Stag Cruise!

HoveRuss · 28 August 2007, 15:25

I get married on saturday....<gulp!> and work had prevented a 'proper' stag weekend.

I bought my boat a month or so ago, been out a few times weather/work/wedding planning permitting. Got on really well and having done a channel crossing in my best man, Nelson’s 6.5 Tornado (yes, that really is his name!) a few weeks back, was pretty confident I was up to a crossing in my own, with him along in his own boat to keep an eye on me!

So, on Friday, got a few mates together for an overnight trip with both boats to Calais, leaving Friday morning. Kind of 'stag cruise' Another brilliant invention of mine along with the 'Stag year' concept that has cost me every female friend i have

Weather was vile all week, and finally broke Thursday evening, blue skies and 5mph wind on Friday morning.

What a crack! Left from Ramsgate, headed down to Dover. On route at Deal, came across a big Navy Hovercraft headed the other way. Quite a bonus considering 5 of us are Hovercraft Racers/Cruisers or Manufacturers! Lance, from Dover Sea School is a mate of ours and had set out at some god-awful hour with a two man cross-channel swimming team set on a double crossing. We found him about six miles off dover, some 7 hours after they’d left….still, the good news was that he’d boiled the kettle and six cups of tea were waiting for us. Civilized this boating lark isn’t it? We don’t usually have that luxury in the hover!

We got across to Calais without any problems tho it got very rough around Cape Gris-Nez and the run along the coast was pretty bumpy. In all honesty I *had* had enough by the time we got there but there was a small sense of achievement in wrapping up my first crossing with no problems. My 65 year old dad had had enough too! Due to the leisurely pace and tea-stop, we missed the marina gates and had to moor up on the chain moorings in Calais harbour. Nelson, being part amphibian got the job of rowing ashore in a the inflatable kids boat we’d brought ‘just in case!’ which looked like the dodgiest part of the crossing to me!

Great night out in the Yacht Club, some ‘interesting’ bars and 555 Club til 4am, and woke up to a beautiful day with almost no wind, cruised back to Dover in 65 minutes for a bit of lunch in the yacht club and headed home for 4ish.

Strangest moment came when we gave them both their head on the final run into Ramsgate. I was managing 35 knots, Nelson was leaving me for dead at 40+knots when a huge lobster leapt out of the water and flopped into the bottom of the Tornado! In no time at all, my mate (who *never* misses out on a free lunch) had it bagged up and ready for the pot! Poor bloody thing, talk about a bad day!

All in all, a brilliant cruise with good mates, great boating and something to remember. Makes a change from a weekend stag do in Puerto Banus and a good indication of what I feel confident taking on with the rib. Did really well on fuel, Nelly’s 150 Mercury drank 150 litres, my 115 4 stroke around 80-90. Cheap to run as well then! Lots more of the same to come, tho the next time I do the channel it will be by hovercraft. All 3 metres of it.... Its something I’ve wanted to do for a couple of years and I’m running out of excuses now i've got the safety boat in the driveway!

Still, wedding Saturday. Lots to do! Few pics from the weekend.

Russ

HoveRuss · 28 August 2007, 15:26

Couple more

Pablo · 28 August 2007, 16:28

Looks great, you're not a photographer for nothing. I like the "climbing up the harbour wall" photo

nikster · 28 August 2007, 16:28

That makes about 9 or 10 brit ribs that went across Dover -CGN at the weekend then... i spent my whole time sat next the dragon boat team in the 8.1 doing 5 kts on the way over 45+ on the way back - much better.....:-)

Peter J · 29 August 2007, 13:17

Great story Russ, well done.

Good luck with the wedding, don't worry the honeymoon will soon be over and you can get back on your RIB.

BigFella · 29 August 2007, 13:56

Hey Russ, looks like you are having some fun with that new toy of yours

Great Pics

All the best with the wedding,

Keith

ZodiacFuturaMk2 · 03 September 2007, 00:31

Superb thread Russ! Great Pics!

Wedding was superb - I had FAR to much to drink though! :o)

Catch up with you soon

Gareth

Jon Brooks · 03 September 2007, 07:21

Hi Russ,

Hope all went well.
Had a great time with you guys Friday evening, sorry I did not make Saturday evening!

Was of our most manic days so far this summer.
Got home to change and head over, sat on the sofa next thing I know its 10pm!!!
All that fresh air makes you tired!!

Once again hope all went well and Nelson's speach was good.

Cheers

Bigmuz7 · 03 September 2007, 16:00

A lobster jumped into your boat

he must've been keen !!

HoveRuss · 05 September 2007, 18:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon Brooks

Hi Russ,

Hope all went well.
Had a great time with you guys Friday evening, sorry I did not make Saturday evening!

Was of our most manic days so far this summer.
Got home to change and head over, sat on the sofa next thing I know its 10pm!!!
All that fresh air makes you tired!!

Once again hope all went well and Nelson's speach was good.

Cheers

Hi Jon

All went well, and i no longer float due to the ball and chain around my ankle.

Emma impressed the hell out of all my mates, we wrote our own vows and she promised to 'Embrace my hobbies' - so they're all wishing THEY married her now. Some blokes never train their other halves!

Ceremony was emotional, Party was great, Nelsons speech was 'uncomfortable' once or twice, something about a car and a slipway being something of a recurring theme....

Great to find that Gareth, "zodiacfuturamk2" on here is an old school mate of Emmas, could happily have sat down talking boats all night but she kept moving me on. So much for "embracing my hobby!"

Coupld from the day, as you can see, my wife's a game old bird and was up for a US style "trash the dress" ther morning after. Both mums want to crucify her for such wanton destruction!

Russ

Jon Brooks · 06 September 2007, 09:44

That would not be the Black BMW M3 story would it?
I don't think I have heard that one, well not for a week or so

Great pix Russ.

Best of luck with married life but don't think you will need it.

And did you really pay £6k for those???

See you down the harbour soon or Churchills on a Friday evening!!

ZodiacFuturaMk2 · 10 September 2007, 00:58

Cheers for a great day out today Russ - perfect conditions!

All the pictures of our little cruise to Whitstable can be found here:
Ribtec, Tornado, Zodiac and Seadoo!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...5&id=848920556

Got some cracking videos too - will get them on youtube.

All the best

Gareth

HoveRuss · 10 September 2007, 20:39

Hi Gareth

Yup, quite a little flotilla we had there for a while! Didn't relaise Duncan is my mate Miles brother - Doh! And i'd met him before some time back.

Superb day out. I'd never had Dolly out in flat calm before, the last home was magic, can't believe how quick we did Herne Bay/Ramsgate. In all, we did around 60 miles.

The motors starting to loosen up a bit - managed a bit over 38 knots on the way back, at 5200rpm, so theres a bit more to come yet....

After we left you at HB, we stopped at Margate Hook for a spot of Seal watching, there were 15-20 of them sunbathing when we came past. The tide was unbelievably low by the time we got home, never seen the harbour so empty.

Nelson got an ILB shout just as we got back and ended up doing a solo rescue in his own boat - he just shouted' SMOKE ME A KIPPER, I'LL BE BACK FOR BREAKFAST' and hooned off towards Deal. What a Guy......!

As we got back, a feller had just decided to end it all in Ramsgate harbour by jumping off the wall into..... mud! Told you it was low, all he did was mess his hair up. So there was lots going on when we got there!

Russ

HoveRuss · 10 September 2007, 20:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZodiacFuturaMk2

Cheers for a great day out today Russ - perfect conditions!

All the pictures of our little cruise to Whitstable can be found here:
Ribtec, Tornado, Zodiac and Seadoo!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...5&id=848920556

Got some cracking videos too - will get them on youtube.

All the best

Gareth

By the way, i taker it that photo of all of us is a photoshop cut'n'shut?

ZodiacFuturaMk2 · 10 September 2007, 21:10

Hi Russ

Yep - Should have said about the 'Miles' connection.

Photoshoped Nelson in that shot - well spotted!

Did you see all the facebook pics too? Ive got some vids on facebook of the Caterham R500 topping 150mph too.

On the hunt for larger RIB now :o)

Some poor quality mobile phone vids of our little outing can be found at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lxMj8I_ca4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0eCJqRgHOI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmfiZ5p9uOw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpzs49nGqJ0

Cheers

G

HoveRuss · 12 September 2007, 11:34

I've got a 6m Ribtec you can buy....so am i!

Jon Brooks · 12 September 2007, 12:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by HoveRuss

I've got a 6m Ribtec you can buy....so am i!

9m Ribcraft is a good craft!

ZodiacFuturaMk2 · 12 September 2007, 13:44

An upgrade already!! ;o)

Does anyone know what the Ribcraft 4.8 like?

Im so stupidly tempted by this (see below) - Still nice and compact, not too thirsty but can handle the rough stuff a bit better!

http://www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk/view/F160194

Russ my brother was asking if you have any pics of your hover?

G

Jon Brooks · 12 September 2007, 16:04

Gareth,

You wont find many that complain about Ribcraft well not the boats anyway!!

Cheers

ZodiacFuturaMk2 · 12 September 2007, 17:12

Cheers Jon

Im even more tempted to get one now!! - what are you some sort of Sales Manager!!

G