Atlantic Crossing

[Liam]

I was sat having a beer yesterday afternoon before coming home when I heard about the couple who had just pulled onto our visitors moorings.

 

The boat, called "I Frances" started life in the US, and after boating to Ireland, was now on the Bridgewater after doing the Northern Canals.

 

The boat is 57ft long, 6ft 10 wide and has a draught of 2ft so I didn't beleive a word of it. Yes I've heard about narrowboats crossing the channel, and over to Ireland, but the Atlantic!

 

Check the following links for more info

 

http://iwn.iwai.ie/v29i2/ifrances.PDF (PDF)

 

and

 

http://www.penninewaterways.co.uk/news13.htm

 

Did you know about this, and would you consider doing it?

[matt]

Cracking read, thanks for that.

[Yoda]

I was sat having a beer yesterday afternoon before coming home when I heard about the couple who had just pulled onto our visitors moorings.

 

The boat, called "I Frances" started life in the US, and after boating to Ireland, was now on the Bridgewater after doing the Northern Canals.

 

The boat is 57ft long, 6ft 10 wide and has a draught of 2ft so I didn't beleive a word of it. Yes I've heard about narrowboats crossing the channel, and over to Ireland, but the Atlantic!

 

Check the following links for more info

 

http://iwn.iwai.ie/v29i2/ifrances.PDF (PDF)

 

and

 

http://www.penninewaterways.co.uk/news13.htm

 

Did you know about this, and would you consider doing it?

 

 

Eight horse power and a forty litre fuel tank, who is kidding who?

[tomsk]

No, I cannot be having this..... I hate to think what the coastguards veiw would be!!!!!

[stuart]

Eight horse power and a forty litre fuel tank, who is kidding who?

 

Accoring to the website, it used sail/wind power !

[John Orentas]

This boat and an almost identical story was around a couple of years ago, I wrote to the editor of Waterways World at the time, my letter headed 'Pull the other one'. He replied assuring me and everyone else it was quite true.

 

I didn't believe a word of it then and I don't believe it now.

Edited October 16, 2006 by John Orentas

[NB Willawaw]

Not a conventional narrowboat as we know it.

She has a full length box keel increasing her draft by a further 300mm with 2 tons of additional ballast in it.

Effectively a narrow beam sailing boat with a low centre of gravity and an auxiliary engine for calms and entering/leaving harbour.

With so little cross sectional area, you wouldn't need much sail to do 4-5 knots, which is just as well and she couldn't carry much sail anyway.

 

Very brave or extremely foolhardy. I wouldn't fancy sailing her in 5m waves or that far out of the sight of land.

Wouldn't have a problem coast-hopping though in fine weather.

 

Could start a new fashion in detachable keel boxes for coastal passages though !!!

Edited October 16, 2006 by NB Willawaw

[Moley]

Accoring to the website, it used sail/wind power !

So why are there no pics or video footage of this thing on the open seas, under full sail, or with 5m waves breaking over the roof, as the story says?

[matt]

So why are there no pics or video footage of this thing on the open seas, under full sail, or with 5m waves breaking over the roof, as the story says?

 

As the journey ends in Moscow - I suspect it's ongoing - maybe it'll be a book.

[John Orentas]

If that boat ever crossed the Atlantic I suspect it was on the deck of a freighter. May I suggest, someone may be writing a book.

[Yoda]

If that boat ever crossed the Atlantic I suspect it was on the deck of a freighter. May I suggest, someone may be writing a book.

 

A book? A work of fiction perhaps? 5 Metre waves breaking over the boat, how many tons of water is that? Why hasn't it been on the BBC news, then I would believe it. I would not take it across the Med.

[Moley]

If a narrowboat was to attempt an ocean crossing I find it hard to believe there would not be support vessels in constant attendance, plus occasional aircraft or helicopters, and a film crew, and that we wouldn't have seen it on our national news services. Apart from the two links Liam posted at the start, and other cross-references to them, there's damn-all on the internet. It just doesn't add up.

[tomsk]

If a narrowboat was to attempt an ocean crossing I find it hard to believe there would not be support vessels in constant attendance, plus occasional aircraft or helicopters, and a film crew, and that we wouldn't have seen it on our national news services. Apart from the two links Liam posted at the start, and other cross-references to them, there's damn-all on the internet. It just doesn't add up.

 

 

Clearly nonsense on stilts, I would LOVE to see more evidence, however I am a renown cynic.....I cannot see how this story could possibly hold water (Phnarr, Phnaaar)

[matt]

It looks like it never made it to Moscow.

 

 

 

Actually, that article doesn't say it didn't - it just indicates it was delayed.

 

I'm for believing this one.

[Yoda]

Clearly nonsense on stilts, I would LOVE to see more evidence, however I am a renown cynic.....I cannot see how this story could possibly hold water (Phnarr, Phnaaar)

 

The only other boat that I think would be similar is a Viking longship. These are not ocean going though but were used to island hop to the East coast of the Americas and down into the Great Lakes. With virtually no keel, narrow boat navigation would be down to heading into the swell all of the time, making any sea journey somewhat tortuous.

[salmiron]

So why are there no pics or video footage of this thing on the open seas, under full sail, or with 5m waves breaking over the roof, as the story says?

 

I did not see any mention of little pixies or fairies, so I suppose it must be true.

[Yoda]

I did not see any mention of little pixies or fairies, so I suppose it must be true.

 

I always thought that the sea gods were different. Perhaps Spongebob Squarepants, and Gary.

[Callum]

The only other boat that I think would be similar is a Viking longship. These are not ocean going though but were used to island hop to the East coast of the Americas and down into the Great Lakes. With virtually no keel, narrow boat navigation would be down to heading into the swell all of the time, making any sea journey somewhat tortuous.

 

I recall a recent-ish televisual programme where two teams of Oxford & Cambridge students rowed/sailed replica Viking longboats across the North Sea from Denmark(?) to the UK. Took them about 36 hours as I recall. Now, I'm not equating the North Sea with the Atlantic but it was a journey across the open sea nonetheless. I also have a dim memory of some explorer/hippy chap sailing a replica raft - Kon Tiki - across the Pacific. Also there were those two chaps (Fogle & Cracknell?) who recently rowed across the Atlantic unsupported.

 

The point I guess I'm trying to make is that this story may be true, since stranger & smaller vessels appear to have made seemingly astounding ocean voyages. I'm prepared to give the story the benefit of the doubt at the moment.

[Yoda]

I recall a recent-ish televisual programme where two teams of Oxford & Cambridge students rowed/sailed replica Viking longboats across the North Sea from Denmark(?) to the UK. Took them about 36 hours as I recall. Now, I'm not equating the North Sea with the Atlantic but it was a journey across the open sea nonetheless. I also have a dim memory of some explorer/hippy chap sailing a replica raft - Kon Tiki - across the Pacific. Also there were those two chaps (Fogle & Cracknell?) who recently rowed across the Atlantic unsupported.

 

The point I guess I'm trying to make is that this story may be true, since stranger & smaller vessels appear to have made seemingly astounding ocean voyages. I'm prepared to give the story the benefit of the doubt at the moment.

 

I think the smallist ship to make the journey was about 8 feet long. Ben Fogel went from the Azores I think. The Northern Atlantic is not a place for the faint hearted or a coricle.

[tomsk]

I recall a recent-ish televisual programme where two teams of Oxford & Cambridge students rowed/sailed replica Viking longboats across the North Sea from Denmark(?) to the UK. Took them about 36 hours as I recall. Now, I'm not equating the North Sea with the Atlantic but it was a journey across the open sea nonetheless. I also have a dim memory of some explorer/hippy chap sailing a replica raft - Kon Tiki - across the Pacific. Also there were those two chaps (Fogle & Cracknell?) who recently rowed across the Atlantic unsupported.

 

The point I guess I'm trying to make is that this story may be true, since stranger & smaller vessels appear to have made seemingly astounding ocean voyages. I'm prepared to give the story the benefit of the doubt at the moment.

 

 

This story reminds me of the voyage I made in my welsh coracle "Dreamland", we were half-way across the South Atlantic heading for Punto Del Este when this rather nasty Sea Serpent surfaced and asked if we (It was a rare 5 man coracle fitted out by Zero the Hero out of Fishguard, replete with optional gurnard brace and smoking spar) would like to ingest anymore of those rather nice mushroom which just so happen to be in season around now...... so, we steered W by SW and before yo.................

[salmiron]

I recall a recent-ish televisual programme where two teams of Oxford & Cambridge students rowed/sailed replica Viking longboats across the North Sea from Denmark(?) to the UK. Took them about 36 hours as I recall. Now, I'm not equating the North Sea with the Atlantic but it was a journey across the open sea nonetheless. I also have a dim memory of some explorer/hippy chap sailing a replica raft - Kon Tiki - across the Pacific. Also there were those two chaps (Fogle & Cracknell?) who recently rowed across the Atlantic unsupported.

 

The point I guess I'm trying to make is that this story may be true, since stranger & smaller vessels appear to have made seemingly astounding ocean voyages. I'm prepared to give the story the benefit of the doubt at the moment.

 

I must continue to express some doubt.

 

Longboats, as opposed to narrowboats were designed for relatively deep sea work. They flexed rather than bent. Narrow boats are designed for quieter waters. I do not see steel narrow boats flexing very much, they seem to be designed for rigidity. Crashing seas would I suspect have bent this matchstick in two. Having said this, I am not a boat designer and could be talking out of the top of my head.

 

When Thor Heyerdahl sailed his expeditions, there was a lot of publicity during the expeditions, and no doubt that they were being made.

 

Nobody sails out of Canada and into Ireland without informing the Coastguards, these days carrying GPS, which will betray your location, take the odd video etc. Otherwise you are stark starring bonkers. Where was the send off and even bigger arrival. a la Spirit of St Louis?

 

I just think we are being had. How many pints of beer does the owner get out of the story?

 

On the other hand it may just be an Urban myth.

[Callum]

This story reminds me of the voyage I made in my welsh coracle "Dreamland", we were half-way across the South Atlantic heading for Punto Del Este when this rather nasty Sea Serpent surfaced and asked if we (It was a rare 5 man coracle fitted out by Zero the Hero out of Fishguard, replete with optional gurnard brace and smoking spar) would like to ingest anymore of those rather nice mushroom which just so happen to be in season around now...... so, we steered W by SW and before yo.................

 

Well, I tip my hat to you, Tomsk, since despite extracting the Micheal you have an amusing style and life's far too short to get upset over such differences of opinion.

 

Vive la difference, everyone!

[tomsk]

Well, I tip my hat to you, Tomsk, since despite extracting the Micheal you have an amusing style and life's far too short to get upset over such differences of opinion.

 

Vive la difference, everyone!

 

Glad it was taken in the spirit that was intended......I endevour to give satisfaction.

[Callum]

......I endevour to give satisfaction.

 

as the womble actress said to the Bishop!

[Yoda]

This story reminds me of the voyage I made in my welsh coracle "Dreamland", we were half-way across the South Atlantic heading for Punto Del Este when this rather nasty Sea Serpent surfaced and asked if we (It was a rare 5 man coracle fitted out by Zero the Hero out of Fishguard, replete with optional gurnard brace and smoking spar) would like to ingest anymore of those rather nice mushroom which just so happen to be in season around now...... so, we steered W by SW and before yo.................

 

I was enjoying that. Carry on .