Shoreham to Dieppe for Pizza

[Rob Jones]

Cracking weather last weekend so myself and a friend decided to make the hop across the channel from Shoreham to Dieppe.

Some short facts:-
Distance Travelled - 72nm each way
Boat - Humber Ocean Pro 6.3m
Engine - 150HP Honda
Fuel Consumed - 200l
Sea State - flat like a lake

Video

Dieppe Dash - YouTube

[whisper]

Hey dude, great vid Did you ever nail down the fuel problem on your Alderney trip?

[Rob Jones]

hey, I think the Alderney trip was a couple of factors and learnings. Basically I now know you either have speed or time as limiting factors (Distance doesn't play into it)
Alderney was quite a rough crossing and therefore speed had dropped to 8 knots which then created a time problem, the reverse is also true, gun the engine to get there quicker and you also chew through your fuel.
The other confusing part with Alderney return was the switch between main tank and aux, it would seem if its not dead closed the engine has enough suck that it can draw down on external tanks (in fact if you do not open the breathers it will actually collapse the tank with the vacuum created)
I have now done quite a few trips and best consumption is 1nm per litre and average is .68nm per l.

[tony t]

Cool vid Rob nice to see Orca again looked a great crossing


Sent from my iPhone using RIB Net

[Henby]

Originally Posted by Rob Jones

Cracking weather last weekend so myself and a friend decided to make the hop across the channel from Shoreham to Dieppe.

Some short facts:-
Distance Travelled - 72nm each way
Boat - Humber Ocean Pro 6.3m
Engine - 150HP Honda
Fuel Consumed - 200l
Sea State - flat like a lake

Video

Dieppe Dash - YouTube

Hi, thanks for your figures and video, very interesting.
Out of interest how long did the journeys (there & back)take and what speed did you cruise at?
Cheers

[Simon666]

Originally Posted by Rob Jones

Cracking weather last weekend so myself and a friend decided to make the hop across the channel from Shoreham to Dieppe.

Some short facts:-
Distance Travelled - 72nm each way
Boat - Humber Ocean Pro 6.3m
Engine - 150HP Honda
Fuel Consumed - 200l
Sea State - flat like a lake

Video

Dieppe Dash - YouTube

Hi Rob.
Weather looked fab you lucky things!
Just wondering what sort of speed/RPM you were averaging to return these figures? I take it is a 4 stroke?

[Rob Jones]

The sea state was really good………I mean really good, it was like running on glass so much so that the boat didn't bob up and down it just sat flat so made for a really smooth ride.
The boat I was with (Cobra One) is a new purchase for my friend and a 200hp 2stroke, he wasn't sure of his consumption so we kept things quite tame.
26knots seemed to be the best speed and we pretty much kept at that, revs at that speed sit around 4000.
I used my spare tanks first which showed me with certainty that I could get 20miles per 25l tank.
Crossing took about 3.5hrs each way and we actually set off from Dieppe at 2300hrs local time so a pure side by side night crossing, felt like something out of a Navy Seals recruitment film.
The sky in the middle of the English channel on a clear night is something worth stopping to look at and it truly was like a blanket of stars.
We also came across a cruise liner the size of the QEII all lit up like an Xmas tree, quite surreal running alongside it and to the stern watching people milling about and your far below in the darkness.

[Simon666]

Sounds amazing! There's not many days with weather as good as that each year. I planed to go out on the boat last Sunday, but the the misses was playing up

I dred to think how much the 200hp 2 stroke burnt!
Is your Honda the fuel injected or Carb version?

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by Rob Jones

I have now done quite a few trips and best consumption is 1nm per litre and average is .68nm per l.

That sounds a tad high to me, I'd have thought you'd be able to average 1nm/l in normal conditions. I get better than that with twin 115s. Is yours a carbed Honda or DI?

Cracking vid BTW, days like that, make your heart sing

[Vandad]

I get on average 1ltr per nm with a 250hp on a 8m rib. Having said that, its usually only two of us, but when we go for long voyages, we tend to stay for a week, so the rib is usually full of dry bags etc.

I would've thought with a smaller engine (150hp) the ltr/nm should be a bit better, but again I can see it's not as straight forward. Not sure with a longer rib, the drag is less (once on the plane) and weight is better distributed or not.

Anyway, great video. Just out of curiosity, did you stay there overnight or straight there and back?

[lakelandterrier]

Great vid & sounds like a great trip I'm all for taking an oppoortunity but.... I would question the wisdom of lack of lifejackets on Cobra 1 in some of the footage - surely not sensible on such a crossing or at any time?

[poulner6]

Great video 😆😆

[Rob Jones]

Hey Vandad, yes I always presumed that 1nm per litre was a safe bet but as anyone whom knows of my Alderney trip that it just isn't the case. I had wanted to stay the night but the others were not keen so it was literally a run over, some beers and mussels and then a run back. We left at about 1100hrs local time much to the confusion of the yacht owners whom couldnt grasp that we would just run back to UK in the dark. I would say though that ribbing in the dark brings a whole new dimension and a must for anyone.

Ref lifejackets on the other boat, I agree and wouldn't allow my crew to not wear them, but they decided not to bother and just went au-natural and no amount of me telling them was going to make a difference.

[poulner6]

I was in Shoreham port today. Quick blast then back to Littlehampton, would love to do a night trip... What about any thing drifting. That's my only worry

[Rob Jones]

Originally Posted by poulner6

I was in Shoreham port today. Quick blast then back to Littlehampton, would love to do a night trip... What about any thing drifting. That's my only worry

Well thats always the fear and to be honest you just need to keep a sharp look out, I find that you need to remove the glare from instruments as they just ruin any night vision you will have. With a combination of watching the chart plotter for any obvious obstructions and a constant scan in front you will spot the odd lobster pot.
What I find more confusing and quite an art is tracking large shipping, all you can see are the nag lights and I do not have the experience to know if its moving towards/away from you. Interesting though trying to figure it out

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by Rob Jones

all you can see are the nag lights and I do not have the experience to know if its moving towards/away from you. Interesting though trying to figure it out

If you can see both red & green, MOVE!! If it's a big boat & all you can see is white, then he's moving away. AIS is a godsend in this situation as it gives course of the other vessel & CPA (Closest Point of Approach)

[Barrowboy]

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

If you can see both red & green, MOVE!! If it's a big boat & all you can see is white, then he's moving away. AIS is a godsend in this situation as it gives course of the other vessel & CPA (Closest Point of Approach)

In addition to this, the real challenge is spotting moving vessels against a shore background that's lit up like Picadilly Circus; The Bay of Algeciras with a background of refineries and a load of vessels anchored is particularly challenging, as I imagine would be the approach to Southampton/Fawley?

[redthunder]

Originally Posted by Barrowboy

In addition to this, the real challenge is spotting moving vessels against a shore background that's lit up like Picadilly Circus; The Bay of Algeciras with a background of refineries and a load of vessels anchored is particularly challenging, as I imagine would be the approach to Southampton/Fawley?

Found out on my MCA medical I was coloured blind so the above situation is hell!!