile tunnel' ... (we were in one of the NYC ones at the time.)..
Maybe the OP should look a some of the 20/21 ft French boats, like the Kelt 6.20 and Jeaneau 'Flirt'. Both have shallow ballast keels with centre plates. Cheap as chips and caperble, along with space in the accomodation for a potty and a galley, along with four berths.
I am gently sorting a Kelt for a French friend. It is classed for offshore sailing, so no ,prob with crossing the channel or N Sea . Weighs about a tonne, so easily trailerable. A half decent one is about €2K, outboard power.
Way back, I chatted to a guy with a Crabber 24 in Vilamoura (as I was interested in the design) He had sailed down from UK quite happily, though ex RN. It was one of the early ones with GRP hull and ply deck and cabin. Quite small inside, but not bad.