Challenge: Sailing Around Britain in a Man-Made Raft - Would Appreciate Any Advice

[David M]

If you value your life then you will spend a year or two learning about boats and then go buy a proper boat. If you do not value your life or the lives of your friends then sure, go for it.

What you are considering is not a big joke.

[Steve Thompson]

Skulldragon
What subjects did the proposed skipper and crew complete at uni
Steve

[SvenG]

Originally Posted by SkullDragon

sailing around Britain in a man made raft.

I'd recommend one that is woman made. Much better finish and attention to detail.



-Sven

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by RiverRat

Color me dense, but what's a catamarang? Some sort of catamaran hybrid?

Hmm.. I was wondering the same but google gave me 811 hits on catamarang so it be must something - perhaps it is a british design that has two hulls each with 8 oil drums and about 8 meters long with a big diesel strapped on somewhere. BTW google gave me about 6.5 million hits on catamaran, thus a more popular boat

Originally Posted by SkullDragon

Anyway, I should probably talk a little more about the raft. It isn't a piece of rope, three nails and an oil drum. The 'blueprint' and I use that term generously, has both pieces of the catamarangs consisting of 8 oil drums each, at a length of about a metre each, so she should be about 8 metres long, which when combined with a sail and a massive Diesel engine strapped to the back I see no reason why we can't make at least some progress. Does this change anyones opinion? And might I remind you Jeremy Clarkson crossed the Channel in a Toyota.

Maybe this will work, big enough engine, plenty of fuel, reasonable weather windows, camping on top of the decking (Wharram style).

If David de Rothschild can cross the Pacific on the Plastiki made of discarded plastic drink bottles, you guys have a chance.

[RiverRat]

I went back and did a better Google search than I had done the first time. (lazy ) Every Google link I went to showed what I think of as a catamaran. It's either a typo or a local variation of the term. But, I did find an interesting definition on a site about 'wordplay'. Anjou touched on it in post #15.

Catamarang = A boat particularly well suited for sailing on white frothy seas...

[RiverRat]

Skulldragon, I admire the desire to do something 'wild and crazy' while you're young. You should definitely do something. But, I don't think THIS is it. I like the charity idea and the smaller island idea.

Do let us know what you end up doing, though!

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by SkullDragon

Well that was... damning. But thanks nevertheless

Righto, first and foremost, two of the three crew have actually finished uni last year and have been working for a year already, it's only the third guy who will graduate next May/June. So the naysayers saying 'get a job' Already have one mate.

Anyway, yes it is a project created on a drunken whim, but one I plan to research and think through, hence this very thread. We're planning on going next summer, July or August possibly, it isn't something we're going to do tomorrow, that would just be silly.

If a catamarang is not a feasible vessel, what would be more suitable?

I think some of the mockery was pretty harsh. Don't pay any attention.

Look, wanting to sail around Britain is a great dream. Go with it, if that's what you really want to do. It's just a little more complicated, expensive, and time-consuming than you first imagined, but that does not mean that it is impossible. Indeed these factors will test your dedication to the dream. It might have started as a drunken whim, and if it doesn't get beyond that point then leave it at that. If you're willing to invest some time, effort, and money into it, then go for it!

You need a sailboat. Can be a small, crappy, dirt cheap one. For inspiration, have a look at Keep Turning Left: Keep Turning Left. If what you see there excites you, then that is a clue that your dream has substance.

This guy is doing it in an unbelievably crappy, 45-year old, 19 foot boat which probably cost 5000 quid! He calls it "The Slug", and says that it "sails like a pig". It frequently breaks down. But he's having a fantastic adventure, and you can have one too.

Start a blog and get sponsored, maybe. People here will ridicule that, too, but if you can think of the right angle for it, you might raise some financing.

Then, you will really, really need some sailing, navigation and seamanship skills. UK waters are some of the most challenging in the world. You can take a crash RYA course ("zero to hero"; takes time, money, concentration, and damned hard study), and you could sign up to crew on someone's boat.

You will need a few months of preparation, which would include learning to sail, buying a boat, and preparing it for the journey (don't underestimate the last, which will be expensive and time-consuming). Then to do it, you will need a few more months. I would guess that a year for the whole project would not be too much, and less than a year might be too little. The Keep Turning Left guy has been at it for a couple of yearse. And it would be good to have 20,000 or better 50,000 pounds of capital, not including living expenses. You can get most of this back by selling the boat afterwards.

There are some ugly but sturdy and seaworthy little boats for sale behind the Force 4 chandlery in Bursledon for 5,000 to 10,000 pounds. You might go have a look. It is possible to have a seaworthy boat for very little money, it will just demand a lot of elbow grease and it will not be comfortable (more comfortable than a homemade raft, however, LOL!).

If you can put together that kind of time and resources, then you deserve to advance your dream beyond the drunken whim stage and make something serious out of it. If not, well -- then leave it at as a drunken whim and move on.

[Wotname]

OK, I for one, like the concept of the big diesel engine on the oil drum "cataraft". OK the fuel is going to cost you but the UK coastline isn't that big (and some of you are working ).

While the CF folk here are predominantly sailing cruisers, it seems to me there is something wonderfully naive, yet exciting to think outside the box but not far as stupid.

Yes you could really stuff up but if you can make a structurally sound floating platform that is well powered, maneuverable and develop some sea skills, I reckon it is possible; you shouldn't have any maintenance problems - the thing won't last long enough to have to be maintained - it just has to get you around once.

I wouldn't want to do it myself and I think it carries much more risk than say sailing a standard yacht but hey, it does sound crazy enough to consider.

[ozskipper]

The Rya has some excellent sailing programs. Learn to sail. Its really important. Then learn some boat building and build a small model. Test it in some rough water to check its stability. Do a Survial Course (RYA again), Do a Pilotage and Coastal Nav course (RYA too).

Lastly, drive a convertible car (thats half filled with cold water) at 20mph into a ten story builing, make sure its at night and pissing down with rain. Also, make sure you have had no sleep for 36 hours. This way you will know what its like to be run over by a freighter. Not putting damper on it, but its hard to get out of the way of those buggers, and your attempting this in one of the worlds busiest waterways without any seamanship skills.

Surely, the mongol rally would be more fun :P

But good luck to you if you go ahead. And yeh, I am serious about the RYA courses.

[ozskipper]

Originally Posted by SkullDragon

Anyway, I should probably talk a little more about the raft. It isn't a piece of rope, three nails and an oil drum. The 'blueprint' and I use that term generously, has both pieces of the catamarangs consisting of 8 oil drums each, at a length of about a metre each, so she should be about 8 metres long, which when combined with a sail and a massive Diesel engine strapped to the back I see no reason why we can't make at least some progress. Does this change anyones opinion? And might I remind you Jeremy Clarkson crossed the Channel in a Toyota.

Dude, Clarkson also had the backing of the BBC and a fleet of support vessels (including a chopper if I remember correctly). Need I remind you what happened to James May and Richard Hammond?

Technically however, your "concept" of the catamaran raft does hold water (no pun intended). However, you will also need to account for sleeping and food storage areas. Some stretches of coastline may be too long do just day hop and overnighters will become the norm. Which will also require adequate lights and cooking to be on board.

The "massive" diesel may be totally inefficent. It may just burn fuel and not really give you any real speed benefit. If you are able to get the thing up to about 4-5 knots (Max) you should be doing ok. Anything more, imho, will create massive bow waves, from the blunt leading edges, that will continually swamp the deck area.

[barnakiel]

A history of Great Britain is a history of sailing, so the chances are someone done it before.

I do not think the time frame is realistic, unless you have a good outboard engine (but then the project will not be a small budget one because of the fuel prices).

You will not be stopped nor arrested and I bet you will get plenty of local support. But I would recommend building the craft and planning the trip with some help from local maritime organisations - you will end up with a safer craft and plenty of know-how.

Good luck and let us know how it is going!
barnie

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by SkullDragon

, has both pieces of the catamarangs consisting of 8 oil drums each, at a length of about a metre each, so she should be about 8 metres long, which when combined with a sail and a massive Diesel engine strapped to the back .

I know we have all given you the benefit of our thoughts in the negative way...

Now with your research look at other 'rafts' that have done long trips. They have all gone down wind and down current. So as long as the thing was still floating it would get to the finish line.

Going around Britain can't occur like that because the current doesn’t go all the way around in a circle. You'd get half way and stop. See the pic below and thats just the east side - find a chart for the west side.


As for "massive Diesel engine strapped to the back" well that just negates the whole trip anyway, doesn't it? The figgin Queen Mary is just a lump of sinking steel with a massive Diesel engine strapped to the back.

Any person can do anything with a fat engine blowin' smoke. You even mentioned that car goose driving from France.... Its not a challenge, its a publicity stunt by a brainless media slut.


Just to remind folks of those down tradewinds rafting 'adventures' the Kon-Tiki was the holy grail of the ding-bats:

The Kon-Tiki left Callao, Peru, on the afternoon of April 28, 1947. It was initially towed 50 miles out to open water by the Fleet Tug Guardian Rios of the Peruvian Navy. The ship then sailed roughly west carried along on the Humboldt Current.
The crew's first sight of land was the atoll of Puka-Puka on July 30. On August 4, the 97th day after departure, the Kon-Tiki reached the Angatau atoll. The crew made brief contact with the inhabitants of Angatau Island, but were unable to land safely. However, they had arrived within the calculated absolute minimum navigational time to reach Polynesia.
On August 7, the voyage came to an end when the raft struck a reef

Kon-Tiki - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Towed to the exact right spot and let go.... till they 'landed' on the first bit of rock under their 'keel'


Mark

[SvenG]

I think a fleet of these would be much more interesting:



A Husband and Wife Build a 19th-Century Wooden Submarine | Popular Science



-Sven

[James S]

That sub is cool.

[boatman61]

Clarkson went across the narrowest bit... about 13miles...
I believe your planning on a couple of miles further... take an inflatable dinghy with the raft...
I love the massive diesil engine at the back tho'

Face it... your gonna have to spend some cash... then buy a Tiki21 catamaran... around 2,500 - 4000 quid.... secondhand.. they sail well, have two berths in the hulls and you can fit a two man dome tent on the deck... you did say you planned on anchoring whenever possible.
Fit a 5hp and she'll cruise in good conditions at 7kts with 4 onboard.... no wind of course its good conditions... easy maintainance... low tech...