KINGFISHER 8
Well-known member
Flog the Jeanneau, buy a Vertue then go when you like!
(might take a little longer!)
(might take a little longer!)
Too small to cross The Channel? Ambition v Confidence
- Thread starter Pkewish
- Start date
johnalison
Well-known member
Losing sight of land, or the prospect of it, affects people in different ways. I spend much of the winter fretting about it, but as soon as England disappears astern I become blissfully calm and feel quite at home. Modern navigation has made the fear of getting lost a thing of the past, so there is mainly only the shipping and the sea state to worry about. There are ways to control these factors but they need to be assessed realistically. For me, the prospect of getting over-tired would be my chief concern, since this is when sailors make dangerous decisions. I think that previous experience in similar distances along the coast is needed here in order to assess one's abilities.
Iliade
Well-known member
Make sure the autohelm or self-steering gear works then go the day before the group as they only provide something to have to avoid ;0)
dom
Well-known member
Apologies if already asked, but could you provide some dets on the boat? Some 21 footers are perfectly capable little cruisers, others more suited to the track.
zikzik
Member
I have done a number of solo channel crossings in my Contessa 26 from Poole - Cherbourg mostly and Alderney - then on to Brittany. It's a different sort of boat, but its probably about the same speed as yours over that distance I would guess. Assume 12 hours. I think in your situation I would add a low cost AIS receiver for piece of mind in the shipping lanes. Apart from that I would go in suitable conditions. Just don't be rigid on dates or itinerary.
[3889]
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Yes, this is very relevant. If it is a Sun 2000, having owned one, I wouldn't consider it suitable for a long Channel crossing.
dunedin
Well-known member
In the right weather conditions, why not? Many have crossed in much smaller boats very safely.
The real issue here, IMHO, is the fixed date and fixed direction - which always brings the likelihood of being non ideal weather, and a bigger problem (comfort wise) on a smaller boat.
You probably would not consider these similar sized boats suitable for a Trans Atlantic, but that is what they do
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini_Transat_6.50
dom
Well-known member
For sure, an offshore optimised Pogo 2 or something is in the right hands fast and safe. But a Sunfast 2000 with IIRC a non-lockable swing centreboard, probably a low AVS and certainly not coded for offshore. I dunno, lasers and windsurfers often do the Irish Sea and it's no big deal, but the support setup has to be right and the crew need to be confident about dealing with a bit of a blow and a building sea.
And of course (as you know better than most
) dinghies are more active, a bit more full on than a bigger vessel. Just my opinion, but in light of the fact that the OP needs to ask, without knowledge of the boat and given a few clues in the OP not least of which being that the passage planning of the 40'+ fleet will be very different ...well subject to a bit more info I'd be inclined to say no.
Seajet
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The boat will do it easily, in stiffer conditions than you would like.
Just remember
FATIGUE IS THE KILLER - NOT ROCKS, GALES OR FOG - FATIGUE WILL GET YOU
so have an autohelm and some form of battery charging to keep it going, and ready meals to have on the way.
if you're doubtful this season, try a trip or two from Poole to Lymington, it's far enough across Poole Bay to feel lonely and show up any snags.
Just remember
FATIGUE IS THE KILLER - NOT ROCKS, GALES OR FOG - FATIGUE WILL GET YOU
so have an autohelm and some form of battery charging to keep it going, and ready meals to have on the way.
if you're doubtful this season, try a trip or two from Poole to Lymington, it's far enough across Poole Bay to feel lonely and show up any snags.
[3889]
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I'm afraid your wrong there. I consider a mini transat, which bears no comparison to the 2000, perfectly capable of ocean passages.
My reply is based on the OP's crossing criteria and my first hand experience of the tenderness of the 2000, explained by its CE category of C ".INSHORE: Designed for voyages in coastal waters, large bays, estuaries, lakes and rivers where conditions up to, and including, wind force 6 and significant wave heights up to, and including, 2m may be experienced."
I've crossed the Irish sea in a Sonata 7 quite happily.
You have a lot more faith in forecasts that I if you are sure of "the right weather conditions" for the return trip.
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Seajet
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Dunedin and Quiddle,
you are both right.
The surest way to get into trouble in coastal or cross-Channel sailing is to sail to a schedule.
My 22' has crossed the Channel - usually Poole / lymington to Guernsey / Alderney - 24 times; the only crossing which turned out hairy was a return trip from Fecamp on a Bank Holiday Monday in 1982 when I foolishly succumbed to ' got to be back at the office-itis ' !
you are both right.
The surest way to get into trouble in coastal or cross-Channel sailing is to sail to a schedule.
My 22' has crossed the Channel - usually Poole / lymington to Guernsey / Alderney - 24 times; the only crossing which turned out hairy was a return trip from Fecamp on a Bank Holiday Monday in 1982 when I foolishly succumbed to ' got to be back at the office-itis ' !
BelleSerene
Active member
Sounds like the boat is well enough found and you understand what you need to for the passage.
I would ensure you have good safety gear: most important is staying on board, so lifelines that won't drag you in the water (see the current YM article on the website) and sensible procedures on sails you're going to fly and which you're not, and when you're not prepared to leave the cockpit.
Then avoid bad weather - which includes fog in the lanes - and the answer to your question about what if you end up on the other side and the weather's foul is that you stay there or take a ferry back. There's always another day and another week.
Safety in numbers is largely illusory - especially if you already have a good VHF, which you must do if you're considering the crossing. And I can't agree that you would keep up with the 40-footers anyway: it'd be a tub of that length that a 21-foot yacht could keep up with. So your company is in the cockpit, not in a fleet.
I suspect you're going to do it. You probably should. So pick the weather, your safety procedures and your company - and enjoy it!
Plenty of Vikings, Arabs, Egyptians and Chinese have set sail in far less seaworthy boats in centuries gone, and they made it.
Well, the ones we read of anyway. (Sorry!)
I would ensure you have good safety gear: most important is staying on board, so lifelines that won't drag you in the water (see the current YM article on the website) and sensible procedures on sails you're going to fly and which you're not, and when you're not prepared to leave the cockpit.
Then avoid bad weather - which includes fog in the lanes - and the answer to your question about what if you end up on the other side and the weather's foul is that you stay there or take a ferry back. There's always another day and another week.
Safety in numbers is largely illusory - especially if you already have a good VHF, which you must do if you're considering the crossing. And I can't agree that you would keep up with the 40-footers anyway: it'd be a tub of that length that a 21-foot yacht could keep up with. So your company is in the cockpit, not in a fleet.
I suspect you're going to do it. You probably should. So pick the weather, your safety procedures and your company - and enjoy it!
Plenty of Vikings, Arabs, Egyptians and Chinese have set sail in far less seaworthy boats in centuries gone, and they made it.
Well, the ones we read of anyway. (Sorry!)
charles_reed
Active member
Used to cross the Channel regularly - <1978 on in a 22', frequently with small boys, occasionally with Dads as well.
Poole to Channel Islands - no GPS and no problems.
Got caught out in the Fastnet Gale, anchored at the entrance to Crabbie watching the waves come over the breakwater and the assemblages around the mooring buoys pop fenders and weave spars.
Our only disaster was running out of tonic for the two bottles of gin we each had to drink before returning to wives on holiday in Devon.
I'm afraid you'll never develop the competence, to get the confidence to realise the ambition unless you do it and expose yourself!!!
Sybarite
Well-known member
Two points:
1) have you sailed sufficiently long enough in adverse conditions to know whether or not you are susceptible to sea-sickness.
2) If you decide to go try not to fix a dead-line for the return journey.
temptress
Well-known member
I did my first cross channel as skipper in a 19 foot Silhouette . Took us 56 hours Southampton to Cherebourg. Go for it. Your boat is more than capable of dealing with any adverse weather conditions on the way.
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Fantasie 19
Well-known member
Seajet
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Not too surprising, our first crossing as teenagers took 40 hours from Studland Bay to St Peter Port; the boat may be quite rapid but we had no electronc nav aids - not even RDF - and ran into thick unforecast fog banks mid Channel, requiring us to tack to and fro all night in the separation zone while trying to keep up a DR plot and avoid ships.
However I too would like to hear Temptress's story please ?
However I too would like to hear Temptress's story please ?
shaunksb
Well-known member
[3889]
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Can I ask how you know that when we don't know what the boat is? Or are you suggesting any 21' boat can cross the Channel in adverse weather?
temptress
Well-known member
56 hours?!!! Tell us more, please?
Long time ago now. Pre cheap Decca even. What to say...... We had an unreliable Seagull, no wind and sailing very slowly, loved every second of the trip and would do. DR compass, we even had a sextant and tables with us but noone knew how to use it and I don't recall any sun. But I would do It again tomorrow in the same boat (I even know the current owner. Of. Her)........ People get too used to modern equipment and sailing me included.
We had a boat a Good forecast and great sailing. At the time we considered it nothing special. Coming g how. E was quicker as we has a fresh breeze on the quarter.
We just completed a Pacific crossing from Panama to Australia. Boat was able. To. Easily sail. At 10.knots but we slowed down to 5 to 6 k knots and had a much nicer crossing....
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