How long would it take to cross the English Channel by sailboat?
Hi- as you can tell from my question I’m not a learned Mariner.
I am writing a disaster novel, the climax of which being 4-6 survivors flee a ruined England in desperation, heading towards France on a commandeered boat from a south coast marina (maybe Poole or Weymouth).
Assuming they grabbed the nearest boat they could and all piled in (safety or comfort no consideration- they are desperate and in a mortal rush) and made sail for France, how long would the journey take, very roughly, if they were just aiming for landfall anywhere on the French coast? Hours? Days? Let’s assume they got lucky with currents and navigation etc. Just a ball-park figure please, using sail power alone!
How different would the figure be if you factor in a motor, perhaps a medium-sized yacht at slow speed? Would a sports/ speed boat have the tank capacity to cross the Channel?
I know there’s a lot her but please try to give me a simple answer- thanks!
From Poole or Weymouth the best target port of destination would be Cherbourg. The channel tides hit left to right to left so cross channel navigation is actually quite straightforward although the tides do run fast off cherbourg and weymouth. 4 to 6 survivors means at least a moderate sail boat of 30 feet or a motor boat of 25 feet. Such a sail boat would average 4 to 5 knots unless lucky with the wind, in which case a good broad wind could give them up to 8 knots. That would take them 8 hours fastest to 12 hours slowest. A small motor speed boat may not carry enough fuel to get across and as you are talking about commandeering whatever is available you would not expect a small boat to be there with long range fuel tanks. If they went extreme and managed to get hold of a fast motor cruiser, 30 to 40 feet already fuelled up, then they might get across in 2 to 3 hours.
DaveyMcB is discussing.
DaveyMcB 6:47 pm on June 27, 2011 Permalink
How long would it take to cross the English Channel by sailboat?
Hi- as you can tell from my question I’m not a learned Mariner.
I am writing a disaster novel, the climax of which being 4-6 survivors flee a ruined England in desperation, heading towards France on a commandeered boat from a south coast marina (maybe Poole or Weymouth).
Assuming they grabbed the nearest boat they could and all piled in (safety or comfort no consideration- they are desperate and in a mortal rush) and made sail for France, how long would the journey take, very roughly, if they were just aiming for landfall anywhere on the French coast? Hours? Days? Let’s assume they got lucky with currents and navigation etc. Just a ball-park figure please, using sail power alone!
How different would the figure be if you factor in a motor, perhaps a medium-sized yacht at slow speed? Would a sports/ speed boat have the tank capacity to cross the Channel?
I know there’s a lot her but please try to give me a simple answer- thanks!
oldhombre 8:48 am on June 29, 2011 Permalink
From Poole or Weymouth the best target port of destination would be Cherbourg. The channel tides hit left to right to left so cross channel navigation is actually quite straightforward although the tides do run fast off cherbourg and weymouth. 4 to 6 survivors means at least a moderate sail boat of 30 feet or a motor boat of 25 feet. Such a sail boat would average 4 to 5 knots unless lucky with the wind, in which case a good broad wind could give them up to 8 knots. That would take them 8 hours fastest to 12 hours slowest. A small motor speed boat may not carry enough fuel to get across and as you are talking about commandeering whatever is available you would not expect a small boat to be there with long range fuel tanks. If they went extreme and managed to get hold of a fast motor cruiser, 30 to 40 feet already fuelled up, then they might get across in 2 to 3 hours.
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